Chapter 4: The Night Emily Died
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything except the blood pounding in my ears.
Emily had told me she was going to visit her sister that night. I'd kissed her forehead while she packed Lily's overnight bag, complained about the rain, and promised I'd call before bed.
Three hours later, a police officer had knocked on my front door.
Now Daniel was standing in front of me, telling me my wife had been driving somewhere else entirely.
“Explain,” I said.
Daniel glanced at Vanessa, then at Lily, who was holding tightly to the sleeve of my jacket.
“Not in front of the child.””
“Her mother is the reason we're having this conversation. If you know something about Emily's death, you're going to tell me everything.””
Daniel rubbed his palms against his trousers.
“I didn't know she would die that night.””
“That isn't an explanation.””
“I swear to God, Lucas, I didn't know.””
Vanessa stepped between us.
“Daniel, stop. You're making this worse.””
He looked at her sharply.
“You've had two years to tell him.””
“And you've had two years to keep your mouth shut!””
The words exploded down the hallway.
A bridesmaid standing near the staircase covered her mouth. Somewhere behind her, a guest whispered, “What is happening?””
I barely noticed.
I turned to Vanessa.
“You said you didn't know what Emily was doing.””
“I didn't know she was meeting him that night!””
“But you knew they were meeting.””
She looked down.
Daniel let out a bitter laugh.
“That's convenient.””
Vanessa's head snapped toward him.
“Don't you dare.””
“Why not? You've spent months pretending you were the only person trying to protect him.””
“Enough!”” I shouted.
The hallway fell silent.
I handed Lily to my sister, Rachel, who had just arrived from the reception room.
“Take her somewhere quiet,” I said.
“Don't let anyone question her about this.””
Rachel's expression tightened as she looked from Vanessa to Daniel.
“Lucas, what's going on?””
“I don't know yet.””
I kissed Lily's forehead.
“Stay with Aunt Rachel, sweetheart. I'll come get you soon.””
“Promise?””
“I promise.””
When Rachel carried her away, I turned back to Daniel.
“Now talk.””
He swallowed.
“About six months before Emily died, she noticed irregular payments coming out of your company's accounts.””
My construction company had been expanding rapidly at the time. I remembered long nights in the office, arguments with subcontractors, and a financial audit I'd postponed because two major projects were behind schedule.
“Payments to whom?””
“A consulting firm. The invoices looked legitimate, but Emily discovered the company didn't have a real office.””
“Who owned it?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head frantically.
“Don't.””
He ignored her.
“The company was registered under a relative's name. But the money eventually went into an account connected to Vanessa.””
I stared at my bride.
She looked as if she'd been struck.
“That is not what happened,” she said.
“Then tell me what happened,” I replied.
Vanessa's hands trembled around her bouquet.
“I worked for a financial consulting firm before I met you. I helped organize invoices for several clients, including your company. I never stole anything.””
“Then why was money from my business going to an account connected to you?””
“I don't know!””
Daniel stepped forward.
“I have the records.””
“Where?”” I demanded.
“At home.””
“You expect me to believe you discovered financial fraud involving my company and kept the evidence at home for two years?””
“I tried to tell you.””
“When?””
“The week before Emily died.””
I remembered that week.
Daniel had called me twice and asked to meet. I'd been dealing with a lawsuit over a construction delay, and I'd told him we'd talk after the project settled.
We never did.
“Why didn't you come to the house?”” I asked.
“I didn't want to frighten Lily. And Emily said she wanted to confront Vanessa first.””
Vanessa's face hardened.
“She was obsessed with me.””
Daniel shook his head.
“She was afraid of you.””
The sentence seemed to suck all the air from the hallway.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Were you threatening my wife?””
“No!””
“Did you know she was investigating my company's finances?””
Vanessa hesitated.
That hesitation was worse than a denial.
Finally, she whispered, “She confronted me.””
“When?””
“Several days before the accident.””
“What did she say?””
Vanessa pressed her fingers against her forehead.
“She accused me of taking money from your business. She said she had evidence, and she threatened to expose me.””
“And what did you do?””
“I told her she was wrong!””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“You told her she'd regret it.””
Vanessa spun toward him.
“You were there too!””
I felt my stomach twist.
“You were both there?””
Neither answered.
I stepped backward, suddenly aware of the white roses, the guests, and the wedding ceremony waiting downstairs as though the last few minutes hadn't happened.
The woman I planned to marry had hidden a letter from my dead wife.
My best friend had concealed an investigation into my business.
And now both of them were telling me that Emily had died while trying to uncover something involving them.
I pulled the letter from my jacket.
“Emily wrote that I shouldn't assume her death was an accident just because everyone told me it was.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Vanessa began crying.
I looked directly at him.
“Did you believe Emily's accident was suspicious?””
“Yes.””
“Did you tell the police?””
“I gave them everything I had.””
“Then why wasn't I told?””
Daniel's silence stretched until it became unbearable.
Finally, he said, “Because the evidence disappeared.””
“What evidence?””
“The folder Emily was carrying the night she died.””
My fingers tightened around the letter.
“What was in it?””
“Copies of the transfers. Emails. A recording.””
“A recording of whom?””
Daniel looked toward the windows at the end of the hallway.
Then he turned back to me.
“Vanessa.””
She made a strangled sound.
“Daniel, don't!””
He ignored her.
“Emily told me she'd recorded Vanessa admitting where the money went. She was bringing it to me that night.””
“And the recording?””
“Never recovered.””
I stared at him.
“Then how do you know what it contained?””
“Because Emily called me before she left. She said she finally had enough proof to end it.””
“End what?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She backed away until her shoulders touched the wall.
“Your wedding,” he whispered, “was supposed to be the day Emily's secret finally came out.””
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
The message contained one sentence.
If you want to know what really happened to Emily, stop trusting Daniel.
A second message arrived before I could move.
Ask him why he was the last person she called.
I raised my eyes.
May you like
Daniel was staring at my phone.
And from the expression on his face, I knew he had read the message upside down.
