Chapter 3 - Vanessa Had Been Inside The Study After Henry Died
Daniel came downstairs alone.
Vanessa was waiting.
Lily sat on the sofa with a blanket around her shoulders although the house was warm.
She kept staring at Evelyn’s wet clothes.
Daniel looked at his daughter first.
“Hey.”
Lily stood.
“Is Uncle Owen upstairs?”
Vanessa turned sharply.
Daniel caught it.
“You know who he is?”
Lily nodded.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She answered before he asked.
“There are photographs.”
Lily said:
“Mom showed me one.”
Vanessa’s mouth tightened.
Daniel sat beside Lily.
“What did Mom tell you?”
“That he doesn't come here.”
“Anything else?”
Vanessa interrupted.
“Do not question her.”
Daniel looked at her.
The irony landed hard enough that Vanessa looked away.
He softened his voice.
“Lily, go with Mrs. Alvarez for a little while.”
Their cook was in the back hall pretending not to hear anything.
Lily hesitated.
“Is Evelyn okay?”
Daniel looked toward Evelyn.
She had wrapped a kitchen towel around her shoulders.
“No,” Evelyn said.
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“But I will be.”
Lily nodded.
Then followed Mrs. Alvarez.
Once she was gone, Daniel faced Vanessa.
“You scheduled Dad’s study to be emptied.”
“Not emptied.”
“Evelyn says everything.”
“I scheduled cataloging.”
“Without telling me.”
“You’ve refused to touch that room for eight months.”
“So you decided.”
“The renovation starts Monday.”
“The upstairs guest rooms. Not his study.”
“The contractor needs access.”
“Then we delay one room.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“You say that now because Owen appears and suddenly everything changes.”
Daniel stared.
“You knew he might appear.”
“No.”
“You went pale when the door opened.”
“Because I recognized his voice.”
“How?”
She hesitated.
Daniel saw it.
“When did you last hear him?”
“Years ago.”
Owen spoke from the staircase.
“Three months.”
Vanessa turned.
Daniel slowly looked at her.
Owen came down.
He stayed four steps above the foyer floor.
Three months.
Daniel repeated it.
“You’ve spoken to my brother.”
Vanessa’s face hardened.
“He called.”
“And you answered.”
“Once.”
Owen laughed quietly.
“Four times.”
“Stop.”
Daniel looked between them.
“What did he want?”
Owen answered.
“To know whether Dad left anything for me.”
Vanessa snapped:
“He called the week after the funeral asking about the study.”
“I asked if Daniel had opened it.”
“You had no right.”
“It was my father’s room too.”
“You had been gone twelve years.”
Owen looked at Daniel.
“That’s her favorite number.”
Daniel ignored him.
“Vanessa. Were you in the study after Dad died?”
She said nothing.
“Were you?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn’s hand tightened around the towel.
Daniel saw.
“When?”
“The day after the funeral.”
“How?”
“I had a key.”
“You told me Dad kept the only copy.”
“I thought he did.”
“You had one.”
“He gave it to me years ago.”
“For what?”
“House matters.”
Owen laughed again.
Daniel turned.
“Enough.”
Owen went quiet.
Daniel looked back at Vanessa.
“What did you take?”
“Nothing.”
Owen came down one more step.
“That drawer wasn't empty when Dad died.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed.
“You weren’t here.”
“I was.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Owen looked at him.
“I came to the funeral.”
Daniel stared.
“No.”
“I stayed in the car.”
“Why?”
“Dad asked me not to turn his funeral into our reunion.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“Even dead, he scheduled everybody.”
Owen didn’t argue.
“I came into the study that night.”
“With what key?”
“Mine.”
Daniel looked from Owen to Vanessa.
Apparently everyone had one except him.
“What was in the drawer?”
Owen answered.
“A small black notebook.”
Vanessa said:
“I never saw it.”
Owen looked at her.
“You're lying.”
Her face tightened.
Daniel held up a hand before either continued.
“What was in the notebook?”
Owen looked at him.
“I don’t know.”
“You came back for something you never read.”
“Dad made me promise.”
Daniel’s patience snapped.
“Everybody stop telling me what Dad made them promise.”
The foyer went silent.
He looked at Owen.
“What did he say?”
Owen answered more carefully.
“He said the notebook belonged to you.”
Daniel stared.
“Then why did he put it in a drawer and tell you?”
Owen looked almost embarrassed.
“Because that’s how Dad did everything by the end.”
Vanessa looked toward the study.
Daniel noticed.
“You know what was in it.”
“No.”
“You know enough to be afraid of it.”
Vanessa’s eyes moved back to him.
“That notebook is not why Owen is here.”
Owen’s expression changed.
Daniel caught that too.
“What does she mean?”
Vanessa looked at Owen.
“Tell him why you were really in that study twelve years ago.”
May you like
Owen went still.
And Daniel realized the missing notebook was not the oldest secret in the room.
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