Chapter 9: Garrett Makes His Move
Richard showed the message to Mom without a word.
She read it.
Handed the phone to me.
I read it and passed it to Chloe.
"He knows you're involved," I said.
"He's texting you to pressure Teresa through you."
"Yes."
"Which means he's been watching.
He knows you go to that house.
He knows your routine."
Richard nodded slowly.
"He's been building this for a while."
Mom stood up and went to the counter.
She poured herself a second cup of coffee she didn't drink.
"What does he actually want?
Not the money.
Not Danny.
What does Garrett actually want?"
"Control," Richard said.
"He walked away from a sick child and a struggling wife and now he wants to walk back in on his own terms and have everyone act like that's acceptable.
He wants Teresa to need him.
That's the whole point of the offer."
"And if she doesn't need him?"
Richard looked at the phone.
"Then we find out who he actually is."
He typed a reply.
He showed it to Mom before he sent it.
It said: *Teresa will be in touch through her attorney.*
He sent it.
Three minutes later, Garrett called.
Richard let it ring.
Garrett called again.
Richard set the phone face-down on the table.
The third call came forty seconds after the second.
"He's panicking," Chloe said quietly.
"Good," Mom said.
When the calls stopped, a voicemail appeared.
Richard put it on speaker.
Garrett's voice was controlled but thin at the edges.
"Richard.
I don't know who you think you are in this situation, but you are not Danny's family.
You are not Teresa's family.
You are a stranger who inserted himself into a private matter and now you're playing hero.
I have legal rights here.
I have documentation.
And if Teresa thinks she can shut me out with some lawyer, she's going to find out very quickly that I have options she hasn't considered."
The voicemail ended.
The kitchen was quiet.
"Documentation," I said.
"What documentation?"
Richard's expression was steady.
"I don't know.
But I think we need to find out before Teresa's attorney calls him."
He dialed Teresa.
She answered immediately.
Her voice was tight.
"He called me too.
Twice.
He said—" She stopped.
"He said he has photos.
Of Richard coming to the house.
He said he's going to file a motion claiming I've been allowing an unknown man unsupervised access to Danny and use it to argue I'm an unfit parent."
The word landed hard.
"He can't—" Chloe started.
"He can try," Richard said.
"It won't succeed.
But it will take time and money and it will frighten Danny." He paused.
"Teresa, listen to me.
Don't speak to him again.
Not by phone, not by message.
Everything goes through the attorney.
Frank's daughter-in-law will call you within the hour."
"Richard." Teresa's voice dropped.
"He said something else.
He said he already talked to someone at Danny's school.
A teacher.
He told her that Danny had been left alone with a man the family doesn't know well and that he was concerned."
Richard went very still.
"Which teacher?"
"Mrs.
Alcott.
Danny's homeroom."
Richard stood up from the table.
"I need to go to Calloway Street."
"Richard—" Mom started.
"Not to confront him.
To be there.
In case anyone comes to the door asking questions, Teresa shouldn't be alone." He looked at Mom.
May you like
"Will you come with me?"
Mom had her coat off the hook by the door before he finished the sentence.
