“Then I think it’s time you explained.”

He stared at the table for a moment.

“Claire and I met through Mark.”

I froze.

“Mark? The same Mark coming here tonight?”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes.”

Maya frowned.

“That still doesn’t explain why you wanted Evan to leave.”

Daniel glanced at the clock.

“Sit down.”

We gathered around the table.

Then Daniel began.

“Mark and I were best friends when we were younger. Almost like brothers. When he started dating Claire, everything seemed fine at first.”

“At first?” I asked.

Daniel’s expression became serious.

“Over time, Mark became very controlling.”

Evan leaned forward slightly.

“In what way?”

“He wanted to know where Claire went, who she talked to, and how she spent money.”

Daniel paused.

“When Claire became pregnant, things became even more tense.”

Evan’s face changed.

“What happened?”

“She decided she wanted to leave the relationship.”

Daniel looked down.

“But Mark made that difficult.”

“How?” Maya asked.

“He moved money from their shared account. Changed passwords. Restricted access to some of their finances.”

The room became quiet.

“Claire felt trapped,” Daniel continued.

“That’s when she called me.”

Evan looked at him.

“Why you?”

“She trusted me.”

Daniel took a breath.

“I gave her some money, helped her pack, and drove her to a friend’s home several hours away.”

Evan looked at the photograph on the phone.

“So that’s what she meant.”

Daniel nodded.