Chapter 8: Rachel's Little House
Daniel rode with Detective Harris.
The storm had weakened, but rain still streaked across the windshield.
Every mile felt too slow.
"Why didn't I know about this place?""
Harris kept his eyes on the road.
"Property records show Rachel acquired it through her father's estate.""
"When?""
"Five years ago.""
Before Lily was born.
Daniel stared outside.
Rachel had never hidden things from him.
Or so he'd believed.
But perhaps "hidden" wasn't the right word.
Maybe she'd simply kept one place for herself.
A place connected to her father.
A place she never expected would matter.
"She called it her little house," Daniel said.
"What?""
"Lily knew about it.""
"Rachel may have taken her there.""
"Lily was barely one when Rachel died.""
"Children remember strange things.""
Daniel looked down at his hands.
"Or Rachel showed her photographs.""
Forty minutes later, they turned onto a narrow road.
Trees crowded both sides.
At the end stood a small white cabin.
And parked outside was Melissa's car.
Daniel reached for the door.
Harris stopped him.
"Wait.""
"She's inside.""
"Exactly.""
Another police vehicle pulled up behind them.
Two officers approached the cabin first.
Daniel remained beside Harris.
The front door was open.
One officer called inside.
"Police!""
Nothing.
They entered.
Thirty seconds later, a voice came over Harris's radio.
"House clear.""
Daniel exhaled.
"What about Melissa?""
"No one inside.""
They approached.
The cabin smelled of dust and old wood.
Someone had searched it violently.
Drawers hung open.
Cushions had been thrown onto the floor.
A cabinet door was broken.
Papers covered the living room.
Daniel stared.
"She was looking for something.""
Harris crouched near the fireplace.
"Recently.""
Mud marked the floor.
Wet footprints led toward a hallway.
Daniel followed.
At the end was a small bedroom.
The walls were covered with photographs.
Rachel.
Lily as a baby.
Daniel holding newborn Lily in the hospital.
Rachel's father.
Family holidays.
Daniel felt his throat close.
It was like walking into a room where time had stopped three years earlier.
"Daniel.""
Harris pointed.
One section of the wall was empty except for four small pinholes.
Something had been removed.
Daniel noticed a photograph on the floor.
He picked it up carefully by the edge.
Rachel sat on the cabin porch holding baby Lily.
Exactly as Lily had described.
He turned it over.
Nothing.
The back had been peeled away.
"She took whatever was attached to it," Daniel said.
Harris photographed the picture.
Then an officer called from the kitchen.
"Detective!""
They hurried in.
A loose floorboard had been pulled up.
Beneath it sat a metal box.
Open.
Empty.
Daniel stared at it.
"We're too late.""
Harris examined the box.
"Maybe.""
Daniel's phone rang.
Unknown number.
Harris nodded.
"Answer. Speaker.""
Daniel did.
"Hello?""
Melissa.
"Daniel.""
His entire body stiffened.
"Where are you?""
"Doesn't matter.""
"It matters to the police.""
Melissa laughed weakly.
"So you've involved them.""
"You involved them when you stole from Lily.""
Silence.
Then Melissa said, "You still think this is about the money.""
"Then tell me what it's about.""
"You wouldn't understand.""
"Try me.""
Melissa breathed into the phone.
"Rachel took something that didn't belong to her.""
Daniel looked around the cabin.
"What?""
"Proof.""
"Of what?""
"Something Martin did years ago.""
"Why would you care?""
Another pause.
Then Melissa whispered, "Because I helped him.""
Daniel looked at Harris.
The detective wrote something down.
Daniel asked, "What did you help him do?""
Melissa didn't answer.
"Did you hurt Rachel?""
"No!""
The force of her response surprised him.
"I never touched Rachel.""
"Then why did she end up dead three days after confronting you?""
"I don't know.""
"That's not good enough.""
"It's the truth.""
"Where are you?""
Melissa started crying.
For the first time, it sounded real.
"You need to stop looking.""
"No.""
"Daniel, please.""
"You terrified my daughter. You stole from her. You lied your way into my family.""
"I was supposed to get close to you.""
Daniel's stomach tightened.
"Supposed to?""
Melissa realized her mistake.
Harris immediately wrote: WHO?
Daniel asked calmly, "Who told you to?""
Melissa went silent.
"Martin?""
"No.""
"Carol?""
"No.""
"Then who?""
A sound came through the phone.
A car door.
Melissa whispered, "I have to go.""
"Melissa.""
"You don't know Martin.""
"I trusted him for ten years.""
"That's exactly what he wanted.""
Daniel looked at Harris.
"What does that mean?""
Melissa's voice dropped.
"Ask him why Rachel changed her will.""
The call ended.
Daniel stared at the phone.
Harris said, "We'll trace what we can.""
Daniel barely heard him.
Rachel changed her will.
He walked back into the bedroom.
Photographs covered the wall.
Then something caught his attention.
One picture was crooked.
He straightened it.
Behind the frame was a small envelope.
Daniel's name was written on it.
His hands trembled.
Harris photographed it before opening it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
Only one sentence.
Daniel read it aloud.
"If Martin tells you I changed my will, he's lying.""
Daniel's heart stopped.
Below the sentence was a date.
Two days before Rachel entered the hospital.
And beneath it:
"The original is with the one person Martin cannot control.""
Daniel frowned.
"Who?""
Harris examined the note.
"Did Rachel have an attorney?""
"Yes.""
"Name?""
Daniel tried to remember.
Then it came to him.
"Rebecca Shaw.""
Harris searched.
His expression changed.
"What?""
He turned the screen.
Rebecca Shaw.
Attorney.
Deceased.
Daniel stared.
"When did she die?""
Harris looked at the date.
"Two years ago.""
Daniel's hope collapsed.
Then Harris scrolled farther.
"She had a law partner.""
"Who?""
Harris read the name.
"Benjamin Carter.""
May you like
Daniel stopped breathing.
"My brother's name is Benjamin Carter.""
