Chapter 5: The Woman Waiting in the Lobby
I didn't go downstairs immediately.
Instead, I locked my hotel room door, moved the desk chair beneath the handle, and called the front desk.
“Please don't send anyone up to my room,” I told the receptionist.
“And don't tell the woman where I'm staying beyond the fact that I'm a registered guest.””
“Of course, Ms. Carter.””
I waited for the receptionist to hang up.
Then I called Mr. Harrison.
“Denise Reed is here.””
He swore softly.
“Did you invite her?””
“No. She apparently knows I'm staying here.””
“Stay in your room. I'll contact hotel security and come over.””
“Why would she come here?””
“Because she may know the box contains evidence concerning her.””
The words made my stomach tighten.
“Evidence of what?””
“I don't want to speculate before we've examined it. But if Denise is trying to reach you tonight, she may believe you already have something she needs.””
I looked at my father's letter on the desk.
“I haven't told her about the key.””
“Then don't. I'll be there in twenty minutes.””
I ended the call and checked the lock again.
A minute later, my phone rang.
Denise.
I nearly let it go to voicemail.
Instead, I answered and put it on speaker.
“Sarah, darling,” she said, her voice warm and familiar.
“I'm so relieved you picked up.””
The same voice that had comforted me after my father died.
The same woman who had brought casseroles to the house while I sat on the couch, unable to imagine a world without him.
“What do you want, Denise?””
“I heard there was a misunderstanding between you and Daniel.””
I laughed bitterly.
“A misunderstanding?””
“He told me you came home unexpectedly and became upset. I thought perhaps I could help you two work through it.””
“You heard I caught him in bed with Vanessa, and you came here to help us work through it?””
A long silence followed.
Then Denise sighed.
“Sarah, relationships are complicated. You know how much I care about you.””
“Did you witness documents transferring my house?””
“I witnessed documents Daniel told me you had approved.””
“Did you see me sign them?””
“I was assured the authorization was legitimate.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Her voice cooled.
“I'm not going to be interrogated by you over the telephone.””
“Then answer one question. Why is your name on a company with Daniel that was created six weeks ago?””
Silence.
This time, it lasted longer.
Finally, Denise said, “Your father left a number of affairs unfinished. Daniel was trying to resolve them.””
“By forging my signature?””
“No one forged anything.””
I stood so quickly that the chair scraped across the carpet.
“You haven't even seen the documents!””
“Sarah, listen to me. You are upset, and I understand that. But your father wasn't always honest about his finances. He left debts and obligations that you know nothing about.””
“My attorney says the company is worth millions.””
“Your attorney doesn't know everything.””
“Then tell me what he doesn't know.””
She exhaled.
“Meet me downstairs. We can discuss this privately.””
“No.””
“Sarah, I'm trying to protect you.””
“Then stop trying to meet me in secret.””
I ended the call.
My hands were trembling, but something about the conversation had clarified the situation.
Denise hadn't asked whether I was safe.
She hadn't asked how I was coping with Daniel's betrayal.
She hadn't even denied knowing about the company.
She wanted the documents.
Twenty minutes later, Mr. Harrison arrived with a colleague and a hotel security supervisor.
He listened as I described the conversation, then looked toward the lobby.
“She's still here,” I said.
“Then let's speak with her somewhere public.””
We went downstairs together.
Denise stood near the reception desk wearing a cream-colored coat and pearl earrings. She looked exactly as she had at my father's funeral: composed, elegant, and almost impossible to imagine doing anything cruel.
When she saw me, she opened her arms.
“Oh, sweetheart.””
I stepped away before she could embrace me.
Her expression flickered.
“Sarah, please. This is all getting out of hand.””
Mr. Harrison moved beside me.
“Denise, I'm representing Sarah in matters concerning her father's estate. Any discussion of disputed property documents needs to go through my office.””
Denise straightened.
“I've known Sarah since she was a child.””
“And I have a professional obligation to protect her interests.””
“From me?””
“From anyone whose actions may have compromised her legal rights.””
Her lips tightened.
I watched her carefully.
“Why did you sign as a witness on documents claiming I approved a transfer of my house?””
“I witnessed Daniel's identification.””
“You witnessed his identity while certifying mine?””
She looked toward Mr. Harrison.
“I was told the documents had been properly executed.””
“By whom?”” he asked.
“Daniel.””
“Did you personally see Sarah sign them?””
Denise looked down.
“No.””
The answer landed like a stone.
Mr. Harrison took out a notebook.
“Thank you. We'll record that statement through the proper channels.””
Denise's face reddened.
“You're making a terrible mistake. Daniel has been trying to settle your father's outstanding obligations for months. If you interfere, you could expose yourself to claims you don't understand.””
“What obligations?””
She glanced at me.
“Your father borrowed money.””
“From whom?””
“I can't discuss that here.””
“Then tell me where I can discuss it.””
She hesitated.
“Tomorrow. My office.””
Mr. Harrison shook his head.
“No private meeting. Any relevant records can be provided directly to counsel.””
Denise's eyes flashed.
“You can't keep her in the dark forever.””
“I don't intend to,” he replied.
“That's why we're opening the safe-deposit box tomorrow.””
For the first time, Denise lost her composure completely.
“You can't open that box!””
The words burst out of her before she could stop them.
Everyone around us seemed to pause.
Mr. Harrison went still.
I felt the brass key in my pocket.
“Why not?”” I asked.
Denise stared at me.
Her face had gone pale beneath her makeup.
Then she lowered her voice.
“Because your father left things in there that should never have been kept.””
“What things?””
She took a step closer.
“Sarah, I am begging you. Before you open that box, you need to understand that your father wasn't the man you think he was.””
I looked at the woman who had helped arrange his funeral, who had held my hands and told me he had died peacefully.
“Neither are you,” I whispered.
Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't apologize.
Instead, she turned toward Mr. Harrison.
“If you open that box, you'll be responsible for what happens next.””
Then she walked out of the hotel.
I watched through the glass doors as she climbed into a black SUV and drove away.
Mr. Harrison waited until the vehicle disappeared.
“Sarah, we need to be careful. She just confirmed she knows what's in that box.””
“Or she knows what she thinks is in it.””
“Either way, someone has reason to fear those documents.””
I looked at him.
“Did my father suspect her of stealing from him?””
Mr. Harrison closed his notebook.
“He suspected that someone had manipulated the company's voting records. He never proved who was responsible.””
“Was Daniel involved?””
“I don't know.””
“But my father did.””
He didn't answer.
That night, I barely slept.
At 3:12 a.m., my phone lit up with a message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of my father's gravestone.
Beneath it were seven words.
*Ask Harrison who was there that night.*
I stared at the screen until the letters blurred.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
*Your father didn't die the way you were told.*
