Chapter 4: The Promise He Could Not Keep
“No one is placing Thora with Heloise,” Miriam said.
“She’ll spend tonight with an independent foster carer.”
“That isn’t good enough,” Aldric replied.
“My daughter stays with me.”
The officer moved one step closer.
“Sir, resisting the order will be used against you tomorrow.”
Thora pulled on Aldric’s sleeve.
“You said you’d never leave me again.”
The words bent him at the waist.
He knelt, but when he reached for her, Miriam gently caught his arm.
“Tell her goodbye without making her more afraid.”
“It isn’t goodbye,” Aldric said.
His voice cracked.
“Thora, listen to me.
I will be at the courthouse before the doors open.”
“You promised before.”
Aldric closed his eyes.
“You promised you’d call every night,” she continued.
“Heloise said you stopped because you didn’t want me.”
“I called,” Aldric said.
“Every night.”
“She told me the phone was broken.”
Heloise folded her arms.
“She’s repeating things because you’re pressuring her.”
Thora turned toward her.
“You unplugged it.”
Miriam wrote something in her folder.
“Did you see her do that?”
“She put the cord in her handbag.
Then she said Daddy forgot me.”
Aldric’s knees touched the floor.
“I should never have left you with her.”
“Don’t say that now,” Heloise snapped.
“You were happy enough to make me responsible when your business needed saving.”
Aldric stood.
“I trusted my late wife’s sister.”
“And Elara trusted me more than she trusted you.”
“Do not use her name.”
“Why?
Because she knew you would always choose work first?”
Thora began to cry.
Miriam lifted her, but the girl stretched both hands toward Aldric.
“Daddy!”
He followed them onto the front steps until the officer blocked his path.
The car door closed, and Thora pressed her palm against the glass.
Aldric raised his hand to hers.
“Tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll be there tomorrow.”
The car pulled away.
His raised hand remained in the cold air until another voice came from behind him.
“You won’t help her by collapsing here.”
Aldric turned.
Conrad, the supposed buyer, stood in the doorway holding a leather folder.
“You came to take my daughter’s house.”
“I came because Heloise offered it two hundred thousand below market value.” Conrad opened the folder.
“That should have sent me running.”
“But it didn’t.”
“No.
Greed got me through the door.” Conrad lowered his eyes.
“What I saw tonight got me out of the deal.”
Celeste joined them and handed Aldric a business card.
“I heard Heloise say something before you arrived.”
“What?”
“She told Corvin the transfer only needed one more signature.
Corvin asked whether the child would cooperate again.”
“Will you say that in court?”
Celeste glanced through the doorway at Heloise.
“Yes.”
Heloise laughed.
“Neither of you has proof.”
Conrad removed his phone.
“My bank has the account number that received my deposit.”
Corvin reached for the device.
Conrad stepped back.
“Touch it,” Conrad said, “and tomorrow’s hearing becomes the least of your worries.”
Heloise leaned close to Aldric.
“You have one night.
Withdraw your accusation, approve the sale, and I’ll tell the court you are a devoted father.”
“You made Thora sleep on a floor.”
“And tomorrow I can tell the judge she imagined it.”
Aldric looked at the filthy blanket inside the kitchen.
“You’ll answer for every night she spent there.”
Heloise’s mouth curved.
“Not if you want her back.”
An hour later, Aldric sat across from his own solicitor, Fiona March, in her office.
She examined the petition beneath a white lamp.
“The signature is excellent,” Fiona said.
“But that isn’t the worst part.”
“What could be worse?”
“It was authenticated electronically by your company’s registered notary.”
Aldric leaned forward.
“Only three people had access to that account.”
Fiona turned the screen toward him.
“The authorization came from your office while you were flying home.”
May you like
Aldric read the employee identification number and stopped breathing.
It belonged to the person who had arranged his trip.
