Chapter 5 - THE BREAKING POINTThat text message crossed a line.
I didn't call Vanessa. I didn't call Preston Cole. Instead, I called Dot Simmons, my father’s lifelong neighbor.
"Dot, it's Christine. Tell me everything that’s been happening at the house over the last forty-eight hours."
Dot’s voice trembled slightly over the line. "Oh, honey, I’m so glad you called. It’s been a nightmare here. Ever since that lawyer came to your house, Vanessa has been screaming at your father day and night. She told him that you’re selfish, that you hate her, and that you’re trying to ruin their marriage over money he never even knew existed."
"Is he eating?" I asked, my grip tightening on the phone.
"Scarcely," Dot whispered. "She locked him out of his own study yesterday because he tried to call his old financial adviser behind her back. He looks terrible, Christine. He looks like a ghost of the man your mother knew."
"Pack a bag for him, Dot," I said quietly.
"What?"
"Pack a bag for my father, put it in your car, and wait for my signal. I’m coming to get him."
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"Are you sure about this, honey? Vanessa is ruthless when she’s cornered."
"Let her be ruthless," I replied. "She picked the wrong family to mess with."
