Chapter 6
Ethan opened Caroline’s old cloud account.
He had avoided it for years.
Too painful.
Photographs.
Videos of Lily learning to crawl.
Caroline laughing.
Their vacations.
Then documents.
Caroline had created a folder two weeks before her death.
NORA.
Ethan felt sick.
Inside were spreadsheets tracing missing money.
Emails.
Screenshots.
And an audio recording.
Caroline’s voice:
“I’m recording because every time I ask Nora about the accounts, she tells Ethan I’m overwhelmed.”
Ethan covered his mouth.
Caroline continued:
“I’m tired, yes.”
“I’m angry, yes.”
“I also know how to subtract.”
A bitter laugh.
“She moved $2.8 million.”
Ethan remembered telling Caroline she was becoming obsessive.
He cried.
The recording continued.
“I don’t think Ethan understands how often Nora talks to him before I do.”
That was true.
Nora framed every conflict first.
By the time Caroline explained, Ethan already had a version.
Then Caroline said:
“If something happens to me, Nora will make it sound like I was unstable.”
Ethan stopped the recording.
He walked outside.
Breathed.
Then returned.
Lily was coloring at the kitchen island.
She looked up.
“Are you sad?”
“Yes.”
“Mommy?”
“Yes.”
Lily climbed down and hugged him.
Ethan held her.
After a while she whispered:
“Was Mommy right?”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
“All the way?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Lily considered.
Then:
“Is Nora bad?”
Ethan did not want to teach his daughter that dangerous people came with simple labels.
“Nora did dangerous things.”
“That means bad.”
“Sometimes.”
Lily frowned.
At six, nuance was annoying.
Ethan smiled sadly.
“She scared you.”
“Yes.”
“She lied to you.”
“Yes.”
“She tried to hurt me.”
Lily nodded.
“Those things were wrong.”
Lily accepted that more easily.
No metaphysics.
Behavior.
That evening Bennett called.
Another audio file had been recovered from Nora’s burner phone.
Nora speaking with someone.
Male voice.
Unknown.
Nora:
“Caroline almost destroyed everything.”
Male:
“And Ethan?”
Nora:
“He signs whatever I put in front of him once he’s tired.”
Male:
“You’re taking too long.”
Nora:
“I have Lily to deal with.”
Male:
“She’s six.”
Nora:
“Exactly. Nobody believes six-year-olds.”
Ethan’s blood went cold.
May you like
There was another person.
Nora was not acting alone.
