Juniper glanced nervously at the door. “She was in your office last night,” she said. “She took papers from the blue folder. I saw her.”
My throat tightened. “How many?”
“Three,” Juniper replied. “I counted.”
The blue folder contained important documents—life insurance papers, house records, and legal files I avoided because they reminded me too much of my wife’s death.
I forced my voice to stay gentle.
“You did the right thing telling me.”
Juniper’s lip trembled. “She said if I told you, you’d choose me and she’d lose.”
My heart cracked in half.
“You never keep secrets like that for adults,” I said softly. “Not for anyone.”
Juniper nodded as if committing that rule to memory.
I held out my hand. “Come with me.”
Outside, Maribel stood near the chairs greeting guests, smiling brightly. When she finally noticed me approaching, she waved.
I walked straight up to her.
“Maribel,” I said quietly, “we need to talk.”
“Grant, right now?” she asked, still smiling.
“Yes. Right now.”
I led her toward the side of the yard near the hedges.
“Why did you tell my daughter to sit in the bathroom?”
Her smile flickered. “Oh, Grant… relax.”
“Answer me.”