Chapter 13 - Lucas Disappears
Lucas Vane vanished the morning investigators tried to contact him.
His apartment was empty.
His phone disconnected.
His car abandoned at an airport garage.
Vanessa claimed she hadn’t spoken to him in months.
Her phone records showed thirty-eight calls in two weeks.
I still hadn’t confronted her directly about the documents.
Instead I told her my trip had exhausted me.
I deliberately complained about headaches once.
She became almost attentive.
Too attentive.
“Maybe you should see somebody.”
“Dr. Shah says I’m fine.”
“Doctors miss things.”
“Like what?”
“Stress. Cognitive fatigue.”
I looked at her.
“What’s cognitive fatigue?”
She smiled.
“Just exhaustion.”
That evening she suggested Maya stay with her sister for the weekend.
Exactly as the notebook predicted.
“No.”
Vanessa frowned.
“I already arranged it.”
“Cancel.”
“Why?”
“I missed her.”
For the first time, irritation broke through.
“You can’t suddenly become superdad because you came home early.”
I smiled calmly.
May you like
“Watch me.”
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