“No.”
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Dad, we can explain.”
“You’ve been doing a lot of explaining today.”
Grant’s face hardened.
“This is a family matter.”
One officer looked at him.
“Then you should probably stop trying to change locks on property you don’t own.”
Grant went quiet.
Dad walked onto the porch.
His front door was still locked.
No visible damage.
The officers asked whether he wanted Vanessa and Grant removed from the property.
Dad looked at his older daughter for a long time.
Then he said, “Yes.”
Vanessa looked stunned.
“You’re choosing Natalie over me?”
Dad’s expression changed again.
There it was.
The real grievance.
Not death.
Not grief.
Not paperwork.
Competition.
Dad shook his head.
“This was never about choosing one daughter over another.”
He pointed toward the house.
“This is about you deciding I was more useful dead than alive.”
Vanessa flinched.
