Chapter 12: Diane's Final Bargain
The SUV stopped inches from the warehouse doors.
Diane jumped out.
She wasn't wearing her usual expensive coat or perfectly arranged jewelry.
Her hair was disheveled.
Her face was pale.
But the look in her eyes was familiar.
The same cold confidence she'd displayed when she threw my grandmother's pie into the trash.
"Maya!"" she shouted.
Patricia moved in front of me.
"Stay away from her.""
Diane laughed.
"Patricia, you've caused enough trouble.""
I looked at my security officers.
One was speaking into his radio.
The other stood between Diane and the warehouse entrance.
"Diane, why are you here?""
She ignored me.
Instead, she stared at Patricia.
"You were told to stay out of this.""
Patricia's voice trembled.
"I should have told Maya everything years ago.""
Diane stepped forward.
"Then perhaps you should have kept your mouth shut.""
One of the security officers raised his hand.
"Ma'am, stop where you are.""
Diane stopped.
Then she looked at me.
"Your father has destroyed my family.""
I almost laughed.
"Your family did that yourselves.""
She shook her head.
"You don't understand. Charles is going to prison. Ryan has lost everything. The company is finished.""
"Because you forged my signature?""
"Because your grandmother stole what belonged to us!""
Patricia interrupted.
"Stop lying, Diane.""
Diane turned.
"You have no idea what happened.""
"Actually, I do.""
Patricia reached into her handbag and removed a small envelope.
"Your husband gave me these before he died.""
Diane went completely still.
I looked at Patricia.
"Your husband?""
She nodded.
"My husband worked for Charles Whitmore. He discovered the original transfers. He kept copies of everything.""
Diane's expression changed.
"Where did you get those?""
"From the safety deposit box he left me.""
Patricia opened the envelope.
Inside were several photographs and a handwritten ledger.
One page contained a list of payments made to various individuals.
I recognized two names.
Robert Hayes.
Charles Whitmore.
Then I saw another.
Diane Whitmore.
I looked up.
"Why were you receiving money?""
Diane laughed nervously.
"Those are business payments.""
Patricia shook her head.
"No. Those were payments made after your husband's death.""
Diane's face hardened.
Patricia continued.
"Your husband discovered that Charles and Robert had diverted money from the original partnership. He threatened to expose them. A week later, he died in a suspicious accident.""
I stared.
"Are you saying Diane's husband was murdered?""
Patricia shook her head.
"I don't know. But I know someone paid to keep the investigation quiet.""
Diane suddenly stepped forward.
"Give me that envelope.""
The security officer blocked her.
"Ma'am, stay where you are.""
Diane looked at me.
"Listen. I can explain everything.""
"Then explain.""
She glanced at Patricia.
"Your mother knew what she was doing. She knew the partnership wasn't legitimate.""
"That's not what the documents say.""
"Documents can be changed!""
I stepped closer.
"Why did you forge my marriage application?""
Diane's lips tightened.
"Because Ryan needed a way to protect the company.""
"Why did you use my identity?""
"Because your grandmother left you control of assets that should have belonged to Charles.""
I shook my head.
"You keep saying that. Show me proof.""
For the first time, Diane looked uncertain.
Then she pulled a folded document from her handbag.
"I have proof.""
She held it out.
It was an old agreement bearing my grandmother's signature.
At the top was a paragraph transferring certain partnership interests to Charles Whitmore.
But something was wrong.
The date was different from the original agreement.
And the signature looked unusual.
Patricia examined it.
"That's a forgery.""
Diane snapped.
"Don't you dare!""
Patricia held up the original ledger.
"Your husband kept the original signature records. This isn't your mother's handwriting.""
Diane's composure cracked.
"You don't know what you're talking about!""
I took the document.
At the bottom was another signature.
My mother's.
She had supposedly witnessed the agreement.
I stared at it.
"Why would my mother sign this?""
Diane looked at me.
"Because she knew the truth.""
Patricia shook her head.
"Your mother never signed that document. She told me the original agreement was stolen.""
I looked between them.
"Then why does her signature appear here?""
Diane smiled faintly.
"Because someone had to make the transfer look legitimate.""
I felt sick.
"Who forged it?""
Diane's eyes moved toward the warehouse entrance.
Then she answered.
"Robert.""
A noise sounded behind us.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped through the side entrance.
He was wearing a dark suit and holding a leather briefcase.
Robert Hayes.
Dad's former business partner.
The man who had attended my graduation.
The man who had supposedly been my father's closest friend.
He looked at Diane.
"You weren't supposed to come here.""
Diane immediately stepped toward him.
"You said everything would be handled!""
Robert ignored her.
Instead, he looked at me.
"Maya, your grandmother left you something that doesn't belong to you.""
I raised my chin.
"Then why don't you prove it in court?""
He smiled.
"Because courtrooms are expensive, and people sometimes make arrangements before things get that far.""
He opened his briefcase.
Inside were several documents and a small recording device.
"Your father has something I want. I have something he wants. We can settle this tonight.""
I stared at him.
"What do you want?""
"The original partnership agreement, the Bennett Legacy Fund, and your cooperation.""
"And what do I get?""
He slid a photograph across the table.
It showed my mother standing beside a man.
The man was young, with dark hair and familiar eyes.
Daniel Reeves.
But behind them stood another person.
A man whose face had been scratched out.
Robert tapped the photograph.
"Your mother knew who was responsible for the accident. She recorded a confession before she died.""
My heart pounded.
"Where is it?""
Robert smiled.
"Give me control of the fund, and I'll give you the recording.""
I stared at him.
"You want sixty-eight million dollars in exchange for something you should have handed to the police decades ago?""
He shrugged.
"Business is business.""
Patricia suddenly stepped forward.
"Robert, you can't keep threatening her.""
He turned toward her.
"Stay out of this.""
Then he reached into his briefcase and pulled out another document.
It was a signed declaration.
The declaration stated that Alexander Bennett had knowingly authorized every transaction involving the Whitmore family.
At the bottom was Dad's signature.
I recognized it immediately.
Robert smiled.
"Your father has a bigger problem than he realizes.""
I looked at the document.
"That's another forgery.""
"Perhaps.""
He placed it on the table.
"But if it becomes public, Bennett Capital will face an investigation, your father's reputation will collapse, and every company connected to him will be affected.""
I stared at Robert.
Then I noticed something on the document.
A reference number.
The same reference number appeared on the original partnership agreement in my grandmother's folder.
I looked at Patricia.
She was staring at it too.
Suddenly, she whispered:
"That's not a financial reference number.""
Robert's smile disappeared.
Patricia pointed to the bottom corner.
"That's a police evidence number.""
Robert stepped backward.
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?""
Patricia's voice trembled.
"It means the original recording was already submitted to investigators.""
Robert's face went pale.
Before he could respond, the warehouse doors opened.
My father walked in with two uniformed officers and a woman carrying a sealed evidence case.
Behind them was a man I never expected to see again.
Daniel Reeves.
Alive.
He looked directly at me.
Then he said:
"Maya, there's one person in this room who knows exactly what happened to your mother.""
His eyes moved toward Robert.
"And it isn't Charles Whitmore.""
Robert suddenly reached for the briefcase.
But the officers were already moving.
"Don't move!""
The briefcase hit the floor.
Documents scattered across the concrete.
And from inside it came a small recording device.
A familiar woman's voice filled the warehouse.
My mother's voice.
"Robert, if anything happens to me, make sure Maya knows the truth...""
May you like
Then the recording continued.
And the next sentence changed everything.
