Chapter 4 - Grace’s Secret
Detective Bennett separated Vanessa and Martin.
The guests finally left.
By sunset, Whitaker Estate felt empty.
For the first time in eleven days, I took off the fake beard knowing I would never need it again.
Sophie sat at the kitchen island eating grilled cheese.
Caleb sat beside her with Benny the rabbit.
Grace stood near the stove.
“You can sit,” I told her.
“I’m working.”
“You were slapped at my charity brunch.”
“Yes.”
“You slept outside my children’s bedroom.”
“Yes.”
“You recorded my fiancée threatening them.”
“Yes.”
“Sit.”
She sat.
Sophie smiled a little.
“Daddy uses that voice when everybody has to listen.”
Grace glanced at me.
“I noticed.”
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Sophie asked the question I deserved.
“Are you going away again?”
“No.”
“Ever?”
“I’ll have to travel sometimes.”
Her shoulders dropped.
“But not like before.”
She looked up.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I stop pretending money and security guards can raise my children for me.”
Grace looked away.
I noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
She hesitated.
“You shouldn’t promise something just because you feel guilty.”
Sophie stared between us.
I leaned back.
“You’re very comfortable criticizing your employer.”
“You haven’t fired me yet.”
Caleb whispered loudly.
“Don’t fire Grace.”
“I’m not firing Grace.”
He relaxed.
I looked at her.
“What should I promise?”
Grace considered it.
“Something specific.”
“Fine.”
I turned to Sophie.
“I will eat breakfast with you tomorrow.”
Her expression brightened.
“And I will take Caleb to preschool.”
Caleb frowned.
“I don’t like preschool.”
“I know.”
“And Friday night, nobody works.”
Sophie blinked.
“Not even you?”
“Especially me.”
Grace nodded.
“That’s better.”
I looked at her.
“Thank you for the performance review.”
“You’re welcome.”
For a few seconds, the kitchen almost felt normal.
Then Daniel entered.
His face killed the moment.
“We need to talk.”
I looked at the children.
“Later.”
“Now.”
Grace immediately stood.
“Come on, guys. Let’s find pajamas.”
Sophie reached for my hand.
“You’ll still be here?”
“Yes.”
She studied my face to make sure.
Then she left.
Daniel waited until the door closed.
“We found transfers from one of your household operating accounts.”
“How much?”
“Eight hundred thousand over fourteen months.”
“To Vanessa?”
“Not directly.”
“Martin?”
“Partly.”
I stood.
“Where did the rest go?”
“A private investigation firm.”
I frowned.
“Investigating what?”
“You.”
That surprised me.
Daniel handed over documents.
“Travel schedules. Business meetings. Property holdings.”
“She was preparing for a breakup.”
“Maybe.”
“What else?”
“Information on Sophie and Caleb.”
My head lifted.
“What kind?”
“School schedules. Medical contacts. Your custody arrangements after Emily died.”
My voice hardened.
“She was building leverage.”
“Looks that way.”
Grace appeared in the doorway.
She had heard enough to stop.
Daniel looked at her.
“Ms. Miller.”
Grace went pale.
Not because of what we were discussing.
Because of Daniel.
I noticed.
“You two know each other?”
Daniel frowned.
“I don’t think so.”
Grace looked toward the stairs.
“I should check on the children.”
“Grace.”
She stopped.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Daniel suddenly stared harder at her.
“Wait.”
Grace closed her eyes.
Daniel pointed.
“Grace Miller.”
“Yes.”
“Your brother was Thomas Miller.”
The room changed.
I knew the name.
Thomas Miller had been an accountant for one of my legitimate construction companies.
Two years earlier, he died in a car accident.
Grace looked at me.
“Yes.”
I said slowly, “You applied here because of him.”
“Yes.”
“So this wasn’t coincidence.”
“No.”
I felt something cold settle in my chest.
“Why are you in my house?”
Grace’s voice trembled for the first time.
“Because my brother believed someone was stealing from you.”
Daniel and I exchanged a look.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Thomas told you?”
“He told me he found irregular payments. He said if anything happened to him, I should stay away from the Whitaker organization.”
“And you did the opposite.”
“I spent two years trying to understand why he was afraid.”
“What does that have to do with Vanessa?”
Grace reached into her pocket.
She placed a small brass key on the counter.
“I found this taped beneath a drawer in the old staff office.”
Daniel picked it up.
“What does it open?”
“My brother had the same one.”
“How do you know?”
“Because after he died, the police gave me his belongings.”
She looked at me.
“There was a key just like this.”
My phone rang.
Bennett.
I answered.
“What?”
Her voice was sharp.
“Evan, where are the children?”
“Upstairs.”
“Get them somewhere secure.”
My body went rigid.
“Why?”
“Martin Cole is gone.”
“What do you mean gone?”
“He slipped custody during transport.”
Daniel swore.
Bennett continued.
“And before he disappeared, he made one call.”
“To who?”
There was a pause.
“Your estate.”
A crash sounded upstairs.
Grace ran before I did.
“Sophie!”
We hit the staircase together.
Caleb screamed.
I reached the second floor.
The nursery window was open.
Cold air moved through the curtains.
Sophie stood in the hallway clutching Caleb.
Grace grabbed them both.
“What happened?”
Sophie pointed toward the service stairs.
“A man came in.”
“Who?”
Her terrified eyes found mine.
“Mr. Martin.”
I reached inside my jacket.
“Where did he go?”
Sophie whispered.
May you like
“He said he came for Grace.”
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