Chapter 6: My Sister Finally Confessed
“Emily was supposed to protect me?””
I read the sentence again.
Then I turned toward Detective Maddox.
“What does that mean?””
She studied the document.
“It could mean your mother trusted her with something. We need to find out what.””
Daniel folded his arms.
“Your mother knew Marcus was dangerous. Maybe she asked Emily to keep an eye on him.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn't make sense. Emily was helping him.””
“People can be involved in something and still be afraid of it,” Daniel said.
I wanted to disagree.
But I remembered her messages.
The photograph outside the clinic.
The text warning me not to trust Daniel.
And the warning about the safe.
She knew what was inside.
She also knew what Marcus wanted.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
One of the officers stepped into the study.
“Detective, there's a woman at the front door. She says she's Lauren Mitchell's sister.””
My heart started pounding.
“Emily?””
The officer nodded.
Detective Maddox immediately instructed him to keep her outside until they spoke.
I stood up.
“I want to see her.””
“Lauren,” Maddox said, “we need to be careful.””
“I know. But I need answers.””
She considered me for a moment.
“Stay beside me. Don't go anywhere alone with her.””
We walked into the hallway.
Emily stood near the entrance, wearing the same cream-colored coat from the photograph.
Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were swollen, and her hands were shaking.
The moment she saw me, she began crying.
“Lauren.””
I didn't move.
“Why did you do it?””
She shook her head.
“I can explain.””
“Then explain.””
Emily looked at Detective Maddox.
“Can we talk privately?””
“No,” I answered.
“You're my sister.””
“And apparently that didn't stop you from helping my husband steal my house.””
Her face crumpled.
“I never wanted him to hurt you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Then why did you help him?””
She looked toward the study.
“Because I made a terrible mistake.””
“Which one? Taking his money? Forging my signature? Or helping him convince a doctor that I was mentally unstable?””
Emily covered her mouth.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she whispered, “All of them.””
The confession landed heavily.
I gripped the hallway railing.
Detective Maddox stepped forward.
“Emily, I need you to understand that anything you say may become part of an investigation.””
“I know.””
“Did you assist Marcus in obtaining medical documents under your sister's name?””
“Yes.””
“Did you know he was attempting to obtain control of her property?””
Emily nodded.
“Yes.””
“Did you know about the life insurance application?””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“How could you?””
She started crying harder.
“Marcus told me you were going to sell the house eventually. He said you didn't care about it anymore. He said he was going to help you manage everything.””
“You knew Mom left it to me.””
“I know.””
“You were with me at her funeral. You heard the lawyer read the will.””
“I know, Lauren!””
Her voice cracked.
“Then why?””
Emily lowered herself onto the hallway bench.
“I owed money. A lot of it. I got into trouble after my business failed.
I borrowed from the wrong people, and Marcus found out. He offered to help.””
“How much?””
She looked down.
“Almost sixty thousand dollars.””
I felt my stomach twist.
“So he paid your debts, and you helped him take my house?””
“At first, I thought it was just paperwork. He said he needed to protect the property until you got better.””
“And the signature?””
Emily didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Did you forge my signature?””
She nodded.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I was terrified. Marcus said if I refused, he'd expose everything about my debts. He said he'd make sure I lost everything.””
I stared at her.
“You think I wasn't afraid?””
She looked up.
For the first time, there was no excuse on her face.
Only shame.
Then I asked the question I'd been avoiding.
“What happens on Sunday?””
Emily's expression changed.
She glanced at Detective Maddox before looking back at me.
“Marcus has arranged for a private medical evaluator to visit the house.””
“Why?””
“He wants them to see you confused. Disoriented. Unable to answer basic questions.””
“But why Sunday?””
“Because the insurance application is supposed to become active, and he's arranged a meeting concerning the property.””
Detective Maddox interrupted.
“Who is conducting the medical evaluation?””
“Dr. Pierce's associate. I don't know his full name.””
“Does Dr. Pierce know about this?””
Emily nodded hesitantly.
“He was involved at the beginning. But when he realized what Marcus wanted, he tried to back out.””
I remembered the forged medical statement.
“What did Marcus do?””
“He threatened to expose the doctor's involvement in the paperwork.””
Detective Maddox wrote something down.
“And the life insurance? Why is Vanessa named as beneficiary?””
Emily wiped her face.
“Because Marcus promised her the money.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“He promised my wife two million dollars?””
Emily nodded.
“He told her Lauren would never know. He said everything would be over by Sunday.””
I felt cold all over.
“What does that mean?””
Emily looked directly at me.
“Marcus doesn't just want you declared incompetent.””
Her voice dropped.
“He wants you dead.””
The hallway seemed to disappear around me.
Detective Maddox immediately moved closer.
“Emily, tell me exactly what you know.””
My sister grabbed my hand.
“He said there would be an accident. Something that would make your medical problems look like the cause. I don't know every detail. I swear.””
I pulled my hand away.
“You knew he was planning to kill me?””
“I found out three days ago.””
“And you still went to the clinic with him?””
“I was trying to get proof!””
“You handed him documents!””
“I was trying to keep him from realizing I was scared!””
I stared at her.
“You could have called me.””
“I was afraid he was watching your phone. He knew everything. He knew when you went to the grocery store, when you visited the doctor, even when you called Daniel.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why did you tell her not to trust me?””
Emily looked at him.
“Because I don't know what you're planning either.””
Daniel frowned.
“What?””
She turned toward me.
“Lauren, Daniel didn't tell you everything about how he found out about the affair.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“What are you talking about?””
Emily pulled a small memory card from her coat pocket.
“Marcus has been meeting someone else. Someone who helped arrange the insurance policy.””
Detective Maddox took the card and examined it.
“Who?””
Emily's lips trembled.
Then she said a name I hadn't heard in months.
“Your mother's attorney.””
I looked at Daniel.
He wasn't surprised.
That frightened me more than anything Emily had said.
“Daniel,” I whispered.
“Why do you look like you already knew?””
He slowly lowered his eyes.
“Because I recognized his name in the envelope.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
Daniel reached inside his jacket and pulled out a folded photograph.
It showed Marcus standing outside a restaurant with a silver-haired man.
The man was holding a leather briefcase.
I recognized him immediately.
Mr. Bennett.
The attorney who had handled my mother's estate.
The man who'd sat across from me after her funeral and promised that my mother's property would always be protected.
Daniel placed the photograph on the hallway table.
“There is something you need to understand about that safe, Lauren.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
He looked toward Detective Maddox.
“The original documents in that safe aren't the only things your mother left behind.””
Then he turned back to me.
“She left something specifically for the day Marcus tried to take your life.””
My phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
May you like
It was from Marcus.
*I know Emily is there. You have until noon to bring me the original deed. Otherwise, you'll never learn what your mother really died trying to hide.*
