Chapter 14: The Last Lie of the Whitmore Family
The next morning, Detective Miller arrived at Daniel's penthouse with a team of investigators.
Margaret was waiting in the living room.
She looked exhausted.
Her hands trembled as she held a cup of tea.
Daniel entered without greeting her.
"Tell me everything.""
Margaret lowered the cup.
"I know you're angry.""
"That's not an answer.""
She nodded.
"Your father was investigating Richard eleven years ago. He discovered that money was disappearing from the family trust.""
Daniel sat opposite her.
"Why didn't he report it?""
"Because Richard had been his closest friend for thirty years. He believed they could resolve it privately.""
Elena stood near the window.
"And Vanessa?""
Margaret looked at her.
"Vanessa was already involved. She was working with Richard before she met Daniel.""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"So my entire marriage was part of their plan.""
"Yes.""
Margaret opened a small handbag and removed an old photograph.
It showed Robert Whitmore sitting in his study.
Behind him stood Richard Hayes.
On the back was a handwritten date.
"Three days before your father died," Margaret explained, "he gave me this photograph. He said Richard had been threatening him.""
Daniel examined it.
"Why did you keep it?""
"Because I knew one day it might matter.""
Detective Miller took the photograph.
"Did your husband leave anything else?""
Margaret hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"A letter.""
She walked to a cabinet and removed a small wooden box.
Inside were several documents and a sealed envelope.
Daniel recognized his father's handwriting.
He opened it.
Margaret, if anything happens to me, make sure Daniel never trusts Richard Hayes.
The money is not the only thing he wants. He wants control of the Whitmore family identity.
He knows about Elena. He knows about the children. And he knows that the truth could destroy everything.
Daniel looked up.
"The children?""
Margaret closed her eyes.
"Your father had another child.""
Daniel stared.
"Who?""
Elena suddenly turned away from the window.
Margaret looked at her.
"Vanessa.""
Daniel shook his head.
"We already know that.""
"No," Margaret whispered.
"There was another one.""
She removed a second photograph.
It showed a young woman standing beside Robert Whitmore.
A teenage boy stood between them.
The boy had Daniel's eyes.
Daniel took the photograph.
"Who is he?""
Margaret answered quietly.
"Your father's son. His name was Jonathan.""
Daniel looked at Elena.
"Did you know?""
She shook her head.
"I knew Robert had another child, but I never knew where he was.""
Margaret explained that Jonathan had been born during Robert's earlier marriage. He had disappeared from the family's records after a bitter custody dispute.
Richard had been responsible for managing the legal arrangements.
Daniel looked at Detective Miller.
"Where is Jonathan now?""
Miller examined the photograph.
"We'll investigate.""
Margaret suddenly leaned forward.
"There's something else. Jonathan contacted Matthew shortly before his death.""
Daniel's expression changed.
"What did he tell him?""
"He said he had proof that Richard had been moving money through a network of shell companies for years.""
"Where is that proof?""
Margaret shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Daniel stood.
"Then we find Jonathan.""
Detective Miller checked his phone.
"Actually, we may already have found him.""
He displayed a photograph taken from a security camera.
A man was standing outside the Whitmore Grand Hotel.
He appeared to be in his early forties.
The same eyes as Daniel.
The same distinctive scar near his left eyebrow.
Daniel stared.
"That's him.""
Miller nodded.
"Jonathan Whitmore checked into the hotel yesterday under his real name.""
Daniel looked toward the door.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
"Because he checked out two hours later.""
I studied the photograph.
Something about the man's expression seemed familiar.
Then I noticed the object in his hand.
A small leather notebook.
The same kind Matthew had carried.
"Detective, can you zoom in?""
Miller enlarged the image.
There was writing on the notebook's cover.
*FOR DANIEL.*
Daniel immediately grabbed his coat.
We drove to the address associated with Jonathan's hotel registration.
It was a modest apartment building near the edge of the city.
The apartment door was unlocked.
Inside, furniture had been overturned.
A broken lamp lay on the floor.
Someone had searched the place.
Daniel called out.
"Jonathan?""
No answer.
Detective Miller entered first.
A glass of water sat on the kitchen counter.
Beside it was a folded piece of paper.
I opened it carefully.
There were only two sentences.
Daniel, I'm sorry I couldn't meet you.
If you want the truth about Matthew, look beneath the stage where the gala was held.
Daniel looked at me.
"The ballroom?""
I nodded.
"There's a maintenance space beneath the main stage.""
Miller immediately contacted the hotel.
Twenty minutes later, we were back at the Whitmore Grand.
The gala decorations had been removed.
The ballroom looked empty and strangely ordinary.
Miller's officers searched beneath the stage.
One of them discovered a loose metal panel.
Inside was a waterproof container.
Daniel opened it.
There were photographs, bank statements, and a small digital recorder.
He pressed play.
A man's voice filled the empty ballroom.
Jonathan.
"My name is Jonathan Whitmore. If you're hearing this, Richard has probably found me.""
He paused.
"I have proof that Richard didn't just steal from our family. He arranged our father's death, Matthew's death, and the attempted poisoning of Daniel.""
Daniel gripped the recorder.
Jonathan continued.
"But the person who gave Richard access to our father was someone none of us suspected.""
A faint noise came through the recording.
Then Jonathan whispered:
"The real mastermind has been living inside the Whitmore family for years.""
The audio stopped.
I looked at Daniel.
"Who could it be?""
Before he could answer, the ballroom lights flickered.
A voice came from the entrance.
"Someone you should have trusted.""
We turned.
Jonathan stood beneath the doorway.
His clothes were torn.
His face was bruised.
But he was alive.
Daniel stepped forward.
"You're Jonathan?""
The man nodded.
"Your brother.""
Daniel stared at him.
Then Jonathan looked at Elena.
"Hello, Mother.""
Elena began crying.
But Jonathan didn't embrace her.
Instead, he looked directly at Margaret.
"You still haven't told him the truth, have you?""
Margaret stood motionless.
Daniel turned toward her.
"What truth?""
Jonathan removed a second document from his jacket.
He placed it on the table.
It was a death certificate.
The name printed on it was Robert Whitmore.
But the date of death was different from the one Daniel had always known.
Jonathan looked at him.
"Our father didn't die eleven years ago.""
May you like
Daniel's face went white.
"He died last month.""
