Chapter 5: The Woman at the Top of the Stairs
Detective Harris moved first.
“Stay here,” he ordered his partner.
“Keep the family behind you.””
He hurried up the stairs, his hand resting on his holster.
The female officer guided Maya and Marcus toward the basement wall.
Another crash sounded overhead.
Then Vanessa screamed.
“You have no right to be in my house!””
A man's voice answered.
“Step away from the table, ma'am.””
Maya clutched her father's sleeve.
“She's back.””
Marcus looked toward the stairs.
“Stay with the officer.””
“Dad, don't go.””
He turned to her.
For the first time that night, she saw tears gathering in his eyes.
“I need to know what she's done.””
“You've spent thirteen years believing her.””
The words stopped him.
Maya immediately regretted how sharply she'd spoken, but she couldn't take them back.
Marcus nodded slowly.
“You're right.””
Then he climbed the stairs.
Maya watched him disappear around the corner.
Behind the white door, Elena began coughing.
The female officer approached the door and called through it.
“Ma'am, we're police officers. We're going to get you out.””
“Is Maya safe?””
“Yes.””
“Is Marcus with her?””
“He's upstairs.””
A pause.
“Then don't let Vanessa speak to her alone.””
The officer glanced at Maya.
“Why would she do that?””
“Because she knows what happened to Daniel.””
Maya felt a chill creep up her spine.
“What happened to him?””
Elena didn't answer.
Instead, she asked, “Has Maya seen the second envelope?””
Maya looked toward the red box.
“There was only one with my name on it.””
“No. There should be another. Brown paper. Sealed with red wax.””
The officer checked the box while Maya stood beside her.
Photographs.
Medical records.
A silver necklace.
The courthouse document.
No brown envelope.
“It's not here,” Maya said.
A frightened sound came from behind the door.
“Then Vanessa has it.””
Upstairs, Detective Harris raised his voice.
“Mrs. Bennett, put the object on the table.””
“I told you, it's my property!””
“Put it down.””
A sharp clatter followed.
Maya couldn't stand waiting any longer.
She hurried up the basement stairs, ignoring the officer's warning.
In the hallway, two officers stood between Vanessa and the living room.
Vanessa's expensive coat was soaked from the rain. Her hair had fallen loose around her face, and a small brass key lay on the floor near her heels.
She held a brown envelope against her chest.
Maya stopped.
The envelope was sealed with red wax.
“That's mine,” Maya said.
Vanessa turned.
For one second, the fear disappeared from her face.
“You shouldn't be here.””
“Give it to me.””
“You don't understand what you're asking for.””
“Then explain it.””
Vanessa looked toward the officers.
“She's a minor. She doesn't need to be involved in this.””
Detective Harris stepped between them.
“Mrs. Bennett, you've already involved her.””
Vanessa clutched the envelope tighter.
“You can't take that.””
“Why not?””
“Because it contains private family information.””
“Then you shouldn't have been carrying it out of a house where a woman was locked in a basement.””
Vanessa's mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Marcus appeared at the end of the hallway.
His face was drained of color.
“Vanessa,” he said quietly.
“Give Maya the envelope.””
She looked at him with disbelief.
“You're choosing her over me?””
“I'm choosing the truth.””
“You don't even know what the truth is!””
“Then tell me.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You'll hate yourself when you find out.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“I already do.””
For the first time, Vanessa seemed unable to find a weapon in his words.
She looked at Maya.
“You think your mother is some innocent victim. You think she's been waiting down there because she loves you.””
Maya held her gaze.
“I know she loves me.””
“You don't know anything about her.””
“Then why are you so afraid of what she can tell me?””
Vanessa's fingers tightened around the envelope.
Detective Harris extended his hand.
“Give it to me, ma'am.””
She hesitated.
Then she thrust the envelope toward him.
He took it and examined the seal.
“This will be logged as evidence.””
“No!”” Vanessa lunged forward.
The officers caught her before she could reach it.
“Don't touch that!”” she screamed.
“You don't know what's inside!””
Detective Harris looked at her.
“That's precisely why we're opening it.””
He carefully broke the wax.
Inside lay several documents, a photograph, and a handwritten statement.
Maya watched as he unfolded the first page.
His expression changed.
He looked at Marcus.
“Mr. Bennett, I need you to sit down.””
Marcus didn't move.
“What is it?””
The detective glanced at the photograph.
It showed Daniel Cross standing beside a black sedan in front of the Bennett house. He wore a dark jacket, and one hand rested on the shoulder of a young woman.
Vanessa.
She looked younger, perhaps twenty-five, but the smile on her face was unmistakable.
Maya leaned closer.
“You knew him.””
Vanessa looked away.
Detective Harris lifted the next document.
“According to this statement, Daniel Cross believed Vanessa Bennett was helping him arrange a meeting with Elena on the night he disappeared.””
Marcus stared at his wife.
“Why were you with Daniel?””
Vanessa said nothing.
“Why did you tell me he left the country?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
“From him!””
Marcus shook his head.
“You were protecting yourself.””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“You have no idea what Daniel was capable of.””
“Then tell me.””
“He wanted to take Maya.””
“He wanted to meet his daughter!””
“He wanted to destroy everything I had!””
The words burst from her before she could stop them.
Silence filled the hallway.
Maya stared at her.
“You knew he was my father.””
Vanessa looked at the floor.
“You knew all along.””
“I knew he was dangerous.””
“That's not what I asked!””
Vanessa suddenly turned toward Maya.
“Your mother was going to leave with him. She was going to take you away and leave me with nothing. After everything I sacrificed, she was going to erase me.””
“You weren't my mother.””
“I raised you!””
“You locked my mother in a basement!””
“I gave you a home!””
“You made me think she didn't want me!””
Maya's voice broke.
Vanessa took a step forward, but Detective Harris blocked her.
“You need to calm down.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Calm down? You people are going to destroy my life because of a woman who lied to everyone she ever met.””
Marcus looked at the statement.
“What's this?””
Detective Harris turned the page.
“It's a signed declaration. It says that on October 14, thirteen years ago, Vanessa Bennett witnessed Daniel Cross entering the house at 8:15 p.m. It also states that she saw him leave at approximately 9:40 p.m.””
Marcus frowned.
“That's impossible.””
“Why?”” Harris asked.
“Because I came home at nine. Vanessa told me she'd spent the evening alone.””
The detective studied him.
“What time did you leave the office?””
“Six.””
“And where did you go?””
Marcus hesitated.
“I stopped at a gas station.””
“Which one?””
“I don't remember.””
“Mr. Bennett, think carefully.””
Marcus pressed his fingers to his temples.
“I had a flat tire. I called roadside assistance. They took me to a garage.””
Detective Harris exchanged a glance with his partner.
“Do you remember the garage?””
“Eastside Auto. On Miller Road.””
The detective wrote it down.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
“If Daniel left your house at 9:40 p.m., why was his car found abandoned beside the river at 10:15?””
Vanessa's face went white.
Maya stopped breathing.
Marcus stepped toward her.
“You told me he left the country.””
Vanessa backed away.
“I didn't kill him.””
Nobody had accused her of murder.
Detective Harris lowered the statement.
“Mrs. Bennett, I need you to explain why you just said that.””
Vanessa stared at the officers.
Then she looked directly at Maya.
“Because Daniel isn't dead.””
Maya felt the hallway spin.
“What?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“He came back.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
Marcus grabbed the back of a chair to steady himself.
“Where is he?””
Vanessa's eyes shifted toward the front door.
“I don't know.””
But as she spoke, her gaze dropped to the silver necklace hanging around Maya's neck.
The necklace Elena had kept inside the red box.
Maya touched it.
Vanessa whispered, “He gave you that when you were born.””
Maya stared at her.
“No. My mother kept it.””
May you like
Vanessa's voice fell to a frightened murmur.
“Because she knew he would come back for you.””
