The Woman in the Photograph
Chapter 08 - The Woman in the Photograph
While investigators reviewed Rebecca's death, Sophie refused to let go of the framed photograph she had carried at the funeral.
One afternoon, Daniel finally looked closely at it.
"Where did you get this?"
"Mommy gave it to me."
"When?"
"The hospital."
Daniel stared.
The photograph did not show Rebecca.
It showed Sophie.
At first, he assumed Rebecca had simply given her daughter a picture of herself.
Then he noticed the background.
The lake house.
A man stood far behind Sophie.
Almost hidden near the trees.
Daniel enlarged the image using his phone.
William Foster.
The photograph had been taken two months before Rebecca died.
"What was William doing at the lake house?"
Jonathan looked over his shoulder.
"I never told him about the documents."
"Maybe Rebecca did."
"No."
They asked Sophie.
The little girl looked confused.
"Uncle Will came lots of times."
Jonathan froze.
"To the lake house?"
She nodded.
"Mommy didn't like it."
"Did they argue?"
"Yes."
"What about?"
Sophie looked frightened.
Daniel crouched beside her.
"You aren't in trouble."
She whispered, "Uncle Will wanted Mommy to give him a box."
Jonathan and Daniel exchanged a look.
"What box?"
"I don't know."
"Did Mommy give it to him?"
Sophie shook her head.
"She told him Grandpa would find out."
Then Sophie remembered something else.
"The last time Uncle Will came, Mommy told me to take Ben upstairs."
"What happened after that?"
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Sophie looked at Daniel.
"He told Mommy that if she didn't stop, we'd grow up without her."
