Chapter 9 - The Blue Notebook
Police recovered the notebook two days later.
Denise had been staying at an extended-stay hotel in Rockville.
A search warrant connected to the suspected forgery produced her laptop, several financial records, Marcus’s copied medical information and the blue spiral notebook.
Detective Patel did not let Marcus touch it.
But Rachel obtained information through the investigation.
“It contains notes about Caleb and Lily,” she told Marcus.
They sat in her office.
“What kind?”
“Dates. Behaviors. Statements.”
Marcus felt sick.
“Statements she made them give?”
“Some appear to be responses to leading questions.”
Rachel read an example from her notes.
January 12: Caleb admits father forgets meals when distracted.
Marcus frowned.
“That never happened.”
“Do you remember January twelfth?”
He checked his calendar.
Saturday.
Then he remembered.
The refrigerator had broken.
Marcus had taken the children to buy a replacement. They ate lunch almost three hours late because they were waiting at the appliance store.
“He said he was hungry. We ate afterward.”
Rachel nodded.
“Denise turned an ordinary delay into evidence.”
Another entry read:
February 3: Lily says Daddy sleeps all day.
Marcus almost laughed.
“I had the flu.”
“She documented the statement without context.”
Rachel continued.
“More concerning are entries describing plans.”
Marcus looked up.
“What plans?”
“Contact school after sufficient pattern.”
“Pattern.”
“Consult Leonard. Establish instability. Secure temporary authority.”
Marcus’s hands tightened.
“And the trust?”
Rachel paused.
“Yes.”
She read:
If Marcus cannot serve, trustee succession issue must be resolved quickly before Henderson intervenes.
Marcus stared.
“She knew Paul?”
“Your mother’s estate attorney correspondence references him.”
Marcus understood.
Denise had been studying Evelyn’s paperwork for years.
“She planned all of it.”
“We can say she documented steps consistent with a plan.”
Marcus shook his head.
“You lawyers hate simple sentences.”
“Simple sentences lose complicated cases.”
Marcus almost smiled.
It was the first time he had in days.
Then Rachel’s expression became serious again.
“There’s another name in the notebook.”
“Whose?”
“Darren Moss.”
Marcus knew it.
Darren had been Denise’s business partner.
“What about him?”
“Initials beside several financial entries.”
Detective Patel later confirmed Darren was the man suspected of appearing on the video call during the fraudulent notarization.
He had similar height, complexion and facial hair to Marcus.
Denise had apparently shown him an old photograph of Marcus and instructed him how to position the camera in dim lighting.
Darren initially denied everything.
Then police showed him the notary’s photograph.
He asked for a lawyer.
Marcus should have felt vindicated.
Instead he felt exhausted.
At home, the emotional consequences were harder.
Caleb started sleeping beside Lily’s door.
Marcus found him there at 2:00 a.m. wrapped in a blanket.
“Buddy.”
Caleb woke instantly.
“What?”
“Why are you here?”
“She had a bad dream.”
“Did she call you?”
“No.”
Marcus sat beside him.
“You don’t have to guard her.”
Caleb looked confused.
“Yes I do.”
“No.”
“Who will?”
“I will.”
“You sleep.”
The words broke something inside Marcus.
He realized Caleb had developed an eight-year-old’s solution to an adult’s failure.
Stay awake.
Watch.
Stand between.
Marcus took him downstairs.
They sat on the couch.
“When Mommy died,” Marcus said, “I started thinking my job was to make sure you never felt how sad I felt.”
Caleb listened.
“So when you seemed okay, I told myself I was doing a good job.”
“You worked.”
“Yes.”
“Aunt Denise said working mattered more.”
“I let work matter too much.”
Caleb looked down.
Marcus continued.
“But I never wanted you to become the parent.”
“I’m not.”
“You’ve been acting like one with Lily.”
Caleb started crying.
“What if something happens?”
“Then you get me.”
“What if you’re not here?”
Marcus had prepared for that question.
“Then you call Uncle Andre, Ms. Simone, 911 if you’re in danger, or another trusted adult. You do not have to fight adults.”
Caleb wiped his face.
“But yesterday I did.”
“You protected Lily.”
“Was that bad?”
“No.”
Marcus pulled him close.
“It was brave. But brave doesn’t mean it should have been your job.”
Caleb leaned against him.
After a while he whispered, “There’s something I didn’t tell the lady.”
Marcus resisted the urge to question him.
“You can tell her later if you want.”
Caleb shook his head.
“I want to tell you.”
Marcus waited.
“Aunt Denise used Mommy’s phone.”
Marcus stiffened.
“What?”
“The old one.”
Alana’s iPhone had disappeared months earlier.
Marcus thought he had misplaced it during a house cleanup.
“What did she do with it?”
“She made messages.”
“To who?”
“I don’t know.”
Caleb swallowed.
“She said sometimes dead people can still help fix things.”
Marcus stared at him.
The next morning, police searched Denise’s seized belongings again.
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