I did not sleep.<\/p>\n
Kenneth insisted I stay somewhere other than my house.<\/p>\n
Not because the note proved someone intended to hurt me.<\/p>\n
Because it proved someone wanted me to believe they did.<\/p>\n
That distinction mattered to him.<\/p>\n
To me, at two in the morning in a hotel room registered under his assistant\u2019s name, it mattered less.<\/p>\n
She was never supposed to survive the divorce.<\/p>\n
The sentence repeated itself every time I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Survive could mean financially.<\/p>\n
Professionally.<\/p>\n
Legally.<\/p>\n
Or literally.<\/p>\n
I forced myself not to decide.<\/p>\n
At seven the next morning, Kenneth arrived with coffee and two detectives.<\/p>\n
They had identified the blood from Melinda\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
Not Noah\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Not Melinda\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Victor Hale\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to indicate an injury,\u201d Detective Ruiz said. \u201cNot enough to establish fatal blood loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas the wallet planted?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything was possibly now.<\/p>\n
The only certainty was Noah remained missing.<\/p>\n
Connor had spent the night at the station.<\/p>\n
When he entered the conference room, he looked as though he had aged a decade.<\/p>\n
He did not sit near me.<\/p>\n
I appreciated that.<\/p>\n
Ruiz placed several photographs on the table.<\/p>\n
Airport security footage.<\/p>\n
Melinda walking through the garage carrying Noah.<\/p>\n
Timestamp: 8:14 p.m.<\/p>\n
No blood visible.<\/p>\n
No apparent injury.<\/p>\n
At 8:31, a black sedan entered the same level.<\/p>\n
Registered to a corporate entity linked to Aaron Pike.<\/p>\n
At 8:46, the sedan left.<\/p>\n
At 9:03, Melinda\u2019s car was abandoned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid cameras capture who was in the sedan?\u201d Kenneth asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDriver obscured. We believe there were at least two adults inside after departure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCannot confirm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor\u2019s hands trembled.<\/p>\n
Ruiz placed another photograph down.<\/p>\n
A traffic camera.<\/p>\n
The sedan heading north.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInterstate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToward Canada?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor pushed back his chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are we sitting here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz gave him a flat look.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause hundreds of officers and agencies are doing their jobs while you answer questions that might help them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor sat again.<\/p>\n
The detective turned to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Sinclair, we reviewed portions of the audio files recovered from the storage locker.\u201d<\/p>\n
I braced myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany are recordings of conversations inside your former residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour house appears to have been monitored.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt physically ill.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome recordings include you. Some include Mr. Fleming. Some include both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBedroom?\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice sounded distant.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Connor.<\/p>\n
He was pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEarliest confirmed recording is approximately three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the Leland gala.<\/p>\n
After Melinda began entering our lives.<\/p>\n
Kenneth asked, \u201cWhat were they collecting?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cArguments.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cArguments?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney disputes. Fertility discussions. Conversations about Dr. Sinclair\u2019s work schedule. Statements that could be edited or reframed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a planning document.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz opened a folder.<\/p>\n
At the top was a title.<\/p>\n
POST-SEPARATION POSITIONING.<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
Bullet points followed.<\/p>\n
Asset instability.<\/p>\n
Professional fatigue.<\/p>\n
Emotional volatility.<\/p>\n
Medication.<\/p>\n
Marital abandonment.<\/p>\n
Potential reputational exposure.<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA strategy outline.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo do what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth answered before Ruiz could.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscredit you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor stared at the page.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never saw this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t determined whether you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we\u2019ll confirm that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor\u2019s anger flared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I helped them target her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you concealed assets with Victor Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean I knew this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
That shut him up.<\/p>\n
I read the document again.<\/p>\n
Medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat medication?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz flipped a page.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrescription sedatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t take sedatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next page contained pharmacy records.<\/p>\n
A prescription under my name.<\/p>\n
Filled twice.<\/p>\n
I had never seen it.<\/p>\n
Kenneth swore quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were building a record.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cA record suggesting stress or impairment.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands became numb.<\/p>\n
I knew exactly what that could have done.<\/p>\n
Not just during divorce.<\/p>\n
To my medical license.<\/p>\n
My hospital privileges.<\/p>\n
My credibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere the prescriptions real?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe physician identifier appears compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat pharmacy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz named one across town.<\/p>\n
I had never used it.<\/p>\n
Connor stared at the documents.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe could have destroyed your career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not she.<\/p>\n
They.<\/p>\n
That was the point I finally understood.<\/p>\n
Melinda had been visible.<\/p>\n
Connor had been visible.<\/p>\n
Victor and Aaron had stayed behind documents.<\/p>\n
Behind investment structures.<\/p>\n
Behind administrative access.<\/p>\n
Melinda was the face I had trusted.<\/p>\n
But the machinery existed before her.<\/p>\n
Kenneth turned another page.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wasn\u2019t it executed?\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the divorce resolved too quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Quickly?<\/p>\n
It had felt endless.<\/p>\n
But in the timeline of fraud, maybe nine months was inconvenient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe document anticipated litigation lasting eighteen to twenty-four months,\u201d Ruiz continued. \u201cLong enough to establish a pattern suggesting Dr. Sinclair was unstable, financially irresponsible, and possibly impaired.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor stared at the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted me to fight her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor told me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor rubbed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said I was giving up too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter mediation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat specifically?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Kirsten would fold if I challenged the inheritance classification.\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy inheritance was separate property.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Victor wanted you to challenge it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause even I knew that was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
A bitter laugh escaped me.<\/p>\n
The standard had become astonishingly low.<\/p>\n
Ruiz interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat decision may have disrupted the scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf litigation had continued, more assets could have been moved while both sides blamed each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if Kirsten became discredited, a settlement might have given Connor greater control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich Victor could then manipulate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz closed the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is one working theory.\u201d<\/p>\n
A phone rang.<\/p>\n
The detective answered.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed within seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend coordinates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor stood too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz ended the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe black sedan was found.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn abandoned service road seventy miles north.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor swore.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny blood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
We waited.<\/p>\n
Twelve minutes later, another call.<\/p>\n
The vehicle contained Victor\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n
More of it.<\/p>\n
And Melinda\u2019s fingerprints.<\/p>\n
No child seat.<\/p>\n
No diapers.<\/p>\n
No formula.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeaning what?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Ruiz shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot enough information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then a third call came.<\/p>\n
This time Ruiz left the room.<\/p>\n
She returned carrying her phone tightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cConnor.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found Noah.\u201d<\/p>\n
His knees nearly buckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sound Connor made was not a word.<\/p>\n
He covered his face.<\/p>\n
I felt my own breath leave me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA church daycare outside Millbrook.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelinda?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cA woman dropped him off shortly before opening and told staff his mother had been in an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it Melinda?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff says no.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor lowered his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re reviewing footage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I go to him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are custody complications because of the paternity results.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut can I see him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor turned away.<\/p>\n
I watched his shoulders move once.<\/p>\n
Whatever judgment I had of him, I could not look at that grief and call it false.<\/p>\n
Kenneth\u2019s phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
He read an email.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat now?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
His expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor Hale\u2019s body has been found.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connor turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDead?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cNear the sedan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn your former house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt the room go still.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house Connor and I owned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat house was sold.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did he get inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo forced entry.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Connor.<\/p>\n
His face mirrored mine.<\/p>\n
Kenneth continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there\u2019s another problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe preliminary report says Victor likely died before Melinda\u2019s voicemail from the Leland building.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenneth\u2019s voice was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means Victor wasn\u2019t the person Melinda was afraid would find Noah.\u201d<\/p>\n
He placed the printed voicemail transcript on the table.<\/p>\n
Find Noah before Victor does.<\/p>\n
Ruiz read the line.<\/p>\n
Then looked at all of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Victor was already dead when she said that, either Melinda didn\u2019t know he was dead\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026or she wasn\u2019t talking about Victor Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not sleep. Kenneth insisted I stay somewhere other than my house. Not because the note proved someone intended to hurt me. Because it proved someone wanted me to … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30514"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30561,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30514\/revisions\/30561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}