Chapter 10: The Brother Who Disappeared
Daniel had vanished.
By noon, his office had been closed, his company phone disconnected, and his apartment emptied of anything that looked valuable.
Detective Walker stood beside the conference room window, reading a report on his tablet.
"His employees say he left yesterday afternoon. He told them he was traveling to meet an investor.""
"Did he say where?""
"New York, supposedly. But there are no flight records under his name.""
Rachel folded her arms.
"Has anyone contacted his wife?""
"He's unmarried.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"Then where would he go?""
Detective Walker looked at me.
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
I thought about the places Daniel used to visit when we were children.
Our father's fishing cabin near Lake Lanier.
The little restaurant where he celebrated his twenty-first birthday.
The storage unit where he'd kept his college furniture.
Then I remembered something.
"There's a warehouse.""
Rachel looked up.
"What warehouse?""
"An old commercial property Dad owned outside Atlanta. Daniel used it for his company before he moved downtown.""
Walker immediately wrote down the address.
"Does he still have access?""
"He shouldn't. Dad transferred the property into the estate.""
"Shouldn't isn't the same as can't.""
Detective Walker contacted the relevant authorities and arranged to have the property checked.
Before we left, my phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa.
*Please don't let Daniel find Lily.*
I showed Rachel.
She read it twice.
"Has he threatened her?""
I called Vanessa.
This time, she answered immediately.
"Marcus?""
"Why shouldn't Daniel find Lily?""
She began crying.
"Because he thinks she has something.""
"What?""
"The phone.""
"Daniel knows the phone is in police custody.""
"Not the second one.""
My stomach tightened.
"What second phone?""
Vanessa went quiet.
Then she whispered:
"The one I kept.""
Rachel immediately signaled for me to put the call on speaker.
"Where is it?"" I asked.
"In my bedroom. Behind the loose panel in the closet.""
"What does it contain?""
"Everything.""
"Everything about what?""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"The original conversations. The money transfers. The hospital recordings.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell the investigators?""
"Because Daniel said he'd destroy me if I did.""
"Vanessa, you have been lying to everyone for months. Why should I believe you now?""
She sobbed.
"Because he came to the house last night.""
My blood ran cold.
"What?""
"He searched my bedroom. He took my laptop and some papers. He didn't find the phone because I moved it.""
"Where are you now?""
"At my sister's.""
Rachel immediately wrote down the location and contacted Detective Walker.
I continued.
"Why is Daniel so afraid of that phone?""
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"Because it has the conversation from the night your father died.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Is there proof that Daniel changed Dad's medication?""
"I don't know exactly what the recording shows.""
"Then why are you protecting it?""
"Because I was there, Marcus!""
Her voice cracked.
"I saw him take the bottle. I saw him talk to Dr. Price. And I helped him get into the medication room.""
Rachel closed her eyes.
I felt physically sick.
"Why?""
"Daniel said your father was going to have him arrested. He said Dad was confused and needed to be sedated until the lawyers could sort out the estate.""
"And you believed him?""
"I wanted to believe him.""
"You helped him anyway.""
Vanessa didn't answer.
I looked at Rachel.
She mouthed, Keep her talking.
"Did Daniel tell you what was inside the bottle?""
"No. But after your father got worse, I asked him what he'd given him.""
"What did he say?""
Vanessa began crying harder.
"He said it didn't matter anymore.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Then she whispered:
"He said your father had already signed everything.""
"Signed what?""
"The transfer papers. The trust documents. The papers that would give Daniel control of Lily's money.""
I stared at Rachel.
She was writing furiously.
"Vanessa, did my father actually sign those documents?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you see him sign them?""
"No.""
"Then why did you help?""
She answered so quietly I almost couldn't hear her.
"Because Daniel showed me a document with your signature on it. He said you knew.""
I laughed bitterly.
"He forged my signature.""
"I know that now.""
The call ended when Detective Walker received an urgent update.
A patrol unit had located Daniel's vehicle outside the warehouse.
But Daniel wasn't inside.
There was, however, evidence that someone had recently entered.
Walker asked us to remain at the station while officers secured the property.
Twenty minutes later, he returned.
"We found something.""
He placed a photograph on the table.
It showed an office with a metal desk and several filing cabinets.
One drawer had been forced open.
Inside were empty folders, shredded paper, and a small digital recorder.
"Was anything recovered?"" Rachel asked.
"Yes.""
He showed us another photograph.
A handwritten note lay beneath the recorder.
The writing was unmistakably Daniel's.
If Marcus gets the original recording, everything ends.
Beneath it was an address.
My father's old fishing cabin.
I looked at Walker.
"That's where Daniel used to go whenever he wanted to disappear.""
The detective picked up his radio.
"Get a unit to Lake Lanier.""
Then he turned toward me.
"Mr. Bennett, there's something else.""
"What?""
"The warehouse security system recorded someone entering last night.""
He placed a still image on the table.
A woman stood beside the office door.
She was carrying a black handbag.
I recognized her immediately.
It was Laura Price.
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But the person standing behind her was someone I had never expected to see.
My father's former estate attorney, Robert Hayes.
