Chapter 9: The Price of Silence
“Blackmail?””
I put the phone on speaker.
Detective Mills repeated himself.
“Lauren Carter filed a complaint three months ago alleging that Gregory Vale threatened her.””
Mom stared at me.
Hannah whispered, “Why?””
“That’s what I need to determine,” Mills said.
“Mrs. Carter stopped cooperating shortly after making the report.””
“What did she claim he had on her?”” I asked.
“I can’t discuss the full complaint over the phone. But I can tell you the allegation involved financial records.””
My mind raced.
Lauren had met Gregory.
Worked with him.
Signed documents for him.
But three months ago, she had also reported him.
“She tried to get out,” Hannah said.
Maybe.
Or she had tried to protect herself.
Those were not the same thing.
“Detective, my wife left this house about twenty minutes ago.””
“Do you know where she went?””
“No.””
“Call me if she contacts you.””
My phone buzzed while he was speaking.
Lauren.
I almost laughed at the timing.
“She just did.””
“What does the message say?””
I opened it.
PLEASE. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL FILE. GREGORY DOESN’T KNOW. DON’T TELL HANNAH.
I looked at Hannah.
Her face tightened.
“What?””
I read it aloud.
Hannah stood.
“What file?””
“I don’t know.””
Detective Mills said, “Do not meet Mrs. Carter alone.””
Another message arrived.
THE STORAGE UNIT ON PARKER. NUMBER 214. BLUE BOX.
Then another.
I WAS TRYING TO FIX IT.
I typed nothing back.
“Detective?””
“I heard.””
“What do we do?””
“Send me screenshots. Do not go to the storage unit.””
Hannah paced toward the window.
“She knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That Gregory and David were working together.””
“How can you be sure?””
“Because she warned me once.””
I stared at her.
“When?””
“After I refused the fifty thousand.””
Mom looked between us.
“What did she say?””
Hannah’s voice dropped.
“She said, ‘You have no idea what your husband is capable of.’”
I felt anger rise again.
“You didn’t think that was worth mentioning?””
“I thought she was manipulating me!””
“She may have been warning you.””
“And then she witnessed a forged transfer!””
Hannah’s voice cracked.
“Don’t turn her into a hero because she got scared.””
She was right.
Whatever Gregory had done, Lauren had made choices.
Repeatedly.
Still, the picture was changing.
“Detective,” I said, “what happens now?””
“We freeze what we can. We verify the signatures. We locate the parties involved.””
“Can my mother get her property back?””
“I can’t promise an outcome.””
Mom’s hand touched my shoulder.
“I don’t care about the money.””
I turned.
“Yes, you do.””
“No.””
Her voice was surprisingly firm.
“I care about what Thomas wanted. I care about Hannah receiving what should have gone to Rebecca.””
Hannah’s eyes filled.
“You don’t even know if I’m really her daughter.””
Mom smiled sadly.
“No. But I know what kind of person I want to be while we find out.””
Nobody spoke.
Then the doorbell rang.
Again.
I looked through the peephole.
Lauren stood outside.
Soaked.
Alone.
“Detective, she’s here.””
“Keep the line open.””
I unlocked the door but left the chain attached.
Lauren looked through the gap.
“Michael.””
“What are you doing here?””
“I need to come inside.””
“Why?””
“Because Gregory knows.””
“Knows what?””
“That I kept copies.””
Hannah appeared behind me.
Lauren’s expression hardened.
“She shouldn’t be here.””
Hannah laughed.
“You’ve said that twice tonight.””
“Because David is using you!””
“At least I didn’t impersonate Evelyn.””
Lauren closed her eyes.
“I know what I did.””
I stared at her.
“Do you?””
“Yes.””
For the first time that night, she didn’t make an excuse.
She simply looked broken.
“I wanted the money.””
The admission was quiet.
“I found Thomas’s letter and started calculating. Mortgage paid off. Early retirement.
Travel. Everything we kept saying we’d do someday.””
I felt sick hearing our dreams used that way.
“Then Gregory contacted me after I requested a valuation.””
“You contacted him first?””
“Yes.””
“And the blackmail?””
Lauren wiped rain from her face.
“I told him about Hannah.””
Hannah stepped closer.
Lauren continued.
“He already knew Rebecca’s family existed. He knew David too.””
Hannah whispered, “Of course.””
“Gregory told me David would help make Hannah’s claim disappear. I thought they meant legally.””
“You believed that?”” I asked.
“At first.””
“What changed?””
“I found the draft transfer.””
Mom’s face tightened.
“The forged one?””
“Yes.””
Lauren looked directly at her.
“That’s when I went to the police.””
“Then why did you keep helping him?”” I asked.
“Because Gregory sent me copies of every message I had ever sent him. Every discussion about the property. Every offer I made Hannah.””
Her voice broke.
“He said if I backed out, he would make it look like the entire scheme was mine.””
Detective Mills remained silent on speaker.
Listening.
Lauren continued.
“So I played along.””
“You impersonated my mother.””
“Yes.””
“You witnessed a fraudulent document.””
“Yes.””
“You treated her like a servant.””
Lauren began crying.
“Yes.””
Mom looked at her.
“That last part wasn’t Gregory.””
Lauren froze.
“No.””
“You did that yourself.””
Lauren lowered her head.
“Yes.””
Mom’s voice remained calm.
“Why?””
Lauren looked at her.
“Because I hated you.””
The honesty shocked all of us.
“You had something I didn’t.””
“What?””
“Security.””
Lauren laughed through her tears.
“You never worried about losing this house. You never worried about retirement. Michael always made sure you were okay.””
I stared at her.
“You resented my mother because I helped her?””
“I resented feeling like I came second.””
“You never came second.””
“I know that now.””
Too late.
Far too late.
Lauren reached through the gap in the door and held out a small key.
“Storage unit 214.””
I took it.
“What’s in the blue box?””
“Original correspondence. Gregory’s draft contracts. Copies of transfers. A flash drive with recordings.””
Detective Mills finally spoke.
“Mrs. Carter, this is Detective Aaron Mills.””
Lauren’s eyes widened.
He continued.
“Do not go to that storage facility. Officers will secure it.””
Lauren nodded slowly.
Then she whispered, “You need to hurry.””
“Why?””
“Gregory knows where it is.””
A car engine suddenly roared somewhere behind her.
Headlights swept across the wet street.
Lauren turned.
Her face changed.
A dark SUV stopped at the curb.
The passenger door opened.
Hannah grabbed my arm.
“That’s David’s car.””
A man stepped out into the rain.
Hannah went completely still.
“David?””
He didn’t look at his wife.
He looked directly at Lauren.
Then at the key in my hand.
May you like
And smiled.
“Michael,” Detective Mills said sharply through the speaker, “close the door. Now.””
