Chapter 6 - The Husband Who Helped Bury a Woman
I put Daniel on speaker.
"Why is my father's name on Samuel's death certificate?"
Victoria grabbed the desk.
Marcus took the paper.
Daniel breathed through the phone.
"Because Jonathan was there."
"Where?"
"The lake."
Victoria said, "No."
Daniel heard her.
"Still protecting him, Victoria?"
"Shut up."
I looked between them.
"Nobody shuts up."
Marcus examined the certificate.
"County stamp looks real."
"Of course it does," Daniel said.
I gripped the phone.
"What happened?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Come see me."
"No."
"Emily."
"Talk now."
"Not with them listening."
"You slapped me in front of twelve people. You don't get privacy."
Silence.
Then he said, "Samuel discovered Patricia was moving money."
Victoria snapped, "We know."
"Not her money."
Victoria stopped.
Daniel continued.
"Peter Hale's."
My uncle again.
I said, "Peter was dead."
"Maybe."
"Stop."
"I'm telling you what my mother told me."
"Your mother lies for sport."
"Yes."
That admission made me listen.
Daniel said, "Samuel and Peter were partners in something Jonathan wanted shut down."
"What?"
"Offshore trusts. Private lending. Political money."
Marcus looked at the ledger.
"Daniel, you're describing structures that predate Patricia's involvement."
"I know."
My stomach tightened.
"Then what did Patricia want?"
"The file."
"What file?"
"The Vance file."
"Why?"
"Because it proved who owned the original assets."
Victoria shook her head.
"No. The Vance file was evidence against Patricia."
"Part of it."
Marcus stared at the ledger.
I could see pieces moving behind his eyes.
"What did Patricia tell you the file contained?" he asked.
Daniel answered, "A deed chain. Beneficial ownership. Enough to challenge the Hale trust."
I laughed.
"So she sent you to marry me."
"Yes."
The word was quiet.
No denial left.
"Did you know before our first date?"
"Yes."
My knees weakened.
Victoria stepped toward me.
I moved away.
Daniel continued.
"At first I thought she wanted information."
"At first?"
"Then she showed me the emergency-authority plan."
"When?"
"After we were engaged."
"And you married me."
"Yes."
"Did you ever love me?"
No one in the room moved.
Daniel did not answer.
That was worse.
I whispered, "Did you?"
His voice cracked.
"Yes."
I closed my eyes.
"Then why forge my signature?"
"I didn't forge the first one."
Marcus leaned closer to the phone.
"Who did?"
"My mother."
"And the later ones?"
Daniel said nothing.
I opened my eyes.
"You did."
"Some."
Victoria looked disgusted.
I felt nothing.
That frightened me.
I asked, "What did my father steal from Patricia?"
Daniel breathed in.
"Not money."
"Then what?"
"Samuel's original file."
"Where is it?"
"Your father hid it."
"In this house?"
"Maybe."
Victoria whispered, "The second drawer."
We all looked at the open compartment.
The broken metal box.
The red ledger.
Daniel heard the silence.
"You found something."
I did not answer.
He continued fast.
"Emily, my mother will kill for that file."
"Did she kill Samuel?"
"I don't know."
"Did she try to kill Victoria?"
"I don't know."
"Did she kill my father?"
Silence.
The room went cold.
"Daniel."
"I don't know."
I almost screamed.
Instead I lowered my voice.
"What do you know?"
"I know she had a doctor in your father's house the week before he died."
Marcus looked at me.
"Who?"
"Dr. Porter."
The same psychiatrist documenting my fake instability.
My hand shook.
Daniel continued.
"I know Jonathan fired her."
"Then?"
"Then he collapsed."
Marcus moved for the door.
I caught his arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To pull your father's medical file."
Daniel said, "Too late."
I turned back to the phone.
"What does that mean?"
"It was changed years ago."
"By whom?"
"My mother."
I laughed.
"You expect me to believe Patricia controls hospitals now?"
"No."
His voice dropped.
"Not Patricia."
"Who?"
"The person who has been protecting her since before I was born."
A click sounded.
Call time warning.
Daniel spoke faster.
"Emily, if you found the red ledger, look for P.H."
"We did."
His breathing stopped.
Then he whispered:
"Peter Hale isn't dead."
The line disconnected.
May you like
CUT.
