Chapter 9: The Woman Who Paid the Man Following Us
"That's impossible.""
Those were the first words I said.
Marcus remained on the phone.
"Sir, the authorization carries Mrs. Cross's digital signature.""
I looked at Victoria.
She shook her head repeatedly.
"I didn't hire anyone.""
"Marcus," I said, "send me the original document.""
A few seconds later, my phone displayed a financial authorization.
The payment was $35,000.
The recipient was Northstar Student Services.
The date was six weeks after Emily's accident.
The approval signature belonged to Victoria.
I turned the screen toward her.
"Have you ever seen this?""
She stared at it.
Then she began shaking her head.
"No.""
"Victoria, look carefully.""
"I've never seen this document.""
"Then how did they get your signature?""
She covered her mouth.
Suddenly, she remembered something.
"The hospital.""
"What?""
"After the accident, Richard's attorney offered to help us with the medical expenses.""
I frowned.
"We paid those bills ourselves.""
"I know. But he brought documents to the hospital. He said they were insurance authorizations.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Did you sign them?""
"I was exhausted. Emily had just come out of surgery. I signed several pages without reading every line.""
I looked at the date.
Six weeks later.
Someone had used her signature to authorize payments to Northstar.
I called Marcus.
"Freeze every payment connected to that account. Preserve the original authorization and send it to the authorities.""
"Understood.""
Then I looked at Victoria.
"Did you know Daniel was involved with Northstar?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you know Richard was paying people to watch our family?""
"No.""
I sat down.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Victoria reached across the table.
"Alexander, I need to tell you something else.""
I looked up.
"Go ahead.""
"Before Emily's accident, I received a package.""
"What was inside?""
"Photographs.""
"Of whom?""
"You. Daniel. Richard. And a little girl.""
I frowned.
"Which girl?""
"Sophie.""
I leaned forward.
"Why was Sophie in those photographs?""
"Because her mother was helping me investigate the Whitmore accounts.""
Victoria's voice became quieter.
"Her name is Lauren Bennett. She worked as a nurse at the hospital where Emily was treated. But before that, she had worked in the accounting department of one of Richard's companies.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because she asked me not to. She said Richard had people everywhere.""
"Where is she now?""
Victoria shook her head.
"I don't know. She disappeared shortly after Emily's accident.""
My phone vibrated.
An incoming message from an unknown number.
If you want the truth about the accident, come to the old Dallas railway station tomorrow at noon. Bring Victoria. No police. No security.
I showed Victoria.
She looked frightened.
"Don't go.""
"Someone knows what happened.""
"Or someone wants us to walk into a trap.""
I studied the message.
Then another arrived.
This time, it contained a short video.
I pressed play.
A woman appeared on the screen.
She was sitting in a dimly lit room, wearing a gray sweater. Her hair was tied back, and her face looked thinner than I remembered from the photograph.
Victoria gasped.
"Lauren!""
The woman looked directly into the camera.
"Victoria, if you're watching this, I'm sorry.""
She paused.
"I couldn't protect Emily. I tried, but they knew where I lived.""
The camera shook.
Then Lauren continued.
"Alexander, you need to understand that the accident wasn't supposed to happen the way it did.""
My chest tightened.
"What does that mean?""
The video continued.
"Richard didn't want Emily dead. He wanted Victoria frightened enough to stop investigating. The plan was to force her off the road and destroy the evidence she was carrying.""
Victoria covered her mouth.
Lauren looked over her shoulder.
"I found the original traffic camera footage. The truck driver wasn't responsible for the collision.""
I stopped breathing.
"Someone deliberately pushed your wife's vehicle into the intersection.""
Victoria began crying.
Lauren leaned closer to the camera.
"And I know who ordered it.""
The video suddenly froze.
Then the screen went black.
I immediately called Marcus.
"Trace the message.""
"We're working on it, sir.""
"Find Lauren Bennett.""
"Yes.""
Victoria stood, trembling.
"Alexander, we have to go to the police.""
"We will.""
"But what if Richard knows we've seen that video?""
Before I could answer, the house alarm sounded.
Marcus's voice came through the security system.
"Mr. Cross! Someone is at the front gate!""
I rushed toward the monitor.
A black sedan was parked outside.
A woman stood beside it.
She was holding a small girl's hand.
The little girl was wearing a yellow backpack.
Sophie.
I recognized her from the photographs.
Victoria hurried beside me.
"That's Lauren!""
The woman looked directly into the security camera.
Then she lifted a folded piece of paper.
I zoomed in.
The message was written in thick black marker.
*I HAVE THE ORIGINAL FOOTAGE.*
I pressed the gate release.
But before the gate could open, a second vehicle appeared behind Lauren's sedan.
A black SUV.
Its headlights flashed twice.
Lauren immediately turned toward it.
Then she grabbed Sophie's hand and ran toward our entrance.
Marcus shouted through the security system.
"Sir, get away from the windows!""
The black SUV accelerated.
Lauren screamed.
I watched in horror as the vehicle mounted the curb.
Marcus's security team rushed toward the gate.
The SUV swerved at the last second and crashed into a parked security vehicle.
The sound shook the entire property.
When the smoke cleared, the black SUV reversed and sped away.
Lauren was on the ground.
Sophie was crying beside her.
I ran outside.
"Call an ambulance!""
I reached Lauren and helped her sit up.
She was bleeding from her forehead, but she was conscious.
"Alexander?"" she whispered.
"I'm here. You're safe.""
She grabbed my sleeve.
"No. You don't understand.""
She looked toward the road.
"They know I came here.""
Victoria knelt beside Sophie.
"Sweetheart, are you hurt?""
Sophie shook her head.
Then she looked at Victoria.
"My mommy said you would know what this means.""
She reached into her yellow backpack and pulled out a small envelope.
On the front was my father's name.
*ROBERT CROSS.*
Inside was a photograph of the intersection where Emily's accident had happened.
On the back, my father's handwriting read:
The driver was paid. But the person who gave the order was someone Alexander trusts.
I looked at Lauren.
"Who gave the order?""
She closed her eyes.
Then she whispered:
"Your father discovered the truth before he died.""
I leaned closer.
"What truth?""
Lauren opened her eyes.
"Richard Whitmore didn't order the accident.""
My stomach dropped.
She looked toward Victoria.
May you like
Then back at me.
"Daniel did.""
