Chapter 2 - THE RING IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Grant Vale had not slept through an entire night in twenty-five years.
At seventy-two, he still woke whenever rain struck hard against the windows of his Fifth Avenue apartment.
Rain meant the mountain road.
Rain meant Catherine.
Rain meant the phone call telling him his wife’s car had gone through a guardrail with their daughter inside.
So when Julian called at 1:17 in the morning, Grant answered immediately.
“What happened?”
“I need you to look at something.”
Julian sent the image.
Grant opened it.
His breathing stopped.
The woman in the video was covered in pink frosting.
Her expression was controlled, but her eyes were unmistakable.
Grant enlarged the image until the silver ring became clear.
He stood so quickly his chair fell backward.
“No.”
Julian remained silent.
Grant touched the screen with one trembling finger.
“I gave Catherine that ring on our tenth anniversary.”
“I remember.”
“There were only two made.”
“I know.”
“The second one belonged to Maya.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Grant’s voice cracked.
“My daughter was five.”
“This woman is thirty-one.”
Grant calculated the years.
His hand started shaking.
Julian spoke carefully.
“I’m not saying we know anything yet.”
“Where is she?”
“Long Island.”
“Where?”
“I’m working on that.”
“I want a car.”
“Grant.”
“I said I want a car.”
Julian’s voice hardened.
“You spent twenty-five years imagining this moment.”
“Don’t destroy it by frightening her.”
Silence followed.
Grant slowly sat down.
Julian continued.
“If she is Maya, she has lived her entire adult life believing she is someone else.”
“She was humiliated by her husband today.”
“She left him tonight.”
“She has a four-year-old daughter.”
Grant closed his eyes again.
A granddaughter.
The word struck somewhere deeper than he expected.
Meanwhile, in Rachel’s guest room, Maya finally answered Richard’s twenty-third call.
His voice exploded through the phone.
“Do you understand what you’ve done to me?”
Maya almost laughed.
“To you?”
“That video is everywhere.”
“Vanessa recorded it.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It seems like exactly the point.”
Richard lowered his voice.
“Come home.”
“No.”
“Maya, stop acting stupid.”
She looked at Lily.
“Never call me stupid again.”
Richard went quiet.
That sentence was new.
So was the woman who had said it.
“You have no money,” he warned.
“I have enough.”
“I’ll take Lily.”
Maya’s stomach tightened.
“You won’t.”
“You think a waitress sleeping in somebody’s spare room beats a father with a house?”
“A rented house.”
Richard slammed something down.
Then Olivia’s voice came faintly through the background.
Richard returned colder.
“If you make me fight you, Maya, you’re going to regret it.”
Maya touched the orchid ring beneath her shirt.
“No, Richard.”
“For the first time in six years, I think you are.”
She ended the call.
Seconds later, a message appeared from an unknown Manhattan number.
My name is Julian Sterling.
I believe the ring you wear belonged to someone I knew.
Please do not remove it.
May you like
And please do not let anyone take it from you.
—
