Chapter 7
Vanessa sat behind reinforced glass in an interview room.
Orange jail uniform.
No makeup.
No jewelry.
No expensive clothes.
For the first time since I had met her, there was nothing polished about her.
She looked tired.
Human.
I hated that.
It would have been easier if she looked like a monster.
Aaron stood beside me in the observation room.
“You cannot confront her.”
“I’m not promising that.”
“Then you don’t go in.”
I stared through the glass.
“She hit Sophie.”
“I know.”
“She helped Michael.”
“I know.”
“She knew Claire was in danger.”
“Yes.”
“And now you want me calm?”
“I want you useful.”
I looked at him.
That worked.
We entered.
Vanessa’s eyes found mine immediately.
She looked away first.
I sat across from her.
Aaron remained near the wall.
Vanessa whispered, “How is Sophie?”
I laughed without humor.
“You don’t get to ask that.”
Her eyes filled.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Daniel.”
“You struck her hands because she heard you talking to your lover about stealing my company.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“I panicked.”
“You abused a four-year-old.”
“I know.”
“You told her I would send her away.”
Her face crumpled.
“I know.”
“Why?”
“She wouldn’t stop asking about Claire.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
Vanessa looked at the table.
“Sophie talks about her mother constantly when you’re not home.”
“Of course she does.”
“She remembers things.”
“She was a baby.”
“Not everything is a clear memory. Sometimes it’s pieces. Songs. Places. Words.”
I leaned forward.
“Blue door?”
Vanessa’s head snapped up.
So she knew.
“You were looking for Claire’s evidence.”
“Michael was.”
“You helped him.”
“At first.”
“At first?”
She swallowed.
“Did you find it?”
I said nothing.
Her face told me she understood.
“You found the box.”
I leaned back.
“Claire recorded you.”
Vanessa’s eyes closed.
“She kept it.”
“She recorded you telling her someone was planning to sabotage her car.”
A tear rolled down Vanessa’s cheek.
“I tried.”
“Don’t.”
“I did.”
“You married me after she died.”
“I know.”
“You moved into her house.”
“I know.”
“You slept in her bedroom.”
“Stop.”
“You raised her daughter while helping the man who murdered her.”
“I SAID STOP!”
Aaron moved.
I raised my hand.
Vanessa was breathing hard.
Good.
Let it hurt.
“Tell me why.”
She looked at me.
“Michael owned us.”
“Who is us?”
“Ethan and me.”
“How?”
“Our father died owing money.”
“So you stole?”
“Ethan did.”
“What?”
“Michael was using him to move money through construction companies. Ethan thought it was easy. Fake invoices. Vendor payments. Tax fraud.”
“And you?”
“I worked for one of Michael’s shell companies.”
“Before you met me.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know who I was?”
“Not at first.”
“Claire said she saw you with Michael.”
“I was trying to get away.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
Vanessa looked at me for a long time.
“Because Michael told me to.”
The truth still hurt.
“Was the charity dinner staged?”
“Yes.”
“Every part?”
“Yes.”
I looked at the wall.
Aaron said nothing.
Vanessa continued.
“Michael knew you were falling apart after Claire died. He knew you weren’t watching the company closely.”
“So he sent you.”
“To make sure you stayed distracted.”
“Distracted?”
“A family. A new marriage. Traveling. Expansion.”
“You encouraged me to work.”
“Yes.”
“You made sure I stayed late.”
“Yes.”
My hands curled beneath the table.
“And while I worked, you hurt Sophie.”
Vanessa started crying again.
“There is no excuse.”
“Correct.”
“I never planned to.”
“That must be comforting to her.”
“Daniel, please.”
“No.”
She wiped her face.
“I became angry when she talked about Claire.”
“Because you were jealous of a dead woman?”
Vanessa flinched.
“Yes.”
The answer surprised me.
She continued.
“You never stopped loving Claire.”
“I didn’t need to.”
“I know that now.”
“You knew it then.”
“I thought I could replace her.”
“You couldn’t.”
“I know.”
“And Sophie reminded you.”
“Every day.”
My disgust deepened.
“So you punished her.”
Vanessa whispered, “Yes.”
I stood.
Aaron said, “Daniel.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“You are going to prison.”
“I know.”
“You will never be near Sophie again.”
“I know.”
“And if you expect forgiveness because you’re crying, you’re wasting your time.”
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
“Then tell us where Michael is.”
She took a breath.
“He has another plan.”
“What?”
“The company’s emergency succession agreement.”
I frowned.
“There isn’t one.”
“Yes, there is.”
“No.”
“Michael created one years ago.”
Aaron stepped forward.
“Explain.”
“If Daniel and Michael both become unavailable, control temporarily transfers to the senior executive committee.”
I knew the rule.
“That’s only operational control.”
“Not after the documents Michael filed last month.”
My stomach tightened.
“What documents?”
“He forged board amendments.”
“Why?”
“Because he expected you to die during your overseas trip.”
Silence filled the room.
I stared at her.
“How?”
Vanessa looked away.
“Your plane.”
Aaron said, “What about it?”
“There was supposed to be a mechanical problem.”
My skin went cold.
“You were going to put me on a sabotaged plane?”
Vanessa shook her head quickly.
“I didn’t arrange it.”
“But you knew.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was afraid.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Of Michael?”
“Yes.”
“So instead you let your husband board a plane you believed might crash.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“Yes.”
I stood there staring at her.
There was nothing left.
No marriage.
No confusion.
No complicated feelings.
Only facts.
Vanessa had repeatedly chosen herself.
Claire paid for it.
Sophie paid for it.
I nearly had.
“Where is Michael now?”
“He won’t use the plane plan anymore.”
“Obviously.”
“He needs Claire’s evidence destroyed.”
“We copied it.”
“He knows there are originals.”
Aaron asked, “How?”
“Because I told him about the music box years ago.”
I slammed my palms on the table.
“You knew about it?”
“I knew Claire had hidden something, not where.”
“How did Michael know Sophie remembered?”
“I told him she started talking about the blue door.”
I stepped back before anger overwhelmed me.
Aaron moved between us.
“Location.”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Michael has access to a private house near Lake Norman.”
“Address?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then you’re useless.”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Daniel knows the place.”
“I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
She swallowed.
“Your company retreat house.”
My stomach dropped.
We owned a lake property through the company.
Michael and I used it for executive meetings.
Sophie had been there several times.
“There’s a dock,” Vanessa continued.
“A boat.”
Aaron was already calling Lena.
Vanessa said, “He keeps cash there. Passports too.”
“Then he’s running.”
“No.”
She looked directly at me.
“He has one more person to kill first.”
“Who?”
“Thomas.”
My attorney.
My phone rang.
Thomas Reed.
I answered.
“Thomas?”
His voice was shaking.
“Daniel, someone is in my house.”
Aaron heard.
He grabbed my phone and put it on speaker.
“Thomas, this is Detective Cole. Where are you?”
“Upstairs.”
“Can you lock the room?”
“I did.”
A crash sounded.
Thomas gasped.
“Someone is coming up the stairs.”
Aaron motioned to officers outside.
“Police are on their way.”
Thomas whispered, “I found something.”
“What?”
“The forged documents.”
Another crash.
“They weren’t only meant to transfer Daniel’s company shares.”
“What else?”
“They changed his life insurance beneficiary.”
I froze.
“To whom?”
“Vanessa first.”
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Thomas continued.
“But if Vanessa was unable to collect…”
A door slammed somewhere near him.
Thomas began breathing faster.
“The alternate beneficiary was Michael.”
Then glass shattered.
Thomas shouted.
The line went dead.
I ran for the door.
Aaron followed.
Behind us, Vanessa screamed.
“Daniel!”
I turned.
She stood with both hands pressed against the glass divider.
“Michael never loved me.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
Her voice broke.
“He planned to kill me too.”
Then she said the one thing that made Aaron stop moving.
“And I know because Ethan helped him bury the first person who tried to expose him.”
Aaron turned slowly.
“Who?”
Vanessa whispered a name.
“Detective Paul Mercer.”
Aaron’s face went completely white.
I looked at him.
“Who is Paul?”
Aaron didn’t answer immediately.
Then he whispered, “My partner.”
I remembered.
Aaron’s former partner had disappeared four years ago.
People said he abandoned his family.
Aaron had never believed it.
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
“He didn’t leave.”
Aaron stepped toward the glass.
“Where is he?”
“Lake Norman.”
“Where?”
“Under the retreat house.”
The room fell silent.
And suddenly Michael wasn’t just a thief.
Or the man who killed Claire.
He had been eliminating anyone who got too close for years.
Now Thomas was next.
May you like
And after Thomas—
Sophie and I were all that remained.
