Chapter 14: The Man Behind My Brother
The family estate had been empty for almost four years.
My father had left it to me and Daniel jointly, but Daniel had stopped visiting after our father's funeral.
The house stood on twenty acres of land, surrounded by old trees and a stone wall.
When I arrived, the attorney was waiting on the front porch.
His name was Richard Coleman.
He'd represented my father for more than thirty years.
He'd attended my wedding.
He'd even given a speech at Emily's funeral.
Now he was standing in front of me holding a leather briefcase.
"Marcus.""
I didn't shake his hand.
"Where is my brother?""
Richard adjusted his glasses.
"Daniel is safe.""
"That's not what I asked.""
"He's somewhere you won't find him.""
I stepped closer.
"Where are my daughters?""
"Two are with the authorities. The third is still protected.""
I stared at him.
"You've been stealing children.""
Richard sighed.
"You're emotional. I understand.""
I laughed.
"Emotional?""
I pulled out Emily's DNA reports.
"Three daughters. Three false identities. Millions of dollars stolen from their inheritance. And you expect me to stand here calmly?""
Richard looked at the papers.
Then he smiled.
"Your father always said you were too sentimental.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"What did he have to do with this?""
Richard opened his briefcase.
He removed an old financial agreement.
"Your father discovered that Emily's inheritance could be placed into a protected family trust. He also discovered that the trust would grow significantly if certain legal conditions were met.""
"What conditions?""
"Multiple dependent beneficiaries.""
I stared at him.
"So you switched my children to create fake beneficiaries?""
"Not exactly.""
Richard placed another document on the porch table.
"Your father wanted to protect the family's wealth. Daniel offered to help him restructure the trust.""
"And the girls?""
Richard looked at me.
"They were part of the arrangement.""
I felt sick.
"Children aren't financial assets.""
"Your father disagreed.""
I grabbed the document.
There were signatures from my father, Daniel, and Richard.
The agreement was dated two months before Emily gave birth.
I read the final section.
It authorized the transfer of funds to a private holding company upon the creation of three separate legal dependents.
But there was something else.
A clause stating that the children would remain under the control of a designated guardian until they reached adulthood.
The guardian's name was Richard Coleman.
I looked up.
"You were supposed to raise my daughters?""
Richard smiled.
"Not personally. I was supposed to oversee their financial interests.""
"And Daniel?""
"He would receive compensation for arranging the placements.""
"How much?""
"One million dollars.""
I laughed in disbelief.
"That's why he did it?""
Richard closed the briefcase.
"Your brother was ambitious.""
"He's a criminal.""
"He's a businessman who made poor decisions.""
I stepped toward him.
"Did you arrange Emily's death?""
For the first time, Richard stopped smiling.
"That's a serious accusation.""
"Did you?""
He looked toward the garden.
"Emily was becoming a problem.""
My hands curled into fists.
"What did you do?""
"Nothing that can be proven.""
I stared at him.
He continued.
"Your wife was going to expose the trust. She had contacted regulators. She had copies of the original hospital records.""
"And you let her die.""
Richard sighed.
"Daniel handled the situation.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"How?""
Richard looked directly at me.
"Ask him about the medication.""
I lunged forward.
Detective Harris and two officers appeared from behind the house.
"Richard Coleman, you're under arrest.""
Richard didn't resist.
He simply smiled at me.
"You think this ends with me?""
The officers placed handcuffs on him.
He turned his head.
"Marcus, your brother has something you don't know.""
I stepped closer.
"What?""
Richard leaned toward me.
"Your father never intended to leave the company to you.""
I stared.
"He left me the company in his will.""
"Because Daniel was supposed to inherit it through the guardianship arrangement.""
"What guardianship arrangement?""
Richard's smile widened.
"Once all three children were legally transferred, Daniel would have become the sole controlling guardian of the trust. Your father's estate would have followed.""
I looked at Detective Harris.
"Where is Daniel?""
Richard said nothing.
Then one of the officers approached.
"Detective, we have a problem.""
Harris turned.
"What?""
"The security team at the private facility reports that Daniel has contacted someone inside.""
My phone vibrated.
A message from Daniel.
*You found the documents. Congratulations. But you still don't know why Emily chose to die rather than tell you the truth.*
I stared at the screen.
Another message arrived.
*Come alone if you want to know what really happened that night.*
Detective Harris read it over my shoulder.
"Don't respond.""
I looked at him.
"I need to know what happened to Emily.""
"We'll get him.""
Then my phone rang.
It was a video call.
Daniel.
I answered.
His face appeared on the screen.
He was sitting in a dark room.
Behind him, I could see a hospital corridor.
"Hello, brother.""
"Where are you?""
Daniel smiled.
"Somewhere you remember.""
I recognized the wall.
St. Mary's Hospital.
"Why are you there?""
"Because I found something Emily left behind.""
He held up a small envelope.
I recognized the handwriting.
Emily's.
"Do you want to know what happened the night she died?""
I couldn't speak.
Daniel leaned closer.
"Then come to the old maternity wing.""
Detective Harris shook his head.
I looked at him.
"He's baiting me.""
"Exactly.""
But Daniel wasn't finished.
He held up another photograph.
It showed Emily holding a baby.
Then he turned it over.
On the back was a sentence written in her handwriting.
*I know which of the three girls Daniel planned to sell.*
I stared at the photograph.
"Daniel, what did you do?""
His smile disappeared.
Then he whispered:
"Something our father ordered.""
The screen went black.
Detective Harris immediately called for additional units.
But I was already thinking about Emily's final letter.
She had written that Daniel wasn't acting alone.
She'd written that my father was involved.
And now Richard had confirmed it.
But one question remained.
Why had Emily hidden the truth for so long?
What had happened during those final eighteen minutes in her hospital room?
I looked at Detective Harris.
"Take me to St. Mary's.""
He nodded.
"But this time, you're not going anywhere alone.""
As we drove away, my phone received one final message.
It wasn't from Daniel.
It was from an unknown number.
*Marcus, Daniel didn't kill Emily. I did. And I have the original recording to prove it.*
There was a photograph attached.
A nurse standing beside Emily's hospital bed.
May you like
The nurse's face was familiar.
It was Claire Morgan.
