Chapter 8 - What Linda Thought Belonged to Her
Claire grabbed Ellie before anyone could stop her.
The child had been sleeping upstairs under Rachel’s supervision.
Claire carried her into the locked study.
Ben followed.
“Claire.”
“No.”
“I’m not disagreeing.”
That stopped her.
Ben locked the study door.
Then stood between it and his daughter.
For the first time since Sunday lunch began, Claire felt completely certain whose side her husband was on.
Downstairs, Linda knocked again.
“Gary?”
No response.
“Gary, open the door.”
Daniel watched through the security camera.
Linda stood calmly on the porch.
No anger.
No panic.
A small overnight bag hung from her shoulder.
Claire stared at the monitor.
“She thinks she's coming inside.”
Gary answered through the doorbell speaker.
“Go home, Linda.”
“This is my home.”
“Not tonight.”
Silence.
“Where's Ellie?”
Claire felt Ben stiffen.
Gary did too.
“Why?”
“I need to speak to Claire.”
“No.”
Linda looked directly into the doorbell camera.
“I know you recovered the video.”
No one moved.
She continued.
“You don't understand what you saw.”
Claire almost laughed.
Ben pressed the intercom button.
“Then explain it from outside.”
Linda heard her son.
Something changed in her expression.
“Ben.”
“Why did you do it?”
Silence.
“Mom.”
“I was trying to stop something.”
“What?”
Linda looked toward the street.
“She touched his cup.”
Ben’s face twisted.
“She’s two.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
Linda stepped closer to the camera.
“That cup wasn't Ethan’s.”
Claire frowned.
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
Linda continued.
“It belonged to Daniel.”
Daniel went pale.
“The bright plastic cup?”
“It was yours.”
Gary whispered, “Linda.”
She ignored him.
“You drank from it the day I left you in the car.”
Daniel stared at the monitor.
“Why would you keep it?”
Linda closed her eyes.
“Because it was the last thing you held before they took you away.”
Daniel froze.
“They?”
Gary’s face drained.
Claire looked at him.
“You said Daniel was treated at the hospital.”
“He was.”
Linda opened her eyes.
“But he didn't come home for six weeks.”
Ben turned toward his father.
“What?”
Gary sat down.
The truth arrived slowly.
After the car incident, child protective services had temporarily removed Daniel.
Linda had been evaluated.
Gary had nearly lost custody too because he had concealed earlier incidents.
For six weeks, Daniel lived with Linda’s brother Robert and Robert’s wife.
Linda never recovered from it.
When Daniel returned, she kept every object from the day he was taken.
The cup.
A sweater.
A toy truck.
A blue blanket.
Decades later, she gave them all to Ethan.
“He's Daniel’s son,” Linda said through the doorbell speaker. “Those things belong with him.”
Claire stared.
“So when Ellie touched the cup…”
Linda looked straight at the camera.
“She shouldn't have.”
Ben stepped away from the intercom as though his mother had physically struck him.
Claire felt nothing but cold anger.
“You hurt a two-year-old over a plastic cup?”
Linda’s voice changed.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I wasn't trying to hurt Ellie.”
“Then what were you trying to do?”
Linda looked toward the street again.
Fear returned.
“To make Claire take her and leave.”
Silence.
Claire’s heartbeat slowed.
“What?”
“Immediately.”
“Why?”
Linda whispered, “Because Robert was in the house.”
Gary moved toward the camera.
“What does Robert have to do with Ellie?”
Linda did not answer.
Then another car turned onto the street.
Headlights washed across the front porch.
Linda saw it.
Her entire body changed.
She backed away from the door.
Claire watched through the monitor.
“Who is that?”
Linda whispered through the intercom.
“Take Ellie upstairs.”
Ben looked at Claire.
“What?”
Linda shouted.
“TAKE HER UPSTAIRS!”
The second car stopped.
A woman stepped out.
Late sixties.
Gray-blonde hair.
Elegant coat.
Claire did not recognize her.
Gary did.
His face turned white.
“No.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Who is she?”
Gary whispered a name Claire had never heard.
“Margaret.”
Linda stood frozen on the porch.
The woman approached slowly.
Then looked directly into the doorbell camera.
She smiled.
“Hello, Gary.”
Claire stared.
Ben whispered, “Dad?”
Gary could barely speak.
“My sister.”
Daniel frowned.
“You don't have a sister.”
Gary looked at his family.
“I do.”
Outside, Margaret stood beside Linda.
Two elderly women.
Neither speaking.
Then Margaret looked toward the upstairs window.
Toward the room where Ellie had been sleeping.
And smiled again.
Linda immediately stepped between Margaret and the house.
That was the moment Claire realized something terrifying.
Linda Bennett was afraid.
May you like
Not for herself.
For Ellie.
