Chapter 6 - DANIEL'S VISIT
Daniel Carter had come back to Ohio for three days.
Official reason:
work.
He had not told Claire.
He had told Ryan.
Why?
Ryan had contacted him after Emma’s surgery.
He wanted to stay with his father for a few weeks.
Daniel said maybe.
Then flew in secretly to see Ryan.
Claire was furious.
“You met him without telling me?”
Ryan looked defensive.
“He’s my dad.”
“Yes.”
“You always make everything a legal thing.”
“Because there are custody agreements.”
“He said he’d handle it.”
There it was again.
An adult telling a child:
I’ll handle it.
Daniel met Ryan at a burger restaurant twice.
Then attended one soccer practice.
Did he know about the fundraiser?
Ryan said no.
Claire called Daniel.
He admitted being in town.
He denied touching any school account.
“Why hide the trip?”
“Because every conversation with you becomes an argument.”
“That is not permission to coordinate secretly with our son.”
Daniel went quiet.
Then he said something important.
“Ryan asked me for money.”
“How much?”
“Four thousand.”
Claire stared.
“For what?”
“He wouldn’t say.”
The amount was almost exactly the missing fundraiser money.
Ryan shouted:
“I didn’t ask you for fundraiser money!”
Daniel insisted he did.
Then produced text messages.
Ryan:
Dad I need around 4k fast.
I’ll explain.
Please don’t tell Mom.
Ryan stared at the screenshots.
“I never sent those.”
Claire looked at him.
Again.
Another account.
Another impersonation.
They checked the number.
It was not Ryan’s usual phone.
A temporary internet number.
But the profile photo was his.
The person knew Daniel was in town.
Knew Ryan’s relationship with Claire.
Knew the fundraiser amount.
Daniel said he refused the request.
Then the mystery deepened.
The fake Ryan sent:
Fine. I’ll fix it another way.
Two days later the fundraiser money was redirected.
Daniel had assumed Ryan found another source.
He never told Claire.
Why?
Because he believed it would make Ryan look irresponsible and hurt his chance of staying with him.
So Daniel hid information too.
Not the theft.
The warning.
Claire was furious.
But then she asked:
“Who knew you were in town?”
Daniel listed:
Mark,
Ryan,
his employer,
and one old friend.
Mark looked startled.
“Me?”
“You picked me up from the airport.”
Claire turned toward her brother-in-law.
Mark had been helping with Ryan since the laundry-room incident.
Trusting Mark.
Then Daniel said:
“Mark also knew Ryan asked about staying with me.”
Mark’s face changed.
Claire stared.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Mark looked at Ryan.
Then at Claire.
“I knew Ryan was in trouble at school before you did.”
The room went silent.
“How?”
“Because he called me the day he got suspended.”
“Why you?”
Mark answered:
“Because he said Dad wouldn’t help and Mom was too busy with Emma.”
Ryan looked away.
Claire felt the words like pressure.
Then Mark said:
“And I gave him access to something I should not have.”
“What?”
May you like
“My old laptop.”
The laptop Ryan used at the library.
