Chapter 14: The Bride's Final Confession
Detective Carter placed both hands on the table.
"Mr. Bennett, are you certain your wife worked at that hospital?""
Daniel nodded slowly.
"She told me she volunteered there for a few months. But she said it was after my father's death.""
Patricia shook her head.
"No. She was there before he died.""
Daniel sat down.
"Why would she lie?""
Nobody answered.
Detective Carter made another call.
Within twenty minutes, an officer returned with a printed employment record.
Tiffany Whitaker had been registered as a temporary administrative volunteer at the hospital.
Her first day was March 2.
Thomas died on March 18.
I looked at the dates.
"She was there for sixteen days.""
Patricia nodded.
"And she frequently visited the administrative office.""
Daniel rubbed his face.
"This can't be happening.""
Detective Carter placed the document aside.
"We've requested additional records. But there's something more urgent. The warehouse where your wife was photographed has been identified.""
Daniel immediately stood.
"Let's go.""
The detective raised his hand.
"Our officers are already preparing a response. You're not going there alone.""
I looked at my son.
"Daniel, be careful.""
He turned toward me.
"Mom, I have to bring her home.""
I nodded.
"But don't let her convince you that everything she's done is someone else's fault.""
He looked away.
An hour later, Detective Carter called.
They had found the warehouse.
Tiffany was alive.
Richard was gone.
We drove to the location with two police vehicles following us.
The warehouse stood near the industrial district, surrounded by rusted fencing and abandoned loading equipment.
An officer opened the side entrance.
Daniel rushed inside.
"Tiffany!""
His voice echoed across the concrete floor.
She was sitting on a wooden chair near a stack of boxes.
Her wrists were tied, and there was a bruise near her forehead.
Daniel ran toward her.
"Oh my God.""
He untied the rope while an officer checked the room.
Tiffany began sobbing.
"Daniel! I thought he was going to kill me!""
Daniel held her shoulders.
"You're safe now.""
But when she noticed me standing behind him, her expression changed.
"Margaret.""
I didn't move.
She looked at Daniel.
"Please. We need to get out of here.""
He helped her stand.
"Where's Richard?""
"I don't know.""
"Where did he go?""
She shook her head.
"He left when he heard the police were coming.""
Detective Carter approached.
"Mrs. Whitaker, we need to ask you some questions.""
Tiffany started crying harder.
"Can we do this later? I'm hurt.""
"We'll arrange medical attention. But we need to establish what happened.""
She looked at Daniel.
"Please don't let them take me.""
Daniel said nothing.
At the hospital, doctors treated her injuries. Detective Carter waited until she was comfortable before beginning the interview.
I sat beside Daniel in the corridor.
He stared at his wedding ring.
"Mom, I thought I knew her.""
I gently touched his hand.
"Sometimes the people we love hide things we never imagined.""
He looked at me.
"Do you think she married me for the inheritance?""
I didn't answer.
Because I feared I already knew.
Inside the interview room, Tiffany finally began talking.
She admitted that her father had introduced her to Richard six years earlier.
She had been working at the hospital when Richard asked her to help locate Thomas's personal documents.
"Why?"" Detective Carter asked.
Tiffany looked down.
"Richard said there was a family agreement that needed to be retrieved.""
"Did you know Thomas was seriously ill?""
"Yes.""
"Did you remove an envelope from his room?""
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Yes.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
Detective Carter continued.
"What was inside?""
"I don't know. Richard took it from me.""
"Did you ever read it?""
Tiffany began crying.
"Only part of it.""
"What did it say?""
She looked at Daniel.
"Your father wrote that Richard had been poisoning him.""
Daniel went completely still.
I covered my mouth.
Tiffany continued.
"He said someone had been giving him medication that wasn't prescribed by his doctor. He believed Richard had access to his medical records.""
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"" Detective Carter demanded.
Tiffany wiped her cheeks.
"Because Richard threatened my family. He said if I spoke, he'd make sure my father went to prison.""
Robert.
I suddenly understood.
"Your father was involved too," I said.
Tiffany looked at me.
"Yes.""
Daniel stood.
"How could you do this to us?""
She began sobbing.
"I loved you.""
"You lied to me from the beginning!""
"I didn't know how far it would go!""
"Then why did you keep going?""
She lowered her head.
"Because your father had left millions of dollars. Richard promised me that if I married you, the estate would eventually be released.""
Daniel stared at her.
"And the wedding?""
Tiffany swallowed.
"Your mother was supposed to pay for it. Richard said that once the marriage was completed, the estate would be transferred. We would repay her afterward.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"You knew I was selling the land?""
She nodded.
"Your father told me.""
"My husband is dead!""
"I know.""
"And you still took my money?""
Tiffany began crying uncontrollably.
"I thought it was temporary.""
I stood.
"Temporary? You watched me sacrifice everything I had. You watched me sell something Thomas left me. And when I refused to buy you champagne, you slapped me.""
She covered her face.
"I was angry.""
"No. You were entitled. There's a difference.""
Detective Carter returned to the interview.
"Mrs. Whitaker, we also have evidence that your father transferred money into an account controlled by Richard Bennett.""
Tiffany looked up.
"How much?""
"Approximately $1.2 million was targeted in the attempted estate release.""
She began shaking.
"That's not all.""
Daniel stared at her.
"What else?""
Tiffany looked at the detective.
"There's another account. Richard told me he had already transferred money from Thomas's estate before the wedding.""
"Where?""
She whispered the name of a bank in London.
Detective Carter wrote it down.
Then he asked the question that changed everything.
"Where is the original document Thomas left for his wife?""
Tiffany looked at me.
"I know where it is.""
I leaned forward.
"Where?""
She took a breath.
"With my father.""
"Robert has it?""
She nodded.
"Richard gave it to him before the wedding. But Dad didn't know what it really contained.""
Daniel looked furious.
"Why would he keep it?""
Tiffany's answer was barely audible.
"Because it contains proof that Richard wasn't the only person who wanted your father dead.""
She looked directly at me.
"Margaret, your husband discovered that Robert Whitaker had been involved in the poisoning from the beginning.""
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Then she added:
"And there's a recording.""
