Chapter 4 - The Beach Gate
I didn't remember crossing the yard.
Wind tore at my shirt. Waves slammed the shore below.
Vanessa was fifty yards ahead, dragging Sophie by the hand.
"Daddy!"
Sophie twisted around.
Vanessa yanked her harder.
"Let her go!"
Vanessa reached the beach access road, where a black SUV waited with the engine running.
The SUV door opened.
Martin stepped out.
For half a second, my mind refused to accept it.
My attorney. My friend. The man who had stood beside me at Claire's memorial.
"Martin!"
He looked at me and swore.
Vanessa shoved Sophie toward him.
I hit Martin before he could grab her.
We went down against the side of the SUV. He drove an elbow into my ribs. I heard Sophie crying behind me.
"You don't understand what you're doing," Martin snapped.
I grabbed his jacket. "You declared my wife dead."
"Because she was dangerous."
"She's alive."
His eyes flickered.
He knew.
Lucas dragged Vanessa away from Sophie. I got my daughter behind me as estate security finally reached us.
Martin raised his hands.
"Ethan, listen to me. Claire is sick. She has been manipulating Sophie for months."
"Then why did Vanessa lie about knowing her?"
Vanessa shouted, "Because Claire tried to ruin my life!"
I turned.
Her face was wet with tears, but her voice was furious.
"Before you ever met me," she said, "Claire accused me of stealing from your foundation. She tried to get me arrested."
"You worked for the foundation?"
"Under a contractor."
Martin cut in. "This is exactly why you need to calm down."
"You tried to take my child."
"I was taking her somewhere safe."
"Where?"
Nobody answered.
Then Sophie whispered, "St. Catherine's."
Martin's face changed.
I crouched beside her. "How do you know that name?"
"Vanessa said that's where bad girls go when they lie."
Lucas looked at Martin. "St. Catherine's closed eight years ago."
"What was it?" I asked.
He answered quietly.
"A private psychiatric facility. Claire was a patient there when she was nineteen."
Martin suddenly smiled.
"Now you see the problem."
She was staring past me toward the bluff.
Her eyes widened.
"Mommy."
I turned.
A woman stood above us on the cliff path.
Claire.
May you like
Alive.
And holding a gun.
