Chapter 8 - What Vanessa Said
The officer reviewed the footage inside his cruiser with Ethan and Mark standing nearby.
The screen remained out of sight from Lily.
She had already seen enough.
The dashcam showed Parker behind the wheel, angry because Lily’s hatchback sat behind the Mercedes for less than a minute. Vanessa stood near the open passenger door.
Parker asked whether he should wait.
Vanessa looked toward the house.
Then she said, “Push that little junk box out of the way. Maybe she’ll finally learn who gets priority in this family.”
Parker laughed.
He reversed.
Then accelerated forward.
The Mercedes struck Lily’s car and drove it into the maple tree.
Afterward, Vanessa walked toward the wreck, examined the damage, and said, “Film it before Mark gets home. Make it look like she blocked you.”
The dashcam recorded everything.
The plan.
The impact.
The cover story.
Officer Ross exited the cruiser with a different expression.
He spoke first to Parker, then to Vanessa. Backup was requested. Statements were separated. The flash drive and vehicle-recording account were preserved as evidence.
Vanessa looked toward Mark’s parents.
“Say something.”
Mark’s father stared at the driveway.
His mother covered her mouth.
Neither moved.
They had spent the evening asking Mark not to ruin Parker’s future.
Now they understood Vanessa had helped Parker choose the act that endangered it.
Parker turned toward Ethan.
“You’re really taking their side?”
Ethan looked at his son.
May you like
“There aren’t sides. There’s what you did.”
That was the first honest parenting Parker had received all evening.
