Chapter 14 - Vanessa Changes Sides.
Vanessa arrived at Dana’s office wearing oversized sunglasses and no makeup.
The woman who had strutted through court in an ivory suit now looked as though she had not slept in days.
Her attorney sat beside her.
A criminal-defense attorney.
Nora watched from another room through a secure video feed.
She had refused to meet Vanessa face-to-face.
Dana asked the first question.
“Why are you here?”
Vanessa removed her sunglasses.
A faint bruise colored one side of her cheek.
Nora’s stomach tightened.
Vanessa saw the camera and looked directly toward it.
“Marcus thinks I ruined everything.”
Dana remained expressionless.
“You assaulted Nora in open court.”
“I shoved her.”
“You shoved a pregnant woman.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I know.”
“Why?”
Vanessa’s mouth trembled once.
“Because Marcus told me she was taking the house, the company, and the future he promised me.”
“That does not answer why.”
“I was angry.”
She swallowed.
“And because I thought he would protect me.”
Nora almost laughed at the familiar sentence.
Vanessa continued.
“After the video went public, he blamed me.”
“He said I was supposed to create a scene, not become the scene.”
Dana leaned forward.
“What does that mean?”
Vanessa’s attorney whispered something to her.
Vanessa nodded.
“Marcus knew Nora’s father had been assigned to the case.”
“He said Judge Bennett would recuse himself.”
“Then Marcus planned to accuse the family of manipulating the assignment.”
“Did he tell you to attack Nora?”
“No.”
Vanessa’s answer came immediately.
“He told me to confront her where people could see.”
“He wanted her upset.”
“He said if she cried or yelled, cameras would do the rest.”
Nora felt sick.
Vanessa rubbed her hands together.
“Pike had been collecting things for Marcus.”
“What things?”
“Old medical records.”
“Phone logs.”
“Pictures.”
“Anything that could be edited into a story.”
Dana’s voice remained steady.
“You mentioned a fake file.”
Vanessa looked toward the camera again.
“It was supposed to make Nora look like she had threatened Marcus.”
“How?”
“Messages.”
“Documents.”
“I don’t know all of it.”
“Pike said he could make digital evidence look old.”
Nora stood so quickly the chair rolled backward.
Dana’s assistant reached toward her.
Nora held up a hand.
On the monitor, Vanessa began crying.
“He kept a copy as insurance.”
“Against Marcus?” Dana asked.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Dana waited.
Vanessa looked terrified now.
“But Marcus does.”
“Then why hasn’t he destroyed it?”
“Because Pike disappeared first.”
Vanessa leaned closer to Dana.
“He called me before he vanished.”
“What did he say?”
“He said Marcus would sacrifice both of us before he let anyone see what was on the master drive.”
Dana’s eyes narrowed.
“What master drive?”
Vanessa whispered the answer.
“The one from Nora’s locked box.”
Nora stared at the screen.
The drive she thought contained old photographs was not merely evidence Marcus wanted erased.
Pike had apparently used it for something else.
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And if Vanessa was telling the truth, whoever found it could expose the entire operation.
Or frame Nora before she had a chance to speak.
