Chapter 9
The former employee's name was Nora Bell, an unfortunate coincidence Claire found almost impossible to bear: Wren had nearly been named Nora herself.
Nora met Detective Brooks at the station and later agreed to speak with Claire's lawyer about records she had personally seen. She had worked as an office coordinator for Ethan's small residential renovation company until the previous month.
"I didn't leave because of the family issue," she explained on a scheduled call. "I left because paychecks were late. I don't want anyone saying I'm getting even."
Julia asked her to describe what she'd observed without speculating about motive.
"Ethan printed a worksheet titled Incidents at Home. He asked me to put it in a sealed envelope for his mother. I didn't read the whole thing. A page jammed, and I had to clear the printer. Later the same page appeared in an attachment on a shared schedule by mistake. I saved it when I heard about the baby."
"Did you alter the image?" Julia asked.
"No. I can provide the original file and message headers."
After the call, Claire sent Nora one carefully worded thank-you through Julia. Nora responded that she'd almost deleted the file. She had feared Ethan would describe her as bitter, and she needed another employer to trust her references. What changed her mind was the hospital report she'd heard about through a colleague. "A baby can't tell anybody what happened," Nora wrote. "I figured the adults ought to tell the truth as best they can." Claire printed the message for herself but did not publicize Nora's name. A witness should not have to become the next target to be believed.
Nora looked tired rather than triumphant. She said Ethan had also asked her to reserve a conference room for a personal meeting, then canceled it after an attorney's office called. She had no idea what they discussed. The restraint in her account made Claire trust it more.
Afterward, Julia warned Claire that the worksheet remained only one part of the puzzle. Its date, author, purpose, and context would all matter.
Claire nodded, though what she wanted was to call Ethan and demand that he explain every word.
He saved her the trouble by calling first.
"I heard you've been talking to Nora," he said.
"I didn't contact her."
"She's angry about the business."
"She told us about the printer."
Ethan fell silent.
"Why were you keeping incident records?" Claire asked.
"Because things were happening. Bottles were getting left out. Doors were open. You were tired."
"Did you ever ask me whether I needed help?"
"Every day."
"You asked me to stop being dramatic. That's different."
The call ended when Ethan said he would speak only through attorneys. Claire felt an old surge of panic at the idea of being shut out, followed by relief that there would be fewer chances to twist her words.
Brooks later shared a limited update: Tessa's footage and the baby-monitor activity were consistent with other records suggesting Margaret had made unannounced visits. The officer could not disclose every investigative step, and Claire stopped asking for proof the detective couldn't give.
Instead, she concentrated on Wren's daily life. She took her daughter to the pediatric follow-up, where the doctor found her recovering well. She learned how to settle Wren when a sudden sound made Claire flinch. She practiced handing the baby to Tessa for ten minutes without standing over them.
On Thursday, Claire returned to the first notes she had written after the bathroom incident. Every line described what someone else had done.
She added a line about herself: I trusted reassurance when I should have asked questions.
It hurt to write. It did not mean she caused the danger. Julia had been clear about that. But Claire wanted to understand the habit that had kept her silent, because she intended to change it.
An envelope arrived at Tessa's house that afternoon, addressed in Ethan's careful print. Inside was a photocopy of their house deed, which listed both Claire and Ethan as owners.
A note was clipped to it:
If you're going to split up this family, you'll have to discuss the house too.
Claire had expected the fight to be about access to Wren. Now she understood why Ethan was gathering evidence about her ability to care for the baby.
May you like
Claire folded the deed and put it in her folder instead of answering. She didn't yet know whether she wanted to remain married, but she knew that a rushed decision made under threat would not become fair merely because Ethan called it practical.
He was preparing to negotiate something larger than visits.
