Chapter 7: What Sloan Hid
“But you still don’t know what I did to keep Lily alive.””
The message sat on Trevor’s screen.
Neither of us spoke.
I could hear the refrigerator humming behind me.
The old clock on the wall ticked once.
Then again.
Trevor finally looked up.
“What does that mean?””
“I don’t know.””
“You’re my mother. You’re supposed to know what’s going on.””
“I’m trying.””
He stood and paced across the kitchen.
“She can’t just say something like that.””
“No.””
“She can’t use Lily as some kind of shield.””
“No.””
“Then what did she do?””
I looked at the photograph of my father’s letter.
“We’re going to find out before we accuse her of anything.””
Trevor stopped.
“You still believe her?””
“No.””
“That sounded like it.””
“I believe there’s something we don’t know.””
He looked at his phone.
Another message appeared.
*You should ask Diane about the hospital.*
Trevor stared at it.
“What hospital?””
I felt a cold wave move through me.
“I don’t know.””
His eyes snapped toward me.
“Mom.””
“I said I don’t know.””
“Lily was in the hospital?””
“I never knew she was.””
He immediately called Sloan.
She answered.
“What?””
“What hospital?”” Trevor demanded.
Silence.
Then Sloan said, “You read the messages.””
“Stop playing games.””
“I’m not.””
“You said Lily was in danger.””
“I said you don’t know what I did.””
“What hospital?””
“I’m not discussing this over the phone.””
“Then discuss it in person.””
Another pause.
“Fine.””
“Where?””
“The old pediatric center on Westbrook.””
Trevor looked at me.
I knew the building.
It had closed two years earlier.
“Why there?”” I asked.
Sloan's voice sharpened.
“Because that’s where it happened.””
“What happened?””
“I’ll tell you when you get there.””
She hung up.
Trevor grabbed his coat.
I stopped him.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“What?””
“We’re not meeting her alone.””
“I need to know what happened to Lily.””
“So do I.””
I picked up the letter.
“And we need records.””
We spent the next hour searching through old family messages, photographs, calendars, anything that mentioned Lily’s first year.
The trail was painfully ordinary.
Birthday pictures.
Christmas morning.
A video of Lily taking her first steps.
A photograph of Trevor holding her at the lake.
Then I found something.
A text from four years earlier.
From Sloan.
*Lily has another appointment tomorrow. Please don't call.*
I stared at the date.
“Trevor.””
He came over.
“That was six weeks after Lily was born.””
“Did she have medical problems?””
“Not that I knew.””
I scrolled.
There were dozens of messages I had never answered because I hadn't received them.
No.
That wasn't right.
I checked the phone number.
They had been sent to an old number I had stopped using years ago.
Sloan had never known that number was still active.
I looked at Trevor.
“Why would she hide this from me?””
He had no answer.
Then he said, “Maybe she didn't want you worried.””
I looked at him.
“Would your wife normally hide something this serious from your mother?””
“No.””
“Would she hide it from you?””
He hesitated.
“She did.””
We found the old pediatric center at 2:15 p.m.
The building was still standing, but a chain-link fence surrounded the entrance.
A sign on the door read:
*Records have been transferred to Westbrook Children's Hospital.*
Trevor called the number.
After several transfers, a records administrator finally agreed to speak with us.
Because we were not the parents, she couldn't give us medical details.
But she could answer one question.
“Was Lily Miller a patient here?””
The woman checked her computer.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Four years ago.””
Trevor closed his eyes.
“How many visits?””
“I can't disclose that.””
“Was she admitted?””
The administrator hesitated.
“Yes.””
“For how long?””
“I’m sorry.””
I stepped forward.
“Was there a serious incident?””
The woman looked at us.
Then quietly said, “There was a child protective services notation attached to the record.””
Trevor went completely still.
“A what?””
“I can't discuss the details.””
“Why was child protective services involved?””
“I don't know the circumstances.””
“Was Lily in danger?””
The woman looked at Trevor.
“I said I can't discuss that.””
I thanked her.
As we walked back outside, Trevor stopped beside the car.
“She never told me.””
“No.””
“She told me Lily had a stomach virus.””
I looked at him.
“When?””
“The first hospital visit.””
“So there was more than one.””
He nodded.
“I remember spending the night with Sloan at the hospital. She said Lily was dehydrated.””
I stared at him.
“And then?””
“She was discharged.””
“Was she?””
He looked confused.
“What?””
I took out my phone.
I had kept something from years ago.
A screenshot of an old family calendar.
December 201?—the year Lily was born.
Three dates had been blocked out.
*Hospital.*
*Legal appointment.*
*Carter & Vale.*
Trevor stared at the screen.
“What the hell?””
“I don't know.””
We returned to the car.
Neither of us started the engine.
Then Trevor said, “Call Daniel.””
I did.
He answered immediately.
“Did you find the letter?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“We found something else.””
I told him about the hospital.
His voice became serious.
“Do not confront Sloan yet.””
“Why?””
“Because if there was a child protective services investigation, there will be records.””
“Can you get them?””
“Not without authorization.””
“Then how do we find out what happened?””
Daniel paused.
“You need to understand something.””
“What?””
“Your father's trust wasn't only about money.””
I looked at Trevor.
“It was protective.””
“Against Sloan?””
“Not originally.””
“Then who?””
“Against a sequence of events.””
“What does that mean?””
“It means your father anticipated that financial pressure could force decisions involving Lily.””
Trevor frowned.
“Like what?””
Daniel didn't answer.
I asked, “What was Sloan trying to protect Lily from?””
Silence.
Then:
“Her father.””
Trevor sat upright.
“What?””
Daniel continued.
“Martin Vale had a daughter from a previous marriage.””
“Sloan?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“Your father believed Martin was financially unstable and deeply in debt.””
Trevor stared straight ahead.
“How does that involve Lily?””
“Martin had access to trusts.””
“So?””
“He had a history of moving money between family entities.””
My stomach tightened.
“The same thing that's happening now.””
“Yes.””
“Are you saying Sloan learned it from him?””
“I’m saying she may have.””
Trevor’s phone rang.
Sloan.
He answered.
“Where are you?””
“At the hospital.””
A pause.
“What hospital?””
“Westbrook.””
“You shouldn't be there.””
“We know about Lily.””
Another pause.
Then Sloan whispered, “Then you know why I did it.””
“Why did you?””
“To protect her.””
“From what?””
“My father.””
Trevor looked at me.
Sloan continued.
“He wanted control of the trust.””
“You're lying.””
“No.””
“You said the trust was almost empty.””
“It is.””
“Where did the money go?””
“Into protecting Lily.””
“How?””
“I paid legal fees.””
“What legal fees?””
“To stop my father from getting custody.””
Trevor froze.
“What?””
Sloan's voice broke.
“Your father tried to take Lily.””
The air inside the car seemed to disappear.
“When?””
“Four years ago.””
“Why?””
“Because he wanted access to the money.””
“You're saying my daughter was almost taken?””
“Yes.””
“By your father?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I knew you would tell your mother.””
Trevor looked at me.
Sloan continued.
“And Diane would try to fix everything.””
I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“I would have helped.””
“I know.””
“Then why hide it?””
“Because your help always comes with sacrifice.””
“That doesn't make sense.””
“It does to me.””
She took a shaky breath.
“Your father offered me a deal.””
“What deal?””
“He said he would drop the custody action if I transferred control of the trust.””
Trevor's voice hardened.
“And you did?””
“No.””
“What did you do?””
“I fought him.””
“With what?””
“The money.””
My eyes closed.
The hidden account suddenly made sense.
“The one hundred forty thousand…”
“Legal fees.””
“The house?””
“A temporary loan.””
“The Christmas expenses?””
“I was going to replace everything.””
“With what?””
Silence.
Trevor whispered, “The trust.””
Sloan didn't deny it.
“You were stealing from Lily.””
“No.””
“You spent her money.””
“I borrowed it.””
“You weren't allowed.””
“I was trying to save her.””
Trevor hit the steering wheel.
“You should have told me!””
“I was terrified.””
“You're my wife!””
“And Lily's mother!””
The line went quiet.
Then Sloan said something so softly that I almost missed it.
“Your father wasn't the only person trying to get the trust.””
I opened my eyes.
“What?””
Sloan continued.
“There was another claim.””
“From whom?””
She hesitated.
“Your father had a business partner.””
“My father didn't have a business partner.””
“He did.””
“Who?””
“Richard never told you because he thought he was protecting you.””
I looked at Trevor.
Sloan said the name.
*“David Miller.””*
My blood ran cold.
There was only one David Miller in our family.
My father's younger brother.
A man I hadn't seen in twenty-six years.
A man everyone believed had died in a boating accident.
Trevor stared at me.
“Mom?””
I couldn't speak.
Because suddenly I remembered something my father had said the last time I saw my uncle.
*If David ever comes back, don't trust him.*
Then Sloan whispered,
May you like
“He isn't dead.””
The call ended.
