Chapter 4: The Man at the Side Door
Desmond’s hand tightened around Wren’s.
I lowered the phone.
“Do you know who she’s talking about?””
He didn’t answer.
Corinne did.
“This is insane.””
She pushed past me toward the stairs.
I caught the railing beside her.
“Where are you going?””
“Away from this interrogation.””
“No.””
She turned sharply.
“You don’t get to tell me where I can go.””
“Not until I know my children are safe.””
Her expression hardened.
“They’re my children too.””
“Then start acting like it.””
For the first time, Corinne had no quick answer.
I turned back to Desmond.
“Who comes here?””
He looked terrified.
Not of me.
Of her.
I crouched until we were eye level.
“You are not in trouble.””
Corinne laughed bitterly.
“Wonderful. Now you’re coaching him.””
I ignored her.
“Desmond, tell me the truth.””
His lips parted.
“He says his name is Marcus.””
Corinne’s face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
“Marcus who?””
“I don’t know.””
“How often does he come here?””
Desmond glanced at his mother.
“Sometimes twice a week.””
I felt something inside me drop.
“While I’m working?””
He nodded.
“What does he do?””
“He talks to Mom.””
Corinne immediately said, “He’s a contractor.””
Desmond shook his head.
“No, he isn’t.””
She stared at him.
“You don’t know what a contractor is.””
“He never fixes anything.””
I almost would have laughed if I hadn’t felt sick.
“What happens when Marcus comes?””
Desmond looked toward the locked room.
“Mom makes Wren go upstairs.””
My blood went cold.
“And you?””
“She tells me to stay in my room.””
“Does she lock your door?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
His answer came immediately.
“Because I know how to be quiet.””
Wren whispered, “I try to be quiet too.””
I turned toward her.
“But sometimes my tummy makes noises.””
I had to look away.
I couldn’t let her see what that sentence did to me.
Corinne folded her arms.
“This performance has gone far enough.””
I stood.
“Performance?””
“Yes. Desmond knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s angry because I took away his video games.””
Desmond stared at her.
“You said you’d send me to Grandma’s if I told him.””
Corinne went silent.
I looked between them.
“What else did she tell you?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“That if you found out, you’d divorce her.””
My jaw tightened.
“And?””
He wiped his face.
“And it would be my fault.””
I put my hand on his shoulder.
“No.””
He looked up.
“Listen to me. Whatever happens between adults is never your responsibility.””
His chin trembled.
“I should’ve told you sooner.””
“You’re ten.””
“I knew Wren was scared.””
“You’re ten, Desmond.””
This time my voice broke.
“You were never supposed to fix this.””
Wren suddenly wrapped both arms around him.
Desmond hugged her back.
Corinne watched them.
There was no softness in her expression.
Only anger.
My phone vibrated.
Lena had sent something.
A video.
I opened it.
The recording showed our driveway from an angle. My car backed out.
The timestamp showed Monday morning.
Seven minutes later, a dark SUV pulled up.
A tall man stepped out.
Baseball cap. Gray jacket.
He walked directly toward our side entrance.
He didn’t knock.
He entered.
I looked at Corinne.
“A contractor who lets himself in?””
She crossed her arms.
“He had permission.””
“Why?””
“For work.””
“What work?””
“The basement.””
I almost smiled.
“We don’t have a basement.””
Silence.
Desmond looked at me.
“He goes to your office.””
That landed harder.
“My office?””
Desmond nodded.
“Mom told me never to go in there when Marcus comes.””
I moved immediately.
Corinne stepped in front of me.
“No.””
That single word confirmed more than anything else had.
I walked downstairs.
She followed.
“David, you’re angry. You’re not thinking clearly.””
I entered my home office.
Nothing looked disturbed.
Desk.
Computer.
Bookcase.
Filing cabinet.
Family photograph.
But then I noticed the bottom drawer.
It was slightly open.
I always kept it locked.
Inside were insurance documents, tax records, property papers and financial files.
I pulled the drawer open.
Several folders were missing.
“Where are they?””
Corinne stood in the doorway.
“I don’t know what you mean.””
“My property files.””
“No idea.””
Desmond appeared behind her.
“Marcus took papers.””
Corinne spun around.
“Go upstairs!””
He jumped.
I stepped forward.
“Do not yell at him.””
She turned toward me.
“You’re letting children destroy our marriage!””
“No.””
I pointed toward the office.
“You did that yourself.””
My phone buzzed again.
Another message from Lena.
A second video.
This one was from four days earlier.
Marcus arrived.
Corinne met him outside.
They spoke briefly.
Then she handed him a large brown envelope.
He opened it.
Looked inside.
Then hugged her.
Not romantically.
Almost like congratulations.
I replayed it.
Something about that bothered me more.
This wasn’t an affair.
Whatever Marcus was doing here, it was business.
I looked toward the filing cabinet.
“What documents did you give him?””
Corinne’s eyes flicked toward my desk.
That was enough.
I pulled open the top drawer.
Nothing.
Second drawer.
Receipts.
Third drawer.
An envelope I had never seen before.
Corinne rushed forward.
“Don’t open that.””
I stepped away.
Her panic was unmistakable.
Inside were photocopies.
My driver’s license.
My signature.
Our mortgage documents.
Wren’s birth certificate.
And a document with my name printed across the top.
I scanned the first page.
Then stopped.
There was a signature at the bottom.
Mine.
Except I had never signed it.
“What is this?””
Corinne’s face was white.
“David…”
“What did you do?””
She didn’t answer.
Desmond stepped into the room.
His eyes landed on the papers.
Then he whispered, “That’s what Marcus brings.””
I turned.
“You’ve seen these?””
He nodded.
“Mom practices your name.””
The room became completely silent.
I looked down at the signature again.
Suddenly, the locked pantry and the locked room felt like pieces of something larger.
This wasn’t only cruelty.
Corinne had been controlling what happened inside this house whenever I disappeared.
My children.
My documents.
My identity.
Maybe even my money.
Then Wren appeared behind Desmond.
She was holding something.
A business card.
“I found this under Mommy’s bed.””
Corinne moved toward her.
“Give me that.””
Wren immediately backed away.
I took the card first.
There was one name printed across the front.
Marcus Hale.
And beneath it was a title that made my blood run cold.
Family Transition Consultant.
May you like
On the back, in Corinne’s handwriting, were six words:
*Everything must be ready before David knows.*
