Chapter 2: Ninety-Nine Calls
Nathan finally called at 4:06.
I watched his name flash across my screen.
*NATHAN KELLING*
I let it ring.
Then stop.
Thirty seconds later, it rang again.
I ignored that one too.
By 4:20, there were seven missed calls.
At 4:31, a text arrived.
*Claire call me NOW. There has been some kind of misunderstanding.*
I actually laughed.
It was one sound.
Sharp and humorless.
Dr. Patel glanced toward me from the doorway.
"Everything okay?""
"No.""
I turned my phone face down.
"But it will be.""
Sophie stirred at 4:47.
Her fingers moved first.
Then her forehead tightened.
I stood so fast the chair legs scraped the floor.
"Sophie?""
Her eyelids fluttered.
"Mom?""
Her voice was barely there.
"I'm here.""
She looked confused.
Then frightened.
"Where's Dad?""
That question nearly broke me.
I brushed hair away from her forehead.
"Don't worry about Dad.""
"He left.""
"I know.""
"He said he'd be back.""
"I know, sweetheart.""
Her eyes filled.
"I waited.""
Three words.
That was all.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"You don't have to wait anymore.""
A nurse stepped closer.
"Let's let her rest.""
Sophie caught my wrist.
"Mom?""
"Yes?""
"I told him.""
My stomach tightened.
"Told him what?""
"About the cookies.""
The room became very quiet.
"What cookies?""
"Mrs. Brennan's.""
Our neighbor, Lydia Brennan, baked constantly and treated Sophie like an honorary granddaughter.
"What did you tell Dad?""
"That I couldn't eat them.""
I felt cold spread through me.
"Why?""
"They had cashews.""
Sophie had been diagnosed with a severe tree-nut allergy at five.
Nathan knew.
Everyone knew.
We had epinephrine injectors in the kitchen, Sophie's backpack, my car and Nathan's car.
"He gave you the cookies?""
Sophie shook her head weakly.
"They were on the counter.""
"Did you eat one?""
"I thought they were the safe ones.""
Her breathing became quicker.
The nurse stepped forward.
"Mrs. Kelling—"
"One more question.""
I looked into Sophie's eyes.
"When did you tell Dad there were cashews in them?""
"This morning.""
My pulse thudded in my ears.
"What did he say?""
Sophie swallowed.
"He said he'd throw them away.""
I closed my eyes.
He hadn't.
Nathan hadn't merely left our twelve-year-old daughter alone.
He had left her alone with a known allergen he'd promised to remove.
"Rest now.""
I kissed her hand.
When I stepped into the corridor, Evelyn was waiting.
Sixty-two years old, silver-haired and terrifying in court, she was still wearing the navy suit she'd probably worn to a deposition.
She held a leather folder.
"Start talking.""
I told her everything.
The boat.
The woman.
Rosa.
The cookies.
Nathan's lie.
Evelyn listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she opened the folder.
"Your prenup is strong.""
"I know.""
"But this isn't only about divorce anymore.""
"What do you mean?""
"Depending on the facts, custody is going to become very serious.""
My phone vibrated again.
Twenty-three missed calls.
"What do you want?"" Evelyn asked.
I looked through the glass at Sophie.
"Right now?""
"Right now.""
"I want him nowhere near her.""
Evelyn nodded.
"Then we document everything.""
At 5:18, Rosa returned.
She looked twenty years older than she had three days earlier.
She was carrying Sophie's backpack.
"I brought this.""
She handed it to me.
I opened the front pocket.
Empty.
My stomach dropped.
"Where's her EpiPen?""
Rosa frowned.
"It should be there.""
"It isn't.""
She took the bag and searched every compartment.
Nothing.
Then her expression changed.
"Wait.""
"What?""
"Monday.""
"Rosa.""
"Nathan took it.""
I stared at her.
"He took what?""
"The injector from Sophie's backpack. He said the one in his car had expired and he needed one because he was driving Sophie to soccer.""
"Did he put it back?""
"I thought he did.""
I called Nathan.
For the first time all afternoon, I wanted him to answer.
He did.
"Claire, thank God.""
Music and wind roared behind him.
"You took Sophie's EpiPen.""
Silence.
"Claire—"
"Did you take it?""
"I can explain.""
"Yes or no.""
"Yes.""
Evelyn's eyes snapped toward me.
"Where is it?""
Another pause.
"Probably in my car.""
"Your car is at the marina.""
"Claire, listen to me—"
"So Sophie was home alone, with cashew cookies you knew were dangerous, and her emergency medication was sitting in your car at the marina?""
"It wasn't like that.""
"What was it like?""
"I was only supposed to be gone a couple of hours.""
I looked through the glass.
My daughter was asleep beneath a hospital blanket.
"You told Rosa you were taking Sophie to lunch.""
"I needed Rosa out of the house.""
"Why?""
Silence.
Then I understood.
Not all of it.
Enough.
"The woman on the boat.""
"Claire—"
"You needed Rosa gone because you didn't want her seeing you leave.""
"That's not what happened.""
"Who is she?""
"She's nobody.""
Behind him, a woman laughed.
Nathan lowered his voice.
"Can we please discuss this privately?""
"We are.""
"Where are you?""
"With our daughter.""
His voice cracked.
"Is she okay?""
I couldn't believe he was asking me.
"You've had four hours to find out.""
"I didn't have service.""
"Your photograph uploaded at 11:40.""
"I didn't post it.""
"But you had service.""
Nothing.
"Nathan?""
"Yes.""
"You lied to Rosa. You abandoned Sophie. You took her medication.
You left a known allergen in the kitchen. Then you went partying on my boat.""
"Our boat.""
That did it.
Even Evelyn closed her eyes.
I almost admired the stupidity.
"No," I said quietly.
"My boat.""
"Claire, don't start doing this.""
"Doing what?""
"Turning everything into money because you're angry.""
I stared at the phone.
Then I smiled.
"You think I'm angry?""
"Aren't you?""
"No.""
And that was the truth.
Anger was too warm for what I felt.
"I'm making decisions.""
I ended the call.
At 6:03, I contacted the marina manager.
At 6:17, access authorization for Nathan and every guest aboard the Solstice was revoked.
The marina couldn't force them off while they were underway, but the vessel's captain answered to the registered owner.
Me.
I instructed him to return immediately.
At 6:41, I changed the waterfront property's gate permissions.
At 7:05, Evelyn had a family-law colleague preparing an emergency filing.
At 7:22, Nathan's messages changed tone.
*Claire stop.*
Then:
*You cannot lock me out of my own house.*
Then:
*Answer the phone.*
Then:
*We need to think about Sophie.*
That one made my hands shake.
At 7:58, the missed-call counter reached ninety-nine.
Then everything stopped.
No calls.
No messages.
Nothing.
For the first time all evening, my phone went completely silent.
Evelyn was sitting across from me when a security notification appeared.
*FRONT GATE: ACCESS DENIED.*
Nathan was home.
Another alert appeared.
*FRONT GATE: ACCESS DENIED.*
Then the intercom camera activated.
I expected Nathan's face.
Instead, the screen showed the blonde woman from the boat standing beside him.
And she was holding a little boy's hand.
Nathan stared directly into the camera.
The woman said something I couldn't hear.
Then the microphone connected.
Her voice came through clearly.
"Nathan, you told me Claire already knew about us.""
I stopped breathing.
May you like
The little boy tugged on Nathan's shirt.
"Daddy," he said, "why can't we go inside?""
