Chapter 16 - THE RABBIT
Lily’s stuffed rabbit was named Rosie.
Anna bought it before Lily was born.
For years, Rosie slept beside Lily every night.
After Anna died, Lily carried the rabbit everywhere until one seam tore and I placed it in a memory box for safekeeping.
Police opened the box.
Inside Rosie’s cloth body was a tiny digital recorder.
Anna had hidden it beneath the stuffing.
The battery was dead.
The storage was not.
The final recording had been made three days before Anna died.
Evelyn’s voice was unmistakable.
“You’re overreacting.”
Then Anna.
“Money is missing from my daughter’s future.”
“I will not ignore that.”
Evelyn responded coldly.
“Michael made mistakes.”
“You helped him.”
Silence.
Then Evelyn said, “I protected the family.”
“You protected your charity.”
“You moved Lily’s money to cover your losses.”
Another long pause.
Anna continued.
“I’m removing you from every position connected to the trust.”
“You can’t.”
“I already started the paperwork.”
Evelyn’s voice changed.
“You would humiliate me publicly?”
“If that is what protecting Lily requires.”
Then came the sentence that explained everything.
Evelyn whispered, “You always choose that child over your own mother.”
Anna answered immediately.
“Yes.”
The recording ended.
I pressed both hands over my face.
Even two years after her death, Anna was still protecting Lily.
Still leaving breadcrumbs.
Still standing between our daughter and people who believed family meant ownership.
Detective Collins used the recording to confront Evelyn.
This time, Evelyn stopped denying the financial fraud.
She admitted she had moved money through the charity.
She admitted she helped create the custody plan.
But she continued insisting she never intended Lily to die.
The prosecutor did not seem impressed by that distinction.
Neither did I.
Then Evelyn asked for one thing.
She wanted to speak to Michael.
Collins refused.
Evelyn smiled.
“You should reconsider.”
“Why?”
“Because Robert Sloan is still lying.”
Collins stared at her.
“About what?”
“The missing money.”
Evelyn leaned back.
“You found one point two million.”
“There is another account.”
“How much?”
Evelyn’s smile disappeared.
“Four million dollars.”
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“That isn’t Lily’s money.”
Evelyn looked directly through the interview glass, as though she somehow knew I was there.
May you like
“No.”
“It was Anna’s.”
