Chapter 6: The Plan to Send Zoe Away
Marcus stared at Madison.
"What did you just say?""
Madison wiped her nose with the sleeve of her sweater.
"Mom said Zoe was becoming a problem.""
Lauren grabbed her daughter's wrist.
"Go to your room. Now.""
Madison pulled away.
"No!""
The word echoed through the storage room.
Lauren looked stunned.
Madison had rarely challenged her mother in front of anyone.
But now she was crying too hard to stop.
"You told me Dad wouldn't believe Zoe! You said he was always working and wouldn't have time to investigate!""
Lauren slapped her hand over Madison's mouth.
Marcus stepped forward immediately.
"Take your hand off her.""
Lauren released her.
Madison backed away.
Marcus looked at her.
"Start from the beginning.""
Madison glanced at Zoe.
For the first time, there was something other than mockery in her expression.
Guilt.
"It started when Grandma visited last year," Madison said.
Marcus frowned.
"What happened?""
"She asked Zoe why she always looked hungry. Mom got angry afterward.""
Lauren shook her head.
"That is not how it happened.""
Madison continued.
"Mom told me Grandma was trying to turn everyone against her. Then she said we needed to make sure Zoe stopped complaining.""
Marcus looked at Lauren.
"How?""
Madison lowered her eyes.
"She said if Zoe kept telling Grandma things, she would tell you Zoe was stealing money and behaving badly at school.""
Zoe stared at her stepsister.
"I never stole anything.""
"I know," Madison whispered.
Marcus felt his anger rising.
"What else?""
Madison hesitated.
"Mom said she had already spoken to someone about sending Zoe away.""
The room went silent.
Marcus took a step closer.
"Who?""
"I don't know his name.""
"Was it a school counselor?""
Madison shook her head.
"No. A woman who came here while you were in Chicago.""
Marcus remembered that trip.
He had been away for almost two weeks supervising a major project.
"Did you see her?""
"Yes. She brought papers.""
Lauren suddenly laughed nervously.
"Madison is confused. This is absurd.""
Marcus didn't look at her.
"What papers?""
Madison's voice dropped.
"Some kind of report about Zoe. Mom said she needed to sign it before you came home.""
Zoe's face went white.
Marcus turned toward her.
"Did anyone speak to you?""
Zoe nodded slowly.
"A woman came to my school.""
"When?""
"Last month.""
"What did she ask?""
Zoe looked down.
"She asked if I felt safe at home.""
Marcus's stomach tightened.
"What did you say?""
"I told her I wanted to live with you.""
"Then what happened?""
"She said she needed to speak with Lauren before making a decision.""
Marcus looked at his wife.
"Who was this woman?""
Lauren shook her head.
"I don't remember.""
"Stop lying.""
"Marcus, you don't understand how complicated this has become.""
"Then explain it.""
Lauren's eyes moved toward the hallway.
"I was trying to protect this family.""
"From what?""
"From Zoe's behavior!""
Zoe flinched.
Marcus immediately stepped between them.
"Enough. You don't get to blame her anymore.""
Lauren's face twisted.
"You have no idea what I have sacrificed for this family!""
Marcus stared at her.
"Tell me one thing you sacrificed for Zoe.""
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
He continued.
"You took her birthday money. You took her lunch money. You locked food away from her.
You locked her in this room. And now you're telling me you arranged for someone to remove her from my home?""
Lauren's voice rose.
"I never said remove her permanently!""
Marcus froze.
"Then what did you say?""
Lauren realized her mistake.
She looked toward Madison.
Madison began crying harder.
"Mom said she was going to send Zoe to a residential school.""
Zoe stepped backward.
"What?""
Marcus turned.
"What school?""
"I don't know," Madison said.
"Mom said it was far away. She said Zoe would stay there until she learned to respect the family.""
Zoe's breathing became shallow.
"Forever?""
"No," Madison whispered.
Lauren interrupted.
"Stop making it sound like some terrible place! It was a school for troubled teenagers!""
Zoe's voice cracked.
"I'm not troubled.""
Nobody answered.
She looked at her father.
"Dad, I don't want to go anywhere.""
Marcus crossed the room and held her.
"You're not going anywhere.""
She clung to him.
He could feel her trembling.
For months, perhaps years, she had lived with the fear that one mistake would cost her the only home she knew.
Now he understood why she had been so reluctant to speak.
She hadn't simply been afraid of punishment.
She had been afraid of losing him.
Marcus kissed her forehead.
"Listen to me. I am here. And I'm not leaving you alone with this again.""
Then he turned toward Lauren.
"Pack a bag.""
Lauren blinked.
"What?""
"You're leaving this house tonight.""
She stared at him.
"You can't be serious.""
"I am.""
"This is my home!""
"It's Zoe's home too. And she shouldn't have to spend another night afraid of you.""
Lauren's expression hardened.
"You can't throw me out without a conversation.""
"We've had plenty of conversations. You just never told me the truth.""
Marcus took out his phone.
He called a family attorney whose number he had received from Eleanor's lawyer.
While he explained the situation, Lauren paced the room.
"This is insane," she muttered.
"You are destroying our family over a child's lies.""
Marcus ended the call.
"The attorney is coming tomorrow morning. Until then, you're staying in the guest room, and you're not to approach Zoe without my permission.""
Lauren laughed bitterly.
"You're treating me like a criminal.""
Marcus looked at the recorder.
"Maybe you should think about why.""
He asked Madison to wait downstairs while he helped Zoe collect her belongings.
As they walked into Zoe's bedroom, she stopped beside her desk.
"Can I ask you something?""
"Anything.""
"Are you angry with me?""
Marcus looked at her.
"Why would I be angry with you?""
"Because everything is happening because I told you.""
He knelt in front of her.
"Zoe, everything is happening because adults made terrible choices. You telling the truth didn't create the problem. It gave me a chance to fix it.""
She nodded slowly.
Then she opened her wardrobe.
Most of her clothes were old.
Several shirts had faded collars, and her shoes were visibly worn.
Marcus looked at them.
"When did you last get new clothes?""
"Last Christmas.""
He remembered sending Lauren money for Zoe's wardrobe.
Another lie.
He swallowed his anger.
"We'll take care of that.""
Zoe packed a small suitcase.
Then she reached under her bed and pulled out a shoebox.
Inside were dozens of folded notes.
Marcus picked one up.
It was written in a child's handwriting.
Dear Dad,
I hope you come home soon.
Another read:
I was good today. I didn't ask for anything.
Another:
Please don't be mad at me.
Marcus couldn't continue reading.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
"Did you write these?""
Zoe nodded.
"Sometimes I wanted to tell you things, but I didn't know how.""
He placed the notes back in the box.
"You can tell me anything now.""
She hesitated.
Then she reached into the bottom of the shoebox and pulled out a small photograph.
It showed Eleanor standing beside a woman in a blue uniform.
Marcus recognized the woman immediately.
Mrs. Carter.
On the back, Eleanor had written:
The two people who promised to protect you.
Marcus stared at the photograph.
"Where did you find this?""
"Grandma gave it to me.""
"When?""
"Before she died. She told me to keep it somewhere safe.""
Marcus turned the photograph over again.
Something was written beneath the original message.
A phone number.
And one final sentence.
If anything happens to me, Mrs. Carter knows where the original evidence is.
Marcus immediately sent the woman a message.
*I need to speak with you tonight. Zoe is safe with me. Please tell me what happened.*
The reply arrived less than a minute later.
*I'm glad she's with you. But there's something I haven't told Eleanor's lawyer yet.*
Marcus typed:
*What is it?*
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally, the message came through.
*Lauren wasn't the person who first suggested sending Zoe away. Someone else approached her. Someone who knew about Eleanor's trust and wanted control of the money.*
Marcus stared at the screen.
Another message arrived.
*And that person is someone in your family.*
He slowly looked toward the bedroom door.
Madison was standing there.
Her face was pale.
"Dad?""
He turned.
"What is it?""
She held up her phone.
"I think I know who Mrs. Carter is talking about.""
Marcus stepped toward her.
"Who?""
Madison looked at Zoe.
Then she whispered a name that Marcus had never expected to hear.
"Uncle Richard.""
Marcus froze.
His younger brother Richard had been the person who recommended Lauren to him years ago.
He had also been the one who helped Marcus organize Eleanor's estate after her death.
And, most importantly, he had access to the financial records.
Marcus looked down at the message again.
May you like
For the first time that night, he understood that Lauren might not have been acting alone.
*Someone had been planning this long before he came home early.*
