Chapter 8
Nobody touched the backpack.
Detective Hale moved first.
He pulled on gloves.
Then he asked Noah to tell him whether anyone had handled the bag since Wednesday.
Noah looked confused.
“Mommy packs my lunch.”
“What about Uncle Daniel?”
Noah smiled faintly.
“He gave me gum.”
My stomach tightened.
“When?”
“Wednesday.”
Daniel must have stopped by the office before I left.
I remembered Noah had been with me because Ethan was running late.
Daniel had joked with him.
Given him gum.
Apparently, he had also hidden evidence inside a seven-year-old’s backpack.
My anger exploded.
I picked up the phone.
“You used my son to hide evidence?”
“Emily—”
“You put something dangerous in his bag?”
“I didn’t know anyone was watching.”
“You knew enough to hide it!”
“I needed somewhere nobody would search.”
“Well, somebody set our car on fire while Noah was fifteen feet away!”
Daniel went silent.
Then he whispered, “Oh God.”
“You don’t get to say that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. Tell us everything.”
Hale gestured for me to keep him talking.
Daniel began.
Richard Walsh and Daniel’s father, Daniel Hart Sr., had secretly invested in medical logistics technology fifteen years earlier.
Their company developed tracking systems for hospitals and pharmacies.
It became profitable.
Very profitable.
But neither man wanted attention.
They established a holding company.
Richard handled finance.
Hart Sr. handled operations.
Then Daniel’s father died suddenly from an aneurysm.
Less than a year later, Richard discovered millions had been transferred through shell companies.
He suspected someone with access to the accounts.
“Linda?” Ethan asked.
Daniel hesitated.
“Richard suspected her.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“She handled some administrative work for him.”
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“She told us Dad never trusted her with business.”
“He didn’t. Not officially.”
Daniel continued.
“But she knew where documents were. She knew passwords. She knew the accountants.”
“How much money?”
“At least six million.”
I felt dizzy.
“And the trust?”
“Richard created it after he discovered the missing money. He wanted part of what remained protected for Ethan and Charlotte.”
“Why didn’t you tell Ethan?”
“Because Richard specifically told my father that Linda must never know where the evidence was.”
Ethan snapped, “My father has been dead for twelve years. You had twelve years to tell me.”
“I was scared.”
“Of my mother?”
“Of whoever helped her.”
That silenced us.
“Helped her how?” I asked.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Richard didn’t believe Linda could have moved that much money alone.”
“Who did he suspect?”
“He wrote names in the records.”
“What names?”
“I never saw the full files until Friday.”
“Then tell us.”
“I can’t do that on the phone.”
Ethan slammed his fist onto the table.
“Stop saying that!”
Hale motioned for him to stay calm.
Daniel spoke quickly.
“Susan contacted me six months ago. She said Linda had been asking about the safe-deposit box.”
“Why did Susan have access?”
“Richard trusted her.”
“Were they having an affair?”
The question came from Rachel.
Her voice shook.
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
Rachel repeated it.
“Was my mother sleeping with Richard?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Richard wrote about it.”
Rachel stared at the phone.
“What?”
“Linda accused them of an affair. It wasn’t true.”
Ethan looked at Rachel.
Daniel continued.
“Susan helped Richard because she discovered Linda had been forging his signature.”
My stomach tightened.
“For what?”
“Transfers. Loan documents. Insurance changes.”
Ethan looked sick.
“Insurance?”
Daniel paused.
“Yes.”
“What insurance?”
“Richard had a large life-insurance policy.”
“How large?”
“Three million.”
“And Mom received it?”
“Yes.”
Ethan stood and walked away from the table.
I knew where his mind had gone.
The crash.
The whiskey bottle.
His father’s final words.
“Daniel,” I said quietly, “do the records prove Linda caused Richard’s accident?”
“No.”
“Do they suggest it?”
Another silence.
“They prove she increased his life-insurance coverage six weeks before he died.”
Ethan turned.
His face had lost all color.
“Enough.”
He walked outside.
I wanted to follow him, but Hale shook his head.
He needed me on the call.
“Where are you, Daniel?” Hale finally said.
Daniel went completely silent.
Then, “Who is this?”
“Detective Marcus Hale.”
The line clicked dead.
“Damn it.”
Hale immediately ordered a trace request.
Then we turned to Noah’s backpack.
Inside were pencils.
A reading workbook.
A half-eaten snack bar.
A toy dinosaur.
And sewn into the inner lining was a narrow black flash drive.
Daniel hadn’t simply dropped it into a pocket.
He had cut the lining, hidden the drive inside, and stitched it closed.
This was planned.
Hale placed it in an evidence bag.
“Can we see what’s on it?” Ethan asked from the doorway.
“After forensics copies it.”
“How long?”
“As quickly as legally and technically possible.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“We don’t have time.”
“We also don’t get a second chance if we contaminate evidence.”
Rachel spoke.
“What about my mom?”
Hale’s expression softened.
“We’re still searching.”
“Daniel said she called him.”
“We’ll subpoena his records.”
“Can’t you track his phone?”
“We’re working on it.”
Then my phone rang.
This time the caller ID showed LINDA WALSH.
Everyone stared.
“How is she calling?” I asked.
Hale frowned.
“She may have been released pending arraignment.”
I answered.
“Hello?”
Linda’s voice was calm.
Too calm.
“Emily.”
I said nothing.
“You’ve made quite a mess.”
My skin crawled.
“You assaulted me.”
“And you’ve turned my children against me.”
“You did that yourself.”
She sighed.
“Where’s Noah?”
I looked at Hale.
His expression sharpened.
“Why?”
“He’s my grandson.”
“You’re not seeing him.”
“You can’t keep him from me.”
“Watch me.”
Her tone changed.
“Emily, you think you understand what’s happening. You don’t.”
“Then explain.”
“I want to talk to Ethan.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“He will.”
“No.”
She laughed softly.
“You’ve always been so confident.”
“After tonight, I’m done caring what you think of me.”
“You should care.”
“Why?”
“Because your husband has secrets too.”
I looked toward the door.
Ethan was standing outside.
“What secrets?”
“Ask him why Richard changed the trust.”
“I know about the trust.”
“No, sweetheart.”
I hated the way she said it.
“You know what Charlotte knows.”
“What does that mean?”
Linda lowered her voice.
“Richard didn’t originally leave Ethan two million dollars.”
My pulse jumped.
“How much?”
“Everything.”
I stared at Hale.
“What is everything?”
“Nearly nine million dollars.”
The room tilted.
“Why did he change it?”
Linda laughed.
“Ask Ethan.”
“He says he didn’t know.”
“He’s lying.”
“About what?”
“About the woman his father caught him with.”
I frowned.
“What woman?”
“The night before Richard changed the trust, he caught Ethan in bed with his business partner’s daughter.”
My heart stopped.
Daniel had no sister.
At least, not one I knew.
Linda continued.
“Funny, isn’t it? All these years you’ve worried whether Ethan’s family accepted you.”
Her next words came slowly.
“You never wondered whether Ethan married you because the woman he really loved disappeared.”
I couldn’t speak.
Then Linda said a name.
“Ask him about Rebecca Hart.”
The call ended.
I stood frozen.
Ethan came back inside.
He looked at my face.
“What happened?”
I swallowed.
“Who is Rebecca Hart?”
His expression answered before his mouth did.
He went completely still.
Rachel looked between us.
“Who?”
Ethan sat down.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, he looked afraid of me.
“Emily.”
“Who is she?”
He rubbed his hands over his face.
“Daniel’s older sister.”
“You told me Daniel was an only child.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
“Because Rebecca died.”
My anger broke through.
“When?”
“Thirteen years ago.”
“Were you with her?”
He didn’t answer.
“Ethan.”
“Yes.”
The word hit like a slap.
“Were you in love with her?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
May you like
Everything inside me went quiet.
Then he added, “And my father believed Linda killed her.”
