Chapter 15 - THE BLUE NOTEBOOK|
Investigators found the blue notebook in a locked drawer inside the basement cabinet.
It was hidden beneath a stack of old tax records, wrapped in a plastic bag. The cover had been scratched, and several pages were missing.
Detective Ruiz would not let me see the original, but he confirmed that the notebook contained handwritten notes, dates, names, and references to financial transactions.
Some entries appeared to relate to Rebecca.
Others mentioned a woman using the name Victoria Reed.
The same woman who later became Vanessa.
Investigators began comparing the notebook with bank records and old correspondence. They also contacted former colleagues who might have known Rebecca during the years before her disappearance.
I waited for updates while trying to keep Ava's life ordinary.
We went to school.
We bought groceries.
We visited the library.
She began sleeping through the night again, although she still asked me to check the closet before turning off the light.
One evening, she asked whether Vanessa would go to jail.
“I don't know,” I said honestly. “The police are still investigating.”
“Will she hurt another girl?”
I sat beside her.
“The adults responsible for keeping children safe are working to make sure that doesn't happen.”
“Can I help?”
“You already did, sweetheart.”
She looked surprised.
“I did?”
“You asked for help when you needed it. That was brave.”
Ava thought about that.
“I was scared.”
“Being brave doesn't mean you're not scared.”
She leaned against me.
“Can I still be scared tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
She seemed relieved.
The next morning, Detective Ruiz called.
“The notebook contains references to a disputed trust account,” he said. “We believe Rebecca may have been gathering evidence that money intended for Emma had been redirected.”
“By Vanessa?”
“We're investigating who had access and whether the transactions were authorized.”
“Did Ethan know?”
“His statements are being compared with the records.”
I felt anger rise again.
Everything came back to money, secrecy, and adults making decisions while children paid the price.
Later that day, Ethan asked to speak with me.
He told me he had found a document showing that Rebecca's family had established a trust for Emma. He had never known the details because Rebecca managed the arrangement before their separation.
After Rebecca disappeared, the account had been transferred through several financial institutions.
“Vanessa told me the money was part of an old business settlement,” he said.
“And you believed her?”
“I didn't ask enough questions.”
I looked at him.
“That's not the same as being innocent.”
“I know.”
He explained that he had provided investigators with his financial records and authorized a review of relevant transactions.
For the first time, he seemed willing to accept that his own actions would be examined.
Then he told me something else.
“Vanessa knew about your job.”
“What?”
“She knew where you worked. She knew when you usually left. She knew which route you took home.”
My skin prickled.
“How?”
“I don't know.”
I thought of the sedan outside my apartment.
The anonymous photographs.
The message warning me to stop looking into the house.
Ethan looked ashamed.
“I think she was watching you.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew Ava had called you.”
I stood up.
“Then she knew from the beginning that she might be exposed.”
He nodded.
My phone rang before I could say anything else.
Detective Ruiz.
“We've obtained additional evidence concerning the messages,” he said. “And we believe the person who sent the first photograph may be connected to Vanessa.”
“Who is it?”
“We're working to confirm the identity.”
He paused.
“Claire, you need to know something. Vanessa has hired a private investigator.”
“To investigate me?”
“Yes.”
The room seemed to shrink around me.
“What is she looking for?”
“We don't know yet.”
I looked toward Ava's bedroom.
For weeks, I had thought I was uncovering Vanessa's past.
May you like
Now I understood she was still actively trying to shape the future.
And she had decided I was part of the problem.
