Chapter 6: The Woman Who Entered the Archive
For several seconds, I couldn't process what Jonathan had said.
"My mother-in-law-to-be?""
Jonathan glanced toward Vanessa.
"Someone using Vanessa Whitmore's identification entered the archive at 2:17 this afternoon. The security system recorded the entry, and a preliminary facial match identified her.""
Vanessa shook her head violently.
"That's impossible. I was at the hotel getting ready.""
"Then someone may have used your credentials," Jonathan replied.
"But we need to establish who and why.""
Charles immediately stepped between Jonathan and his daughter.
"This is absurd. Vanessa has never been to that property.""
Dad's expression had become unreadable.
"How did you know there was an archive beneath the property, Charles?""
Charles froze.
It was a simple question.
But his answer didn't come.
My father repeated it.
"How did you know?""
Charles loosened his bow tie.
"I've heard rumors.""
"What rumors?""
"That Eleanor kept documents there.""
Dad looked as though he had been struck.
"Who told you that?""
Charles glanced at Vanessa.
She was staring at him now, her face pale beneath her makeup.
"Dad," she whispered, "what is he talking about?""
Charles ignored her.
"Richard, I think we should discuss this privately. Whatever happened, it can be resolved without involving the police.""
Jonathan closed his briefcase.
"That depends on whether anything was removed.""
"Nothing was removed," Charles said too quickly.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"You sound remarkably certain.""
Charles rubbed his forehead.
"Because I know my daughter.""
Vanessa stepped away from him.
"Stop saying that.""
He turned.
"What?""
"Stop using me to answer questions you don't want to answer.""
Her voice trembled, but she continued.
"You told me we were going to this wedding because Lucas's family had a property that could help our company. You said we needed to maintain a good relationship with Richard. You said I should make sure Lucas signed the marriage documents before his father had a chance to interfere.""
I stared at her.
"You told me you wanted a simple wedding.""
"I know.""
"You said you didn't care about money.""
"I know, Lucas.""
"Then why did you agree to all of this?""
She pressed her hands against her face.
"Because my father told me our company was in trouble. He said employees could lose their jobs. He said if I helped bring your family into the development project, we could save everything.""
Charles's voice cracked like a whip.
"That's enough, Vanessa.""
She turned toward him.
"No! You've been telling me what to say for months. You told me how to dress, whom to invite, what to discuss with Lucas. You even told me not to let his father sit near the investors because you thought he might embarrass us.""
My stomach turned.
"Did you know about the key?""
"No," she whispered.
"I swear I didn't know what was inside that box.""
"Then why did you throw it?""
She looked at the floor.
"Because I thought he was trying to humiliate me.""
I stared at her.
"My father offered you something that belonged to my mother. He apologized when you insulted him. And you decided he was trying to humiliate you?""
She began crying.
"I was wrong.""
For the first time, the apology sounded genuine.
It was also too late.
Dad stepped toward her.
"Vanessa, I don't hate you. I don't even think you're beyond forgiveness. But you need to understand something. A person reveals their character most clearly when they believe nobody important is watching.""
He gestured toward the guests.
"You thought I was nobody. You believed my old coat meant I had nothing. You were wrong about both.""
Vanessa lowered her head.
"I know.""
"No," Dad said softly.
"You're beginning to know.""
Jonathan's phone rang again.
This time, he answered immediately.
"Yes?""
He listened, then turned away from us and spoke in a low voice.
"What do you mean the inner cabinet is open?""
My father went rigid.
Jonathan continued listening.
"Is the inventory complete? ... And the original register?""
He closed his eyes briefly.
"All right. Secure the site. Nobody enters until the attorneys arrive.""
He ended the call.
Dad gripped the back of a chair.
"What was missing?""
Jonathan looked at him.
"The security team found the cabinet open. Several folders had been disturbed, but the inventory isn't complete.""
"And the register?""
"Missing.""
My father slowly sat down.
I had never seen him look defeated before.
"What is the register?"" I asked.
He rubbed his face.
"The original ownership register for Anderson Heritage Holdings. It lists every transfer, every amendment, and every person who was authorized to access the trust. Your mother created it after we acquired the property.""
"Why is it so important?""
"Because the trust was established under her name before she died. If someone altered the register, they could attempt to challenge the current ownership structure.""
Jonathan nodded.
"And if the missing pages contain evidence of unauthorized transfers, the consequences could extend beyond the property.""
Charles suddenly spoke.
"Perhaps the register was misplaced.""
Everyone turned toward him.
Dad stared.
"You seem eager to explain away evidence you haven't seen.""
"I'm offering a reasonable possibility.""
"Then you'll have no objection to cooperating with the investigation.""
Charles said nothing.
A moment later, the ballroom doors opened again.
Two uniformed security officers entered, followed by a woman in a dark navy suit carrying a tablet.
"Mr. Anderson?"" she asked.
Dad stood.
"Yes.""
"I'm Rebecca Shaw, head of security for the Anderson property. We reviewed the access logs and the external camera footage.""
She glanced at Vanessa.
"Ms. Whitmore, I need to ask you some questions about your visit today.""
Vanessa's eyes widened.
"I told you, I wasn't there.""
Rebecca nodded.
"Then perhaps you can help us understand why someone used your identification and why your vehicle was recorded entering the underground garage.""
Vanessa turned toward her father.
He stared at Rebecca without moving.
"Do you have the footage?"" Dad asked.
"Yes, sir.""
She tapped the tablet.
The screen displayed a security image of a woman wearing a dark coat and sunglasses entering a service corridor. Her face was partially obscured, but the shape of her jaw and the distinctive silver bracelet around her wrist were unmistakable.
Vanessa raised a shaking hand to her arm.
She was wearing the same bracelet.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
I looked at her.
"Vanessa?""
She shook her head.
"I didn't go there.""
Rebecca enlarged the image.
"The person in the footage entered at 2:17 p.m. and left at 2:46 p.m. She used Ms. Whitmore's access credentials and entered the archive with a second individual.""
"Who?"" Jonathan asked.
Rebecca tapped the screen again.
The image changed.
A man stood beside the woman in the corridor. His face was clear enough to recognize.
I knew him immediately.
So did my father.
It was Daniel Brooks, my company's chief financial officer.
The man who had helped me build my business from a small rented office into a company valued at more than eighty million dollars.
The man who had been standing beside me when I chose the engagement ring.
The man who had insisted he couldn't attend the wedding because of an urgent meeting in San Francisco.
I felt the room tilt around me.
"Daniel?"" I whispered.
My father looked at the screen, then slowly turned toward Charles Whitmore.
"Now I understand," he said.
Charles backed away.
"Richard, you don't understand anything.""
Dad's voice became dangerously quiet.
"No. I understand perfectly. Someone needed access to my wife's archive, and someone inside my son's company helped them get it.""
He looked at me.
"Lucas, call your security team. Freeze Daniel's access to every company system immediately.""
I reached for my phone.
But before I could dial, a new message appeared on the screen.
It was from Daniel.
Lucas, don't trust your father. He knows what really happened to your mother.
My hand went numb.
I looked at Dad.
For the first time in my life, I wondered whether the man who had raised me had been hiding something far more terrible than an inheritance.
May you like
And when I showed him the message, he closed his eyes and whispered five words I would never forget.
"Son, your mother was murdered.""
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