Thomas had always been searching for an easy way out, a quick scheme, a stroke of luck that didn’t require honest work.

Lately, he had been showing up at my house more often, asking pointed questions about Caroline’s college plans.

He had complained about his mounting debts, his failed truck repair business, and the landlords who were threatening to evict him.

Just last week, he had stood in our kitchen, staring at Caroline as she solved a calculus problem at the table.

*She’s a smart girl, Mom,* he had said to me then, his eyes narrowed. *Smart enough to make us both very comfortable if we play our cards right.*

A chill ran down my spine as those words echoed in my memory.

“He must never find out,” I said, looking up at Rebecca.

“I kept it a secret for sixteen years to protect her from him,” Rebecca said, her voice rising slightly.

“But Thomas is smart in his own way, Caroline.”

Caroline looked up from the legal paper, her gray eyes sharp and calculating.

“He has been asking me about my social security number,” Caroline said quietly.