CHAPTER 4: The Woman Who Lied Too Well
CHAPTER 4: The Woman Who Lied Too Well
Across the city, Cassandra sat inside the office of one of Chicago's most expensive attorneys.
She looked perfectly composed.
Cream suit.
Pearl earrings.
Hair immaculate.
Only her eyes betrayed irritation.
"This is absurd," she said. "Richard is emotional. He'll calm down."
The attorney folded his hands.
"There's one problem."
"What?"
"He isn't asking for reconciliation."
She frowned.
"Then what is he asking for?"
The attorney slid a document across the desk.
Emergency protective orders.
Civil investigation.
Financial audit.
Requests for electronic communications.
Cassandra's confidence flickered.
"He wants everything."
Meanwhile, Richard had hired one of the country's best forensic investigators.
By noon, the first report arrived.
The investigator pointed toward a timeline displayed across a conference room wall.
"Cassandra didn't isolate Ethan by accident."
"What do you mean?"
"It was systematic."
Photos covered the board.
Nannies.
Tutors.
Drivers.
Housekeepers.
Every employee who had grown close to Ethan had left within months.
Some were fired.
Others resigned.
A pattern.
One investigator spoke quietly.
"Anyone who cared too much about your son... disappeared."
Richard stared at the wall.
One face caught his attention.
Mrs. Harper.
Ethan's piano teacher.
Reason for departure:
Unsuitable personality.
Richard frowned.
"I remember Ethan loved her."
The investigator nodded.
"So did she."
Richard drove directly to Mrs. Harper's home.
The elderly woman welcomed him politely.
Then her expression changed.
"You finally know."
Richard nodded silently.
Mrs. Harper disappeared into a cabinet.
She returned carrying a stack of drawings.
"I couldn't throw them away."
Every picture had been drawn by Ethan.
Most showed the same thing.
A little boy.
Standing beside a tall man.
Holding hands.
But there was always a wall between them.
On one picture Ethan had written,
Daddy works behind the glass.
Mrs. Harper quietly wiped her eyes.
"He never complained."
"He always defended you."
Richard looked up.
"Defended me?"
"He said..."
She smiled sadly.
"...'Daddy would come if he knew.'"
Richard couldn't answer.
That evening Richard picked Ethan up from school himself.
Instead of driving home, he turned toward a neighborhood park.
Snow covered the swings.
The playground was nearly empty.
"Dad?"
"I skipped work again."
Ethan looked worried.
"Will you get in trouble?"
Richard smiled.
"Probably."
The boy thought for a moment.
"Okay."
Richard laughed.
"That's all?"
Ethan shrugged.
"I like when you're in trouble if it means you're here."
The words hit harder than any accusation.
They spent an hour building a crooked snowman.
Richard had no idea what he was doing.
The snowman leaned sideways.
Its carrot nose kept falling off.
Ethan laughed so hard he nearly fell into the snow.
Parents nearby turned toward the sound.
One whispered,
"I've never seen that little boy smile before."
Richard heard it.
His heart both healed and shattered at the same time.
That night, after Ethan had gone to bed, Richard received a call from Detective Alan Brooks.
"We executed a search warrant."
"And?"
"We recovered several deleted emails."
Richard stood.
"What kind of emails?"
The detective's voice became grave.
"Emails between Cassandra..."
"...and someone connected to Emily's fatal car accident."
Silence.
Richard gripped the phone until his knuckles turned white.
"What are you saying?"
"We're not ready to draw conclusions."
The detective paused.
May you like
"But Mr. Blackwood..."
"...your wife's death may not have been an accident after all."
