Chapter 15 - The Lake House
Police reached the lake house before Derek knew we'd found him.
But Cynthia had planned better.
She'd disabled the exterior cameras.
Cut the phone line.
And parked both vehicles inside the garage.
They were preparing documents.
More forged transfers.
More signatures.
More desperation.
The arrest team waited.
Then something unexpected happened.
Emily's phone rang.
Derek.
She looked at me.
"Answer it."
She did.
"Hello?"
"Emily."
His voice sounded exhausted.
"Where are you?"
"Why?"
"I need you to come to the lake house."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
Silence.
Then Derek whispered—
"I need your signature."
Emily almost laughed.
"You're unbelievable."
"If you sign, I can protect us."
"There is no us."
"Emily."
"No."
His voice changed.
"After everything I did for you?"
She stared at the phone.
Then finally said what she'd been holding inside for years.
"You did nothing for me."
Silence.
"My father gave you your first job."
"My mother introduced you to every important person you know."
"I guaranteed your loan."
"My family paid your debts."
"And you spent six years telling the world you built yourself."
Derek didn't answer.
Emily continued.
"You didn't build anything."
"You climbed on my family's shoulders."
"And when you got high enough, you started kicking us in the face."
I looked at my sister.
She wasn't trembling anymore.
Derek whispered—
"You'll regret saying that."
Emily's expression hardened.
"No."
"You'll regret hearing it."
She ended the call.
Thirty seconds later, police moved in.
But when they entered the lake house—
Derek was gone.
A rear window stood open.
May you like
Footprints led toward the water.
And Dad's boat was missing.
