Chapter 5 - The Story Sabrina Never Expected Gracie to Tell
Lucas stared at the image.
Sabrina.
At Mrs. Gable's house.
He called immediately.
No answer.
Then Mrs. Gable's number called him.
Lucas answered.
"Mrs. Gable?"
Sabrina spoke.
"Stop."
Lucas's expression hardened.
"Where is Evelyn?"
"She's fine."
"Put her on."
"Lucas, listen to me."
"Put her on the phone."
A rustle.
Then Mrs. Gable's voice.
"I'm all right, Lucas."
"Are you there voluntarily?"
"Yes."
"Is Peter Vale there?"
Pause.
"Yes."
"Do you want me to call for help?"
Another pause.
Then:
"I think you should."
Lucas did.
He stayed away, exactly as instructed.
Gracie remained with a trusted caregiver arranged through proper channels while Lucas cooperated.
Forty minutes later, Mrs. Gable called.
Peter was gone.
Sabrina remained.
Lucas was advised that he could speak with Mrs. Gable, but he should avoid escalating any confrontation.
When he arrived, Sabrina sat in the living room.
For the first time since his return, she didn't look angry.
She looked exhausted.
Mrs. Gable sat opposite her.
Lucas remained standing.
"Where's Peter?"
"Gone," Sabrina said.
"Why was he here?"
"He wanted the video."
Mrs. Gable held up a small external drive.
"He didn't get it."
Lucas looked at Sabrina.
"Why did you come?"
"To stop him."
Lucas almost didn't believe her.
Then he remembered Gracie saying Sabrina had cried.
"I need the truth."
Sabrina looked at the floor.
"I borrowed money."
"I know."
Her head snapped up.
"From Peter?"
"I know about the investment."
Sabrina covered her face.
"I thought I could fix everything before you found out."
"How much did you lose?"
She told him.
Lorraine's number had been accurate.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you would look at me exactly the way you're looking at me now."
"How am I looking at you?"
"Like you don't know me."
Lucas sat across from her.
"I don't."
That landed.
Sabrina looked away.
"What happened to Gracie?"
Her eyes closed.
"She spilled juice."
"That's not what I asked."
"I was on the phone with my mother."
"And?"
"I was angry."
"And?"
"Gracie kept asking me questions."
"What questions?"
"About the paperwork."
Lucas waited.
"She'd found a page."
"I know."
Sabrina looked startled.
"She hid it in her bear."
Lucas watched the realization move across her face.
"She showed you?"
"Yes."
Sabrina whispered something under her breath.
"What happened next?"
"She wouldn't give it back."
"So you grabbed her?"
"I grabbed her arm."
"And?"
"She pulled away."
"And?"
Sabrina's eyes filled.
"I pushed her toward the closet."
Lucas's entire body went rigid.
"I didn't mean for her to hit it."
"But she did."
"Yes."
"And you didn't take her to a doctor."
Sabrina began crying.
"I panicked."
"You told her to lie."
"I know."
"You told a seven-year-old she'd destroy her family."
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because I was terrified."
"Of being caught?"
"Of losing everything."
Lucas leaned forward.
"You were supposed to be the person she was safe with."
Sabrina covered her mouth.
"I know."
There was nothing Lucas could say that would make that sentence smaller.
Mrs. Gable quietly left the room.
Lucas and Sabrina sat facing each other.
Finally Sabrina said, "There's something worse."
Lucas looked at her.
"What?"
"The document."
"Peter changed it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Leverage."
"For the money?"
She nodded.
"He discovered my mother had prepared temporary guardianship documents. Peter obtained copies."
"How?"
"I don't know."
"And changed them?"
"Yes."
"Why involve Gracie?"
"He wasn't trying to take Gracie."
"Then what was he doing?"
"Scaring me."
Lucas stared at her.
"He wanted me to believe he could make it look like you had voluntarily signed documents transferring control over certain family decisions."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted access to something connected to your company."
Lucas felt the pieces rearrange.
"This isn't about our marriage."
"Not entirely."
"What did he want?"
"A confidential acquisition file."
Lucas stood.
"You gave him company information?"
"No."
"Did you?"
"No!"
Sabrina's voice broke.
"That's why he started threatening me."
Lucas stared at her.
"You could have told me."
"I know."
"You could have told the police."
"I know."
"You could have done almost anything except frighten our daughter into silence."
Sabrina looked down.
"I know."
That answer carried no defense.
Lucas preferred it that way.
Then his phone rang.
Natalie.
He answered.
"Lucas, Peter Vale isn't who he claims to be."
"What do you mean?"
"The investment entity Sabrina used is connected to several dissolved companies."
"So?"
"So Peter appears to have approached other families using similar investment pitches."
Lucas looked at Sabrina.
Natalie continued.
"But there's something else. I finally traced the authentication record attached to your supposed signature."
Lucas waited.
"It wasn't uploaded from your computer."
"Where did it come from?"
"A device registered to Lorraine."
Lucas looked at Sabrina.
Her face drained of color.
"My mother?"
Lucas put Natalie on speaker.
Natalie continued.
"There's more. The document was uploaded three weeks ago at 4:26 P.M."
Mrs. Gable's video.
Lorraine had been inside the house.
Sabrina had arrived at 4:18.
Eight minutes later, the document had been uploaded.
Lucas turned toward Sabrina.
"Where was your mother at 4:26?"
Sabrina whispered, "Upstairs."
"With Gracie?"
Her face changed.
"I don't know."
Lucas remembered the photograph.
Peter behind Gracie.
The folder.
Something still didn't fit.
Then Mrs. Gable returned.
She was holding the external drive.
"I found another clip."
Lucas stood.
"What clip?"
"My camera caught Peter leaving your house that day."
"So?"
"He wasn't alone."
Mrs. Gable connected the drive.
The screen flickered.
Peter walked down the Prescott driveway at 4:39.
Then another figure emerged behind him.
Lucas leaned closer.
It wasn't Lorraine.
It wasn't Sabrina.
It was Gracie.
Peter turned toward the child.
He crouched.
He handed her something.
Then Gracie pointed directly toward Mrs. Gable's house.
Peter followed her finger.
May you like
He looked straight into the security camera.
And smiled.
