Chapter 8 - Laura’s warning signs
Laura had more.
Not a cage.
Not the pool.
Enough to trouble her.
Derek moved in five months earlier.
He owned a small renovation company called Shaw Residential Services.
At least he had.
Business had been declining.
Two customer disputes.
A tax payment plan.
A former partner suing over equipment.
Laura knew he had money problems.
She did not know how bad.
She also knew Derek was strict with Emily.
Too strict sometimes.
He once made Emily rewrite an apology twenty times after she called him stupid.
Laura stopped him at eight.
Another time, he took Emily’s bedroom door off its hinges because she slammed it.
Laura made him put it back that night.
He apologized.
Promised:
“I’m learning how to deal with a kid.”
That phrase bought him patience.
Then there were financial things.
A credit alert.
A bank letter she did not recognize.
Derek said:
“Probably phishing.”
A missing pair of diamond earrings.
He said:
“Maybe the cleaners.”
Laura did not accuse them.
Good.
She searched.
Could not find the earrings.
The week before the cage, she received a call about a personal line of credit she had not remembered opening.
$28,000 limit.
Balance:
$19,400.
She confronted Derek Tuesday night.
He denied knowing anything.
Wednesday, he became strangely helpful.
Dinner.
Laundry.
Told her:
“I’ll straighten out the bank thing tomorrow.”
May you like
Thursday, he stayed home with Emily.
That was the day he began sinking bags in the pool.
