Chapter 2: The Uncle Who Knew Too Much
Daniel Carter called me at 7:06 the following morning.
I was standing in the kitchen making Jordan breakfast.
Vanessa hadn't come downstairs.
My son sat at the island, eating scrambled eggs and toast. He looked suspiciously at the second plate I'd prepared.
"Is that for you?"" he asked.
I smiled.
"No, buddy. It's for the mailman.""
Jordan almost smiled.
I placed the phone against my ear.
"Daniel?""
"Marcus. We need to talk.""
"About what?""
"Jordan.""
I looked at my son.
"Not over the phone.""
Daniel sighed.
"Fine. Can you meet me this morning?""
"Where?""
"At the diner on Westbrook Avenue. Nine o'clock.""
I checked the clock.
"All right.""
He paused.
"Marcus, before you come, I need you to understand something. I'm not trying to hurt the boy.""
"Then why did you tell me Vanessa said I'd agreed to let him live with you?""
Another silence.
"She told me you were struggling.""
I gripped the edge of the counter.
"Struggling with what?""
"Being a single father. Your work schedule. The emotional demands.""
"Daniel, my wife has been charging my fourteen-year-old son rent.""
"What?""
I heard something shift on his end.
"She didn't tell me that.""
"She didn't tell you he was sleeping in a storage closet either.""
Daniel said nothing.
I ended the call.
Jordan was watching me.
"Was that Uncle Daniel?""
"Yes.""
"Is he mad at me?""
I put the phone down.
"No, buddy.""
"Because Vanessa said he thinks I need to learn to be less dependent.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"She said that?""
Jordan nodded.
"She told me Uncle Daniel might take me somewhere with more rules.""
I pulled out a chair.
"Did you ever ask him about that?""
"No. I don't really know him.""
That was true.
Daniel and I had never been particularly close, even when Rachel was alive.
He was six years older than his sister and had always been ambitious, competitive, and somewhat distant.
But Rachel loved him.
When she died, he attended the funeral, hugged Jordan, and promised to stay involved.
Then he disappeared into his own life.
I had assumed he was grieving.
Now I wasn't so sure.
At 8:50, I dropped Jordan at school.
Before he got out, he turned toward me.
"Dad?""
"Yeah?""
"Can I still have my room?""
I looked at him.
"Of course.""
"Even if Vanessa doesn't like it?""
"Especially then.""
He nodded.
Then he stepped out, adjusted his backpack, and walked toward the entrance.
I waited until he disappeared inside before driving away.
Daniel was already seated when I arrived at the diner.
He wore a navy suit and had a laptop open beside his coffee.
He stood when he saw me.
"Marcus.""
I didn't shake his hand.
"Start talking.""
Daniel sat back down.
"I received a call from Vanessa about six weeks ago.""
"What did she say?""
"That Jordan was having difficulties adjusting to your marriage.""
"That's not an answer.""
He rubbed his forehead.
"She said he was disrespectful. That he was refusing to follow household rules. That you were too emotionally attached to him to discipline him properly.""
I laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
"She charged him $450 a month.""
Daniel's eyebrows pulled together.
"She told me he was contributing to household expenses.""
"He's fourteen.""
"I didn't know the amount.""
"Did you know she moved him into a storage room?""
"No.""
"Did you know she sometimes refused to let him eat dinner?""
Daniel looked genuinely uncomfortable.
"Marcus, I swear I didn't know.""
I opened my phone and showed him the document.
He read the first page.
Then the second.
By the time he reached the fourth, his expression had changed.
"Where did you get this?""
"Vanessa's laptop.""
He continued reading.
"She wants me to take custody?""
"That's what it says.""
Daniel slowly closed the laptop.
"She told me you wanted a temporary arrangement.""
"What arrangement?""
"She said you were considering sending Jordan to live with relatives while you worked through some marital problems.""
I stared at him.
"Did you believe her?""
He hesitated.
"At the time, yes.""
"Why?""
"Because she said you'd already discussed it.""
I leaned forward.
"Daniel, my son has been sleeping in a closet for months. I didn't know. That's how effectively she kept this hidden from me.""
Daniel looked down at the table.
"I should have called you.""
"Yes. You should have.""
A waitress approached.
"Can I get you gentlemen anything else?""
Daniel shook his head.
When she walked away, he opened his laptop again.
"There's something else.""
I waited.
"Vanessa asked me to provide a written statement.""
"About what?""
"Your parenting.""
My stomach tightened.
"What kind of statement?""
"She wanted me to describe how you handled Jordan after Rachel died.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"She said it would help establish that you were emotionally overwhelmed.""
I felt my hands go cold.
"Did you write it?""
Daniel looked away.
"Yes.""
The diner suddenly seemed much quieter.
"What did you say?""
"I said you were struggling after Rachel's death. That you sometimes relied on family members for support. That you had difficulty balancing work and parenting.""
"Those things were true three years ago.""
"I know.""
"Not today.""
"I know, Marcus.""
"Did you mention Jordan?""
Daniel nodded.
"I said he was still grieving.""
I pushed my chair back.
"You're going to tell whoever receives that statement exactly what you just told me.""
"I will.""
"And you're going to explain that you never observed me being an unfit father.""
Daniel nodded.
"Yes.""
I stood.
Before I could leave, he caught my sleeve.
"Marcus, there's something I haven't told you.""
I looked down at his hand.
"What?""
He lowered his voice.
"Vanessa offered me money.""
I slowly sat back down.
"How much?""
"Five thousand dollars.""
"For what?""
"She said it was compensation for taking Jordan temporarily and helping with the transition.""
I stared at him.
"Taking my son.""
Daniel looked ashamed.
"I thought it was some kind of private family arrangement. I didn't understand what she was really doing.""
"Did you accept?""
"No.""
"Did you tell her that?""
"Yes.""
He looked toward the window.
"She became very angry. She said I was making a mistake and that there were other people willing to help.""
I remembered the other names in the document.
Denise Carter.
Vanessa's sister.
I pulled out my phone.
"Do you know who Denise is?""
Daniel frowned.
"My sister-in-law. Vanessa's sister.""
"Why is she listed as another potential guardian?""
Daniel's expression changed.
"Because she works with children.""
"Where?""
"At a private residential youth program outside town.""
I stared at him.
"What kind of program?""
He hesitated.
"Marcus, I don't know all the details.""
"Find out.""
He nodded.
Then he said something that made me feel as though the floor had moved beneath me.
"Vanessa told me the placement was supposed to happen before Thanksgiving.""
I checked the date.
It was November ninth.
Less than two weeks away.
When I arrived home that afternoon, Vanessa was sitting in the living room.
She was holding a folder.
"Where have you been?"" she asked.
"Meeting Daniel.""
Her fingers tightened around the folder.
"Why?""
"Because he contacted me.""
She stood.
"You had no right to involve him.""
"He was already involved.""
"He's my family.""
"He's also Rachel's brother.""
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Don't bring Rachel into this.""
I stepped closer.
"You did that when you put her brother's name in your plan to remove my son.""
Her face flushed.
"You're twisting everything.""
I noticed the folder in her hand.
"What are you holding?""
"Nothing.""
She tucked it against her side.
I reached for it.
She pulled away.
"Don't touch my things!""
"Then don't put my son's name on documents you refuse to explain.""
For several seconds, we stood facing each other.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't her usual smile.
It was colder.
"You should ask Daniel what he told me about you.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
She walked past me toward the stairs.
"Maybe your precious brother-in-law isn't as loyal as you think.""
I watched her disappear upstairs.
Then my phone vibrated.
It was a message from Daniel.
I checked something. Denise has already contacted a residential program about Jordan.
A second message arrived.
And Marcus, they have a proposed admission date.
I opened the attachment.
The date was November 20.
But the document contained another detail.
May you like
The signature line at the bottom carried my name.
Someone had forged it.
