Chapter 3 - MARCUS BELL CAME TO MY HOUSE BEFORE THE POLICE COULD CALL HIMMarcus arrived at 6:40 the next morning.
Uninvited.
That alone was suspicious.
He rang the bell three times.
I watched through the camera.
Sixty-two.
Gray suit.
Silver hair.
Calm face.
The kind of man who built confidence by speaking slowly.
I did not let him in.
I opened the door with police already present inside.
He looked surprised.
“Daniel.”
“Why are you here?”
“Vanessa called me.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“After I called police?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
His eyes shifted.
“She was frightened.”
“About what?”
“You.”
I almost laughed.
“She said you had become convinced she harmed Sophie.”
“She did.”
Marcus sighed.
“Children misunderstand discipline.”
That sentence ended any benefit of doubt.
I looked at him.
“Did Mateo misunderstand too?”
His face changed.
Only slightly.
Enough.
“You found the old papers.”
“Yes.”
Marcus glanced toward the house.
“Can we speak privately?”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
He lowered his voice.
“Julian was unstable.”
“Was he?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you witness his affidavit?”
Silence.
There.
“I was trying to help him.”
“How?”
“He believed Vanessa was mishandling Mateo.”
“She was.”
“He believed that.”
“Mateo said she pushed him.”
Marcus’s expression hardened.
“Children say things.”
Then I said:
“Sophie says you know what Vanessa does.”
His face went pale.
“What?”
“She says Vanessa photographs bruises and shows you.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Too fast.
The detective stepped forward.
“Mr. Bell, we’d like to speak with you.”
Marcus looked at me.
Then whispered:
“You have no idea what Julian was trying to do.”
I stared.
“What?”
He realized he had said too much.
“What was Julian trying to do?”
Marcus looked toward the detective.
Then said:
“I want counsel.”
Fine.
But before he left, he looked at me one last time.
“Daniel, whatever you think you found, do not open the Crosswell Foundation archives.”
The detective and I both went still.
May you like
I had never heard of the Crosswell Foundation.
Which meant Marcus had just given us a new place to look.
