Chapter 7 - THE PATTERN
Claire did something she wished she had done years earlier.
She stopped trying to investigate her family herself.
She called Naomi.
She told her everything Brooke had said, everything Tessa had admitted, and everything Warren had threatened.
Naomi listened without interruption.
“You did the right thing calling.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
“It rarely does.”
Claire gave her Brooke’s school information and Eric’s phone number.
She also gave Naomi the name of Marcy Jennings, a sixty-one-year-old employee who had worked at Mercer Hardware since Claire was thirteen.
Marcy had been at hundreds of late inventory nights.
If anybody had seen how Elaine handled children at the store, it was her.
Claire did not contact Marcy herself.
Naomi did.
Two days later, Naomi called back.
“I can’t tell you the details of another child’s investigation.”
“I know.”
“But I can tell you something relevant to Maisie.”
Claire gripped the phone.
“Okay.”
“A witness independently described Elaine giving an over-the-counter liquid medication to Brooke during late work nights.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“How often?”
“I can’t give you a number.”
“Did she know why?”
“She described hearing your mother call it something like ‘quiet medicine.’”
Claire sat on the edge of her bed.
Maisie was downstairs with Lucas.
“What about my dad?”
“The witness said Warren was present on some occasions.”
“Did he ever give it?”
“We don’t know.”
That afternoon Eric arrived at Claire’s house.
Tessa’s ex-husband had always made Claire uncomfortable. He was too formal at family gatherings and carried every grievance like a file he might need later.
Now he looked exhausted.
“I talked to Brooke.”
Claire immediately said, “You shouldn’t question her.”
“I didn’t. She started talking after the county worker came.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“She thinks this is normal.”
Claire swallowed.
Eric continued.
“She said Grandma gives it when children are ‘too loud to sleep.’”
Claire looked away.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.”
“You knew my parents were difficult.”
“I knew Warren controlled everything. I didn’t know this.”
He looked toward the floor.
“Tessa knew more than she told me.”
Claire didn’t defend her.
Eric exhaled.
“I’m not trying to take Brooke away from her mother.”
Claire looked up.
“Tessa thinks you are.”
“I’m trying to keep Brooke away from your parents.”
For the first time, Claire understood that Tessa’s fear had been feeding itself for years.
Warren had convinced her that telling the truth would cost her custody.
Eric was saying the opposite.
He handed Claire nothing.
No miracle document.
No recording.
Only information.
“I told Naomi I’ll cooperate,” he said.
Claire nodded.
“So will I.”
After he left, Lucas found Claire sitting on the porch steps.
“What did he want?”
“To protect Brooke.”
“That’s good.”
Claire nodded.
Then she said, “I’m giving Naomi permission to use my texts from Dad and Mom. All of them.”
Lucas sat beside her.
“That’ll probably end any chance of pretending this stays private.”
“I know.”
“You ready for that?”
“No.”
May you like
Claire looked at the dark window of her quiet house.
“But privacy is how they kept doing it.”
