“And you published it anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Was she aware I had a wife?”
“Obviously, Alex. She knew.”
“Did she ever ask you to remove the post?”
“No. I took it down after noticing Emily had liked it.”
Alexander shut his eyes.
“Why didn’t you mention any of this?”
“I felt ashamed.”
“Madison.”
“I know I made a mistake. I should have explained everything immediately. But when we spoke, you were already distressed about Grace. I convinced myself that a social media caption wasn’t important compared with everything else.”
“It mattered enormously to Emily.”
“I understand that now.”
He remained silent.
Madison lowered her voice.
“Olivia knew Emily was upset. She asked whether you had mentioned anything concerning the necklace.”
Alexander opened his eyes.
“How did you answer?”
“I told her I hadn’t heard anything.”
“Why was she asking?”
“I figured she was concerned Emily might get the wrong impression.”
Alexander looked down at the blue notebook.
“Did Olivia know that necklace was originally meant for Emily?”
“Yes.”
Madison answered without hesitation.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“Alex, I accompanied you when you purchased it. You wanted my opinion about the gemstone because you remembered Emily liked diamonds with a pale appearance.”
Alexander suddenly remembered.
Several months earlier, he had bought the necklace after Emily casually admired a similar piece displayed in a jewelry store window.
He planned to surprise her with it on their wedding anniversary.
Then Olivia’s father invited him to a private business dinner. Olivia joined them later that evening. When Alexander drove her home, the necklace remained inside his vehicle.
He had completely forgotten about it.
Olivia eventually discovered it.
“She told Emily she had seen it inside my car,” he said.
“Did she really?”
“I don’t know for certain.”
Madison fell quiet.
“What are you suggesting?” he asked.
“Olivia told me she discovered it in the guest bedroom at your house.”
Alexander’s expression became serious.
“She never entered that bedroom.”
“I know.”
“Did Olivia actually tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would she tell Emily she discovered it in my vehicle?”
Madison had no explanation.
Alexander abruptly rose, scraping his chair against the café floor.
“Madison, is there something else you’re keeping from me?”
“I’m not sure it’s relevant.”
“It becomes relevant if she deliberately misled someone.”
“I’m not accusing her of dishonesty.”
“But you just admitted she gave two different explanations.”
“I told you I don’t know what happened.”
Alexander moved toward the café entrance.
“Did Olivia ever enter my private study?”
There was a brief silence.
“Yes.”
“On what occasions?”
“A few times. She said she needed to discuss something confidential with you.”
“Did I authorize her to go inside?”
“I thought you had.”
“I never did.”
Madison sounded increasingly uncomfortable.
“Alex, I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it. But Olivia has known our family for years. Nobody imagined—”
“Nobody considered asking Emily how she felt about any of it.”
He ended the conversation before Madison could reply.
Outside, the rainfall had ended, leaving the sidewalks wet and reflective.
Alexander remained beneath the café’s shelter, holding his phone.
His first impulse was to contact Olivia immediately.
He wanted an explanation.
But then he remembered Emily’s letter.
Do not make your regret the center of my grief.
Throughout his life, whenever something unsettled him, he had demanded explanations until he felt in control again. He had mistaken collecting information for genuinely understanding people.
If Olivia had been dishonest, discovering the truth was important.
But that truth could never excuse his own failure to be there for his family.
Instead, he contacted Daniel.
“Was Olivia ever allowed into my private office at the house?”
Daniel paused before answering.
“Not through any official arrangement.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
Daniel understood his meaning.
“I’ll review the records.”
“Keep it discreet.”
“Certainly.”
“And Daniel?”
“Yes, boss?”
“Don’t intimidate anyone or pressure them into speaking. I only want verified information.”
Daniel hesitated briefly.
“Understood.”
Alexander made his way back to the hotel.
That evening, Daniel sent a message requesting a private conversation. They met in a quiet room beside the hotel lobby, where reflections of Toronto’s evening lights shimmered across the windows.
Daniel placed his tablet on the table.
“I examined the home’s electronic security records.”
Alexander leaned closer.
“Olivia entered your study on three separate occasions over the past two months.”
“Which dates?”
“The first visit happened on the same afternoon Emily contacted you about Toronto.”
Alexander’s face grew tense.
“The second occurred during preparations for the birthday celebration.”
“And the last visit?”
“On the evening of your wedding anniversary.”
Alexander examined the dates carefully.
“How did she gain entry?”
“Madison possessed a key.”
“Is there evidence Olivia removed anything?”
“We haven’t established that.”
“Review the surveillance recordings.”
Daniel looked hesitant.
“The cameras inside the study were turned off during all three visits.”
“Who turned them off?”
“That’s where the situation becomes complicated.”
He rotated the tablet toward Alexander.
“The records indicate someone manually disabled the cameras using your personal access code.”
Alexander stared at the screen.
“I didn’t turn those cameras off.”
“I understand.”
“Who else knew my code?”
“Your mother, Madison, and me.”
“What about Olivia?”
“She wasn’t given access.”
“Could she have worked it out?”
“It’s possible. However, I discovered another detail.”
Daniel opened another document.
“On the day Emily contacted your office regarding Toronto, Olivia made an eleven-minute phone call to a private law firm specializing in family matters.”
Alexander became completely still.
“A family law firm?”
“Yes. The conversation lasted eleven minutes.”
“Did she arrange an appointment?”
“There’s no confirmed appointment under her full name. However, two weeks later, that office recorded a consultation involving someone identified by the initials O.C.”
Olivia Carter.
Neither man spoke the name aloud.
At first, Alexander felt no anger.
Only a growing sense of uncertainty.
“Do we know what she wanted to discuss?”
“No. The firm cannot release confidential information about its clients.”
“See what you can verify through proper channels.”
“Boss—”
“Only through legal means.”
Daniel nodded in understanding.
“I’ll arrange for someone to examine publicly available records and determine whether any official documents were submitted.”
Alexander stood up.
“Arrange a meeting with Olivia tomorrow morning.”
Daniel studied his expression.
“Would you prefer that I attend?”
“No.”
“Do you believe meeting her alone is a good idea?”
“I have no intention of intimidating her.”
“That wasn’t what I was suggesting.”
Alexander turned toward the windows streaked with rain.
“I understand.”
He went upstairs to his hotel room and carefully set Grace’s notebook on the writing desk.
For a considerable time, he remained seated beside it, leaving his phone untouched.
Then, shortly before midnight, his phone rang with a number he did not recognize.
Alexander picked up.
“Hello?”
A woman answered in a gentle voice.
“Am I speaking with Mr. Hayes?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Claire Morgan, an attorney practicing in Toronto.”
Alexander immediately sat straighter.
“Where did you obtain my number?”
“Emily provided it.”
His heartbeat quickened.
“Is Emily okay?”
“She’s safe. However, she requested that I contact you if we discovered certain details.”
“What kind of details?”
Claire hesitated briefly.
“Information relating to what happened to Grace.”
Alexander gripped the desk’s edge.
“What have you discovered?”
“I’ve been examining the documents Emily brought from Chicago. Something doesn’t match in the preschool’s official incident report.”
“What doesn’t match?”
“The report claims Grace exited the school through its front gate a little after three in the afternoon.”
Alexander remained completely silent.
“However, the electronic security records indicate the front gate was opened at 3:27,” Claire explained. “And the available recordings don’t show Grace passing through that entrance.”
“Then which way did she go?”
“That remains unclear.”
His fingers tightened around the phone.
“Was anyone accompanying her?”
“The written report indicates she was alone.”
“What do the recordings indicate?”
“Unfortunately, nothing conclusive. The surveillance camera near the side entrance stopped operating for roughly six minutes.”
Alexander abruptly stood.
“Who turned it off?”
“The school’s records show the code used belonged to a temporary employee.”
“What was their name?”
Claire lowered her voice.
“The employee came through a staffing agency associated with one of your family’s businesses.”
Alexander felt an uncomfortable pressure building in his chest.
“What’s the employee’s name?”
“I haven’t obtained the complete personnel records.”
“Then why contact me tonight?”
“Because there’s another important discovery.”
“Tell me.”
“The employee resigned the following morning. Before leaving, she emailed the school’s director.”
Alexander could barely speak.
“What did the message say?”
Claire paused.
“She explained that someone had instructed her to leave the side entrance unlocked because a person was expected to collect your daughter.”
Alexander fell silent.
“Who gave that instruction?” he eventually asked.
“We haven’t established that.”
“Was it Emily?”
“No.”
“Then who was responsible?”
Claire answered carefully.
“The instruction originated from a telephone number associated with a private security company.”
Alexander immediately recognized the company’s name.
It had provided protective services for his family over many years.
And someone he trusted deeply had authorized that company’s access to Grace’s preschool.
Claire continued, “Mr. Hayes, our information suggests that particular number was used only once.”
Alexander stared at the little blue notebook resting on the desk.
“Who was the registered account holder?”
“The account was listed under your sister’s name.”
Madison.
“The account was listed under your sister’s name.”
Alexander remained motionless for several moments, hearing only the low mechanical sound of the hotel’s heating system.
Madison.
His thoughts resisted the possibility before he could consider the evidence. Madison could be irresponsible, impulsive, and occasionally insensitive, but he had never known her to be intentionally unkind. She adored Grace. She had spent entire afternoons sitting on their living room carpet, allowing Grace to decorate her nails and arrange her hair into little braids.
“Have you confirmed that?” he asked.
“I’ve confirmed whose name appears on the account,” Claire replied. “That doesn’t establish that your sister personally issued the instruction. Another person might have accessed her credentials.”
“Why would anyone use her account?”
“That’s exactly what we must investigate.”
Alexander glanced toward Grace’s notebook.
Its small blue cover showed signs of wear where her little hands had held it. The opening page displayed three people beneath an uneven sky. On the final page, Grace had wondered whether her daddy would accompany them to Toronto.
Such an innocent question.
A future she had believed they could still share.
“What should we do next?” he asked.
“I need permission to request the complete documentation from the security provider. Emily has already signed the necessary authorization, but your cooperation as Grace’s father could help us obtain the remaining information.”
“Consider it granted.”
“Mr. Hayes, I must emphasize something. These findings are preliminary. A security credential associated with your sister doesn’t establish that she arranged anything.”
“I understand.”
In truth, he was struggling to understand any of it. But he recognized that suspicion alone could not establish responsibility.
Claire provided the company’s details and arranged to meet him the next morning.
After their conversation ended, Alexander remained seated in the dark for a long while.
Eventually, he called Madison.
She answered after the fourth ring.
“Alex?”
“Did you give anyone permission to enter Grace’s preschool?”
There was a brief pause.
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you authorize anyone to use your security credentials?”
“I don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“An attorney named Claire Morgan contacted me. Someone used a security code associated with your account to access the side gate at Grace’s school.”
Madison’s breathing became uneven.
“I never arranged for anyone to visit Grace’s preschool.”
“Please think carefully.”
“I am thinking. I would never do something like—” Her voice trembled. “Alex, what exactly are you suggesting?”
“I’m trying to understand what occurred.”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Alexander shut his eyes.
“Did you ever allow Olivia to use your account?”
“No.”
“Did anyone else receive access?”
“Not as far as I remember.”
“Madison.”
“I already told you no.”
He noticed the fear in her voice, and it troubled him.
“Where are you right now?”
“I’m at home.”
“I’m returning to Chicago.”
“Are you coming here to accuse me?”
“No.”
“Then why are you coming?”
“Because this conversation matters too much to have over the telephone. I need to understand the truth.”
Madison remained quiet.
“You think I was involved in what happened to Grace.”
“I know there’s a security record bearing your name. Nothing more has been confirmed.”
“But that’s not everything you’re thinking.”
“No,” he acknowledged. “It isn’t.”
He heard her swallow.
“Come tomorrow.”
Alexander ended the conversation and returned his attention to the notebook.
He desperately wanted to trust Madison.
But trust could not replace evidence.
The following morning, Alexander boarded a flight back to Chicago.
He didn’t tell Emily about his travel plans. Instead, he sent her a brief message.
I’ve learned there may be discrepancies in the records from Grace’s preschool. I’m reviewing the information carefully. I won’t accuse anyone without evidence, and I won’t involve you unless you wish to be informed.
Several hours passed before Emily replied.
Thank you for keeping me informed. Please don’t let this become another distraction from what truly matters.
Alexander read her words twice before responding.
I won’t.
At Madison’s apartment, the curtains remained closed despite the afternoon sunshine. She answered the door in a gray sweater, with her hair loosely gathered behind her neck.
She seemed younger than Alexander remembered.
Perhaps, though, he was simply noticing the anxiety she usually concealed beneath her confident manner.
“I had nothing to do with what happened to Grace,” she said immediately.
“I’m here to listen.”
They settled into chairs opposite each other in her modest living room. Madison held her hands tightly together.
“Two months ago, I shared my security login with Olivia,” she admitted.
Alexander’s expression became serious.
“Why would you do that?”
“She claimed she needed the family’s guest information for a charity function. She told me Mother had asked her to help organize everything.”
“Did you confirm that with Mother?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I believed her.”
Her answer was almost a whisper.
Alexander turned his gaze away.
Madison continued, “Several days later, I updated the password. At least, I believed I had. I didn’t understand that the system used an additional security code, and the previous one was still valid.”
“Why did you keep this from me?”
“Because I didn’t realize it could matter. And I felt foolish.”
“Did Olivia ever ask questions about Grace’s preschool?”
Madison frowned thoughtfully.
“Not specifically. Once, she asked whether Grace attended school near your office downtown. I assumed she was just being friendly.”
“When was that conversation?”
“About a week before everything happened.”
Alexander felt a familiar heaviness in his chest.
“Did Olivia know I had promised to collect Grace that afternoon?”
Madison lowered her eyes.
“I can’t say.”
“Did you mention it to her?”
“No.”
“Who else in the family knew?”
“Mother knew you’d made that promise to Emily. I remember hearing her talk about it over breakfast.”
“Was Olivia present?”
“I honestly don’t remember.”
Alexander rose and approached the window.
On the opposite sidewalk, a woman was pushing a stroller. Beneath a blanket, a little child wearing a red cap happily moved their feet.
He turned toward his sister again.
“Why would Olivia need access to Grace’s school?”
Tears gathered in Madison’s eyes.
“I have no idea.”
“Did she ever question you about Toronto?”
Madison’s expression shifted.
“Yes.”
“When did that happen?”
“After Emily first contacted your office. Olivia wanted to know whether Emily was seriously considering moving away from Chicago.”
“Why was that any of her business?”
“She claimed she was concerned about you.”
Alexander slowly exhaled.
“Madison, I need you to tell me everything.”
“I am telling you what I know.”
“Then tell me the part you’ve been afraid to admit.”
Madison studied him for several moments.
“I believed Olivia wanted to be with you again.”
He remained silent.
“She never openly admitted it,” Madison explained. “But she constantly brought up your history together. She said nobody understood her the way you did. She claimed Emily had changed you, that you weren’t happy anymore, and that eventually you’d remember how things used to be between you.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“I realize that.”
“What part did you play?”
Madison looked down at her hands.
“I encouraged her.”
