Chapter 8: My Wife Finally Told Me the Truth
I arrived home at 12:36 a.m.
Victoria was sitting at the kitchen table.
There were two untouched cups of coffee in front of her.
She looked as if she'd been crying for hours.
I placed the documents on the table.
"Three months before the accident. What happened at the Whitmore residence?""
She stared at the envelope.
Then she covered her face.
"Alexander, I never wanted you to find out this way.""
"Then tell me another way.""
She lowered her hands.
"Richard Whitmore approached me before Emily's accident.""
I pulled out a chair.
"Why?""
"Because he wanted access to your father's foundation.""
I frowned.
"How did he know you?""
"Through a charity event. He offered to fund a rehabilitation center for children with disabilities.""
I remembered that event.
Victoria had attended without me because I was overseas.
She continued.
"At first, everything seemed legitimate. He spoke about helping children who couldn't afford prosthetic equipment. He said he wanted to build something meaningful.""
"And?""
"Then he showed me the financial proposal.""
She took a shaky breath.
"The money wasn't going toward rehabilitation. It was going through several companies connected to Whitmore Holdings. He wanted me to sign a document confirming that the foundation had approved the arrangement.""
I stared at her.
"You refused?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because he threatened you.""
I leaned forward.
"What exactly did he say?""
Victoria looked toward the staircase.
"That your father's foundation was vulnerable. That several financial records could be manipulated. And that if I made trouble, he would make sure you lost everything.""
I shook my head.
"Why didn't you tell the police?""
"I tried.""
She opened a drawer and removed an old folder.
Inside were printed emails, photographs, and a handwritten statement.
"I sent everything to a detective. Two days later, the evidence disappeared.""
I looked at the date.
It was three weeks before Emily's accident.
Victoria continued.
"Then Richard called me. He said he knew I had contacted the authorities.""
My jaw tightened.
"He threatened you?""
"He said he knew which school Emily would eventually attend. He knew where we lived. He knew your schedule.""
I stood.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was afraid he would hurt you.""
"Victoria, we're married.""
"I KNOW!""
Her voice cracked.
"I thought I could handle it. I thought if I stayed quiet, he'd leave us alone.""
I looked at the papers.
"Did he cause the accident?""
Victoria started crying.
"I don't know.""
I sat back down.
She reached into the folder and pulled out a photograph.
It showed a large black SUV parked near the intersection.
"The truck wasn't the only vehicle that day," she whispered.
I stared at the image.
"Why didn't the police include this?""
"I don't know. But I saw that SUV before the collision. It followed us from the grocery store.""
My hands tightened.
"Did you see the driver?""
Victoria shook her head.
"No. But I remember something.""
"What?""
"After the crash, while I was waiting for the ambulance, I saw someone standing near the truck.""
"Who?""
"A man wearing a black jacket.""
She paused.
"He was holding a phone. He wasn't helping anyone.""
My chest tightened.
"And then?""
"He looked at Emily. Then he walked away.""
I felt physically sick.
For two years, I'd believed our daughter had survived a terrible accident because of the quick response of emergency services.
Now I was wondering whether someone had watched her suffer and simply walked away.
I looked at Victoria.
"Did Richard know about the accident?""
She nodded.
"He called me the next morning.""
"What did he say?""
Victoria wiped her eyes.
"He said, 'I warned you not to interfere.''"
The room went silent.
I stood so quickly that my chair scraped against the floor.
"Why didn't you tell me that?""
"Because I thought it was a threat, not a confession.""
I paced toward the window.
Outside, security officers were checking the garden.
My phone vibrated.
Marcus.
I answered.
"Yes?""
"Sir, we examined the documents recovered from the Northstar suspect. There's something you need to see.""
"What?""
"We found a second file on his camera.""
I looked at Victoria.
"Send it to me.""
A photograph appeared.
It showed Emily sitting on a bench at Westbridge Academy.
Beside her was another child.
A little girl with curly brown hair.
Victoria leaned closer.
"That's Sophie.""
"Emily's friend?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I opened the next photograph.
It showed the same girl entering a black car outside school.
Then another image appeared.
It showed Sophie standing beside an older man.
I enlarged it.
Victoria suddenly grabbed my arm.
"Alexander.""
"What?""
"That's the man who was standing near the truck.""
I looked at her.
"Are you sure?""
She nodded, trembling.
"I would recognize him anywhere.""
The photograph was slightly blurry, but the man's face was visible.
I sent it to Marcus.
"Identify this man.""
"Working on it, sir.""
Victoria looked at the screen.
"Why would someone photograph Sophie?""
I had no answer.
Then I noticed something written beneath the image.
*SUBJECT 02 — DAUGHTER OF WITNESS.*
I read it again.
"Whose witness?""
Victoria's face drained of color.
Then she whispered:
"Sophie's mother.""
I turned.
"What about her?""
Victoria looked at me with tears running down her cheeks.
"She was the nurse who treated Emily immediately after the accident.""
I stared at her.
"Why would they target her daughter?""
Victoria shook her head.
"Because she saw something that day.""
My phone rang again.
Marcus.
I answered.
"Tell me.""
"We identified the man in the photograph.""
"Who is he?""
Marcus paused.
"His name is Grant Mercer. Former security contractor for Whitmore Holdings.""
I looked at the picture.
"Where is he now?""
"According to the latest information, he's employed by Northstar Student Services.""
I closed my eyes.
The same organization that had been watching my daughter.
The same organization connected to Daniel's payments.
Then Marcus added:
"Sir, there's another development.""
"What?""
"We found the name of the person who hired Grant.""
"Who?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Victoria Cross.""
I turned toward my wife.
May you like
She was staring at the phone.
For the first time since I'd known her, she looked genuinely terrified of her own name.
