Inside were printed messages between Grant and Harold. One message from Grant said, Make sure he signs before Natalie comes back. Another said, Once the old man is gone, she can’t challenge anything.
My fingers began to tremble.
Dad reached for the pages.
“You don’t have to read all of it.”
“I do.”
The final message was from Vanessa.
Don’t let him speak to Natalie alone. She has always been able to make him doubt us.
I looked up.
“She knew?”
“She knew enough.”
“Did she know about the sedatives?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then we ask her.”
Dad nodded.
His face had become tired again.
“I wanted to protect you from this.”
“You protected me by letting me believe you didn’t trust me.”
“I trusted you. That was the problem.”
I sat on the edge of the cot along the wall.
Dad remained standing.
For the first time that morning, he looked old.
Not weak. Not helpless. Just exhausted from carrying something too heavy for too long.
“I thought if I died quietly, you would be spared the fight,” he said.
“You thought they would let me go?”
His silence answered me.
I stood.
“Call the police.”
“I already did.”
I stared at him.
“When?”
