Chapter 12: The Second Person in the Car
Vanessa refused to answer.
She sat on the living-room sofa, shaking her head while Brianna stood near the staircase.
I placed the photograph on the coffee table.
"Tell me why you were in Thomas's car.""
"I wasn't.""
I pointed toward the image.
"That's your coat.""
"I had several coats like that.""
"And that's your face.""
"Michael, please!""
I stepped back.
"Enough.""
Karen arrived thirty minutes later. She examined the photograph and immediately advised that we preserve the original message and send the image to investigators.
She also warned us not to assume that a single photograph proved what had happened.
I understood.
But I needed to know.
"Vanessa, were you with Thomas when Sarah's car crashed?""
She stared at the floor.
After several seconds, she nodded.
Brianna gasped.
"Mom...""
Vanessa began crying.
"I didn't know he was going to follow Sarah.""
"Why were you there?"" I asked.
"Thomas called me. He said Sarah had taken the documents. He wanted them back.""
"Did you meet him before the accident?""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
"At the café.""
I looked at Brianna.
She covered her mouth.
Vanessa continued.
"Sarah arrived about twenty minutes later. She was furious. She told Thomas that she knew everything about us.""
"About your affair?""
Vanessa nodded.
"And about the financial arrangement?""
"Yes.""
I leaned against the wall.
"What happened next?""
"Sarah left. Thomas followed her.""
"And you?""
"I got into his car.""
"Why?""
"Because I thought I could convince him to stop.""
I stared at her.
"You got into his car after he followed a woman who was threatening to expose his fraud?""
"I was trying to protect everyone!""
"Everyone except Sarah.""
Vanessa started crying harder.
"We drove after her. Thomas kept saying that Sarah had destroyed his life. I told him to calm down.""
"And then?""
"He drove faster.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Did he hit her deliberately?""
Vanessa looked up.
"I don't know.""
The silence that followed was unbearable.
"Did you see the collision?""
She nodded.
"Thomas's car hit Sarah's vehicle at the intersection. It happened so quickly.""
Brianna began crying.
"Mom, what did you do?""
Vanessa covered her face.
"I told Thomas to stop.""
"Did he?""
"Yes. He stopped. We got out.""
I stared at her.
"And?""
"Sarah was injured. Thomas called emergency services.""
I closed my eyes.
For seven years, I had imagined Sarah's final moments.
I had imagined her alone in the ambulance.
I had imagined her looking for me.
And now I was hearing that the two people involved in the financial scheme had been standing beside her damaged car.
"What did Sarah say?"" I whispered.
Vanessa looked at me.
"She was conscious for a little while.""
"What did she say?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"I don't remember.""
"Try.""
She began trembling.
"She looked at me.""
I waited.
"She said, 'Don't let them near Emily.''"
My eyes filled with tears.
Vanessa continued.
"Then she asked where Michael was.""
I turned away.
"Why didn't you call me?""
"I was afraid.""
"She was dying!""
"I know!""
Her voice echoed through the room.
Brianna stepped toward her.
"Did you leave her?""
Vanessa looked at her daughter.
"We were there until the ambulance came.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"Thomas wanted to leave before the police arrived. He said the accident would be investigated, and his financial involvement would come out.""
Brianna shook her head.
"So you left Sarah?""
Vanessa nodded.
I felt something inside me go completely numb.
Karen had been writing notes.
She finally looked up.
"Mrs. Carter, did you tell the police that you witnessed the collision?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you tell them you were in the vehicle?""
"No.""
"Did you give a statement?""
"Yes.""
"What did you say?""
Vanessa wiped her face.
"I said I was at home.""
Karen put down her pen.
"That is a serious matter. You need to understand that the original accident investigation may need to be revisited.""
Vanessa nodded.
I looked at my wife.
"Who sent me the photograph?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
My phone vibrated again.
A new message appeared.
*You have the wrong person to blame. Thomas was driving, but he wasn't the one who arranged the meeting.*
I showed Karen.
She read it twice.
"Do not respond.""
Another message arrived.
This time, there was an attachment.
It was an audio recording.
I pressed play.
A male voice spoke.
"Thomas, you need to get those documents back before she reaches Michael.""
A second voice answered.
"She's not going to cooperate.""
"Then make her understand what happens if she does.""
The recording ended.
I replayed it.
The first voice sounded familiar.
Very familiar.
I played it again.
Brianna looked at me.
"Dad?""
I couldn't answer.
I knew that voice.
I'd heard it at Sarah's hospital bedside.
I'd heard it at her funeral.
I'd heard it during dozens of family dinners.
It belonged to Thomas.
But the second voice...
The second voice belonged to someone else.
Someone who had been present when Sarah was pronounced dead.
Someone who had comforted me while I held Emily in my arms.
I turned the volume up.
The second voice spoke again.
"You have one job, Thomas. Make sure Michael never sees those documents.""
My blood ran cold.
I looked toward Vanessa.
She was staring at the phone.
Her lips were trembling.
"Who is that?"" I demanded.
She didn't answer.
Brianna took the phone and replayed the recording.
Then she suddenly stepped backward.
"No.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
She stared at her mother.
"That's Derek.""
Vanessa closed her eyes.
I felt my chest tighten.
Derek had been involved in the financial fraud.
He had received Emily's money.
He had helped forge my signature.
But now there was evidence that he had also directed Thomas's actions on the night Sarah died.
I picked up my phone and called Karen.
"We have another recording.""
She immediately returned to the living room.
"Michael, we need to get this to the investigators.""
Before I could hand her the phone, it rang.
An incoming call.
Derek Collins.
I answered and put it on speaker.
"Michael.""
His voice sounded calm.
Almost amused.
"You've been asking a lot of questions.""
"Where are you?""
"That isn't important.""
"Did you arrange the meeting with Sarah?""
A pause.
Then he laughed.
"You're finally beginning to understand.""
"What happened that night?""
"I think you should ask Thomas.""
"I already did.""
"Then you know he wasn't acting alone.""
I gripped the phone.
"Did you tell him to follow Sarah?""
Derek became silent.
Then he said:
"Michael, the person you should be angry with isn't Thomas.""
"Then who?""
His answer came slowly.
"Ask Vanessa what she promised me in exchange for marrying you.""
I looked at my wife.
She had gone completely pale.
Derek continued.
"Because seven years ago, I didn't just help Vanessa get access to your money.""
He paused.
"I helped her make sure that when Sarah died, Emily would have nobody left who knew the truth.""
The call disconnected.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Vanessa reached into her purse and removed a small, folded photograph.
She placed it in front of me.
It showed Sarah in the hospital, holding Emily's hand.
On the back was a handwritten sentence.
*Michael, there's a reason I didn't tell you who Emily's legal guardian was supposed to be.*
I looked up.
Vanessa was crying.
And she whispered:
"Because Sarah had already chosen someone else to raise Emily if anything happened to her.""
Karen slowly took the photograph.
She turned it over.
Then she recognized the signature beneath Sarah's message.
It wasn't mine.
It wasn't Thomas's.
May you like
It belonged to someone I had trusted for years.
*And that person was coming to our house the next morning.*
