Chapter 2: What My Daughter Saw
I drove home without saying a word.
Ava sat in the passenger seat of Marcus's SUV, holding the recorder against her chest. Marcus drove because my hands were shaking too badly to keep them on the steering wheel.
The wedding guests had begun calling.
My brother had left six missed calls. My mother had sent three messages asking whether Ava was okay.
I ignored everything.
My daughter had just told me that my wife's death might not have been an accident.
And I had no idea what to believe.
When we reached my house, Marcus locked the front door behind us.
“I'm going to check the windows,” he said.
I frowned.
“Why?””
“Because Simone knows where you live.””
I stared at him.
“She's my fiancée, Marcus.””
He looked at me for a long moment.
“Was she?””
I had no answer.
Ava sat on the living room sofa, her little legs swinging above the floor. Her cream dress was wrinkled, and a small flower from her hair had fallen onto the carpet.
I knelt in front of her.
“Sweetheart, I need you to tell me about the hospital.””
She squeezed the recorder.
“Do you remember the night Mommy died?””
Ava nodded.
“You were sleeping at Grandma's house,” I said.
“You weren't there when the accident happened.””
“I know.””
“Then what did you see?””
She looked toward the staircase.
“Can we go upstairs?””
I followed her to her bedroom.
Ava opened the bottom drawer of her dresser and pulled out a small pink notebook.
It had cartoon rabbits on the cover.
“Mommy gave me this,” she said.
I sat beside her.
“What is it?””
“Things I'm supposed to remember.””
She opened the notebook.
The first few pages contained childish drawings: a house, a tree, three stick figures holding hands.
One figure had long brown hair.
That was Elena.
Another was me.
The smallest was Ava.
But the later pages were different.
There were dates.
Short sentences written in a child's handwriting.
Mommy said don't trust the lady.
The lady came when Daddy was outside.
The lady took the blue medicine bottle.
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Who is the lady?””
Ava looked at me.
“Simone.””
I couldn't speak.
She turned another page.
Mommy was crying.
Simone said she would make Daddy believe her.
Mommy said she had proof.
I gently closed the notebook.
“Ava, when did you write these?””
“Before Mommy went to the hospital.””
My mouth went dry.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Ava's eyes filled with tears.
“Simone said you wouldn't believe me.””
I pulled her into my arms.
“Oh, sweetheart.””
“She said Mommy was confused because of her medicine. She said if I told you stories, you'd send me away.””
My daughter buried her face in my shirt.
I felt something inside me break.
For nearly two years, I had believed Simone was helping Ava heal.
I had thanked her for being patient.
I had praised her for understanding children.
Meanwhile, my daughter had been carrying a secret because an adult had convinced her that telling the truth would cost her father.
Marcus appeared in the doorway.
“Darius?””
I looked up.
“Did you know?””
He hesitated.
“Know what?””
“That Simone was involved with Elena before she died?””
His expression changed.
I stood.
“What aren't you telling me?””
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“Three months before Elena's accident, she called me.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“She said she was worried about something. She asked whether I still had the name of the detective who handled my brother's case.””
“What was she investigating?””
“Simone.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Marcus continued.
“Elena told me Simone had been visiting your office. She thought it was strange because you barely knew her then.””
I remembered that period.
Simone had been a consultant at the company where I worked. We had met at a business dinner, exchanged polite conversations, and later reconnected after Elena's death.
But Marcus was saying something else.
“She knew Simone before I did?””
Marcus nodded.
“Apparently.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Elena made me promise not to interfere until she had proof. Then she died.””
I stepped away.
“You let me marry a woman you knew my wife feared?””
Marcus looked ashamed.
“I thought the matter ended when Elena died. I was wrong.””
A knock interrupted us.
Three sharp knocks.
Marcus moved toward the stairs.
“Stay with Ava.””
I went downstairs behind him.
Through the front window, I saw a black luxury SUV parked outside.
Simone's car.
She stood on the porch, still wearing her wedding dress.
Her makeup had run, and her hair was coming loose.
I opened the door but kept my body between her and the house.
“What do you want?””
She looked past me.
“Darius, please let me explain.””
“You can explain from there.””
She swallowed.
“I love you.””
I almost laughed.
“My daughter says you threatened her.””
“She's seven!””
“And you're an adult. That makes this worse.””
Simone wiped her cheeks.
“Elena was unstable. She had been accusing people of things that weren't happening.””
“Then why did she leave a recording warning me about you?””
Simone's eyes moved toward the staircase.
“Where is the recorder?””
“Why?””
“Because I need to hear the entire thing.””
“No.””
Her voice sharpened.
“Darius, you have no idea what Elena was capable of.””
“Tell me.””
She stepped closer.
“Elena stole something from me.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Before she could answer, Marcus appeared beside me.
“Simone, you need to leave.””
She looked at him with open hatred.
“You should have stayed out of this.””
Marcus frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Simone suddenly seemed to realize she'd said too much.
She backed away.
“Fine. Believe whatever you want.””
Then she pointed at me.
“But when the truth comes out, don't expect me to forgive you.””
I closed the door.
A few seconds later, her car engine roared.
Marcus watched through the window until she disappeared.
Then he turned to me.
“We need to go through Elena's things.””
I remembered the blue box.
“Upstairs storage.””
We spent twenty minutes searching the attic.
Dust covered the boxes. Old photographs, baby clothes, wedding decorations, and Elena's winter coats were stacked against the walls.
Finally, I found it.
A small blue velvet box.
I carried it downstairs.
My hands trembled as I opened the lid.
Inside was a delicate gold bracelet Elena had worn on our fifth anniversary.
I lifted the velvet lining.
There was something beneath it.
A small brass key.
And a folded photograph.
The photograph showed Elena standing outside a medical building.
Beside her was Simone.
But Simone wasn't wearing the sophisticated smile I remembered.
She was holding a thick envelope.
On the back, Elena had written:
October 14. She thinks I don't know.
I turned the photograph over again.
Marcus leaned closer.
“That's not all.””
He pointed toward the far corner.
There was a man standing behind them.
Partially hidden by a parked car.
I recognized him.
It was Dr. Richard Hayes.
The physician who had signed Elena's death certificate.
I looked at Marcus.
“Why would Elena be meeting Simone and her doctor?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know.””
I turned the photograph over once more.
Something else had been written at the bottom, almost too faint to read.
The first lie was about the baby.
I looked toward the staircase.
Ava was standing there.
Her little face had gone pale.
“Daddy?””
I hurried toward her.
“What is it?””
She pointed at the photograph.
“That's the doctor who came to see Mommy after she woke up.””
I froze.
“What do you mean, after she woke up?””
May you like
Ava's lips trembled.
“She wasn't dead yet.””
