Chapter 13 - Where We Became a Family
Anna and I first became a family before Lily was born.
Not at our wedding.
Not at the hospital.
At a tiny rental house on Green Street.
We lived there during our first year of marriage.
We painted the kitchen ourselves.
Burned our first Thanksgiving turkey.
Found out Anna was pregnant in the upstairs bathroom.
The house had been sold years ago.
Detective Collins contacted the current owners.
They agreed to let us search.
I remembered one place immediately.
Beneath the kitchen window was a loose floorboard.
Anna once hid my birthday present there because she thought I would never notice.
We removed it.
Underneath sat a sealed waterproof pouch.
Inside was a hard drive.
Anna’s real evidence.
There were years of records.
Emails.
Audio recordings.
Foundation transfers.
Photos.
And a complete copy of the trust amendment Evelyn had never seen.
There was also a recording labeled FOR DANIEL.
I watched alone.
Anna appeared tired.
But she smiled.
“If you found this, you remembered Green Street.”
I started crying before she finished the first sentence.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything.”
“I kept thinking I could protect you and Lily by handling my family myself.”
“That was a mistake.”
She looked down.
Then back at the camera.
“Victor is desperate.”
“Mom loves him enough to excuse almost anything.”
“And Michael…”
She hesitated.
“Michael wants to be good.”
“But wanting to be good is not the same as choosing good when it costs you something.”
The accuracy of that sentence hurt.
Anna continued.
“If something happens to me, do not let anyone use grief to get access to Lily.”
“Not my mother.”
“Not Victor.”
“Not Michael.”
“Anyone who loves her will accept boundaries.”
I covered my mouth.
Then Anna smiled again.
“And Daniel?”
“You are a good father.”
“Do not let anyone convince you otherwise.”
The video ended.
I remained in the empty Green Street kitchen for a long time.
Then Detective Collins entered.
“We found something on the drive.”
“What?”
“A live account.”
Victor had been using one of the stolen foundation accounts.
It pinged less than ten minutes earlier.
He had purchased fuel at a marina.
The location was twenty miles north.
Police moved immediately.
Then my phone rang.
Lily’s school.
I answered.
The administrator sounded panicked.
“Mr. Mercer, we have a problem.”
My heart stopped.
“Where is Lily?”
There was a pause.
May you like
“She isn’t here.”
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