Chapter 9: The Name in the Will
“Which one of us?””
My voice came out cold.
Margaret didn't answer.
Daniel stepped away from her.
“Margaret.””
She looked at him.
“I promised your mother I would protect Emma.””
“You've protected her by lying?””
“I've protected her by keeping information away from people who could use it against her.””
I felt anger rise.
“Stop deciding what I can handle.””
Margaret looked at me.
“You're right.””
She placed the will on the desk.
“I should have told you sooner.””
I opened it.
The document was dated three days before my mother's death.
My mother's signature was unmistakable.
The first pages contained ordinary instructions.
My education.
My inheritance.
My personal belongings.
Then I reached the final page.
A handwritten amendment had been attached.
I read the first line.
*If Richard Carter returns, Emma must not trust anyone who helped conceal the truth about his identity.*
I stopped.
My biological father.
My mother's secret.
Daniel's role.
Richard's return.
Everything seemed to connect.
Then I read the next sentence.
*This includes Daniel Carter.*
My breath caught.
I looked at Daniel.
He didn't move.
“Mom named you.””
Daniel's eyes closed.
“Yes.””
“For what?””
Margaret pointed to the paragraph.
I read it again.
*Daniel knows why I left Richard. He also knows what happened the night I died. If he tells Emma he does not remember, he is lying.*
The room went silent.
I turned toward him.
“You said your truck broke down.””
“It did.””
“You said you didn't know anything else.””
“I didn't know how to tell you.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
Daniel looked at me.
His eyes were wet.
“I saw Richard that night.””
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Where?””
“On the road.””
“Near Mom?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you tell the police?””
“I did.””
Margaret looked surprised.
“No report mentions that.””
“Because the report was changed.””
“Changed by who?””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“Claire.””
I shook my head.
“You said you didn't know Claire was alive.””
“I didn't.””
“Then how do you know she changed the report?””
“Because your mother told me.””
“When?””
“Before she died.””
I stared at him.
“What exactly did she tell you?””
Daniel sat down.
“She said Richard wasn't alone.””
I waited.
“He had someone in another car.””
“Claire?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Daniel looked at Margaret.
Margaret's face tightened.
“Daniel, you need to tell her.””
He nodded slowly.
“The person driving the second car was someone your mother trusted.””
My heart sank.
“Who?””
Daniel whispered the name.
I barely heard it.
“What?””
“Your mother's brother.””
I frowned.
“My uncle?””
“You never met him.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother cut him out of her life years ago.””
Margaret shook her head.
“That's not what the will says.””
I looked at her.
“What does it say?””
She opened another page.
“Your mother wrote that her brother died in prison.””
I stared.
“What was he convicted of?””
Margaret hesitated.
“Fraud.””
I looked at the documents scattered across the desk.
Richard's stolen money.
Claire's forged insurance papers.
The mysterious messages.
The altered police report.
My mother's warning.
It was becoming impossible to tell who had been protecting me and who had been using me.
Then Susan spoke.
“There was one more thing your mother told me.””
I turned.
“What?””
“She said if you ever found the trust money, you would have to find the person who put it there.””
I frowned.
“Mom put the money there.””
Susan shook her head.
“No.””
She reached into her purse and pulled out an old bank statement.
The account had been funded by a series of deposits.
But the first deposit wasn't from my mother.
It was from a company called *Morgan Holdings*.
I looked at the name.
Morgan.
Claire's last name.
Daniel stood abruptly.
“That company was supposed to be dissolved.””
Margaret looked at the statement.
“It wasn't.””
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
*Now you know why Richard came back.*
Then another.
*But you still don't know why he needed Daniel's fingerprints.*
I stared at the screen.
Daniel went pale.
“What fingerprints?””
Before anyone could answer, the office door opened.
A police officer stepped inside.
He looked directly at Daniel.
“Daniel Carter?””
“Yes.””
“I'm Detective Harris.””
He held up a warrant.
“We need you to come with us.””
My stomach dropped.
“Why?””
The detective looked at me.
“Your father has accused Daniel Carter of tampering with financial records and obstructing a homicide investigation.””
Daniel's face went completely still.
May you like
Then Detective Harris added:
“And we found his fingerprints at the scene of your mother's accident.””
