Chapter 8 - The Lake House
Mara gave the police everything she knew.
Serena had asked about Victor's travel routes, his private plane schedule, the lake house generator, and which roads had the fewest cameras. At first Mara thought Serena was preparing a surprise wedding weekend.
Then Grant had given her a photograph of Victor's SUV and asked a mechanic to "make sure the brakes fail naturally."
Victor listened without blinking.
"When?"
"This weekend."
Victor was supposed to take Ethan to the lake house on Saturday.
Lily whispered, "She would've blamed me again."
Mara nodded. "There was a plan to make it look like you forgot to secure his car seat."
Victor closed his eyes.
Police found the mechanic within hours. He denied touching the SUV but admitted Grant had offered him twenty thousand dollars.
The money came from one of the same shell companies Olivia had traced.
At sunrise, detectives searched Serena's town house.
They found passports, cash, and a map marked with three locations.
Blackwood House.
The private airport.
The lake house.
Victor insisted on going with detectives to the lake house because Olivia had kept files there before Ethan was born.
Lily stayed behind with Ethan under police protection.
"Don't do anything stupid," she told Victor.
"That's fair."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
For the first time all night, she almost smiled.
At the lake house, detectives found the front door unlocked.
Nothing looked disturbed.
Until Victor entered Olivia's study.
A framed photograph had been removed from the wall.
Behind it was a narrow safe.
Victor knew the code: Ethan's birthday.
Inside were bank records, a flash drive, and a handwritten journal.
Olivia's journal.
The final entry was dated the night she died.
Serena confronted me. She knows I found the transfers. She says Victor will never believe me because he thinks she is helping us. Grant was outside the study. I am scared, but I am taking the evidence to Daniel.
Victor turned the page.
The last sentence had been written shakily.
If I don't make it, check the second phone.
Victor searched the safe.
No second phone.
A detective called from downstairs.
"Mr. Blackwood!"
Victor ran down.
The back door stood open.
Fresh muddy footprints crossed the kitchen.
Someone else had been inside the house minutes earlier.
On the counter sat a phone.
Not Olivia's.
Victor recognized the case.
It belonged to Grant.
May you like
The screen showed one outgoing call placed two minutes ago.
To Lily.
