Chapter 11: The Body Beneath the Concrete
Laura read the message twice.
Then she closed the laptop.
"We have to leave.""
I stared at her.
"Detective Harris is outside.""
"And Patricia is with him.""
"He's a police officer!""
"Emily, your father trusted Daniel. Look where that got us.""
She grabbed the photographs from the table and shoved them into a canvas bag.
I stood frozen, trying to make sense of the message.
The body beneath the concrete wasn't Victor Hale.
It was Daniel's first victim.
"Who was the victim?"" I asked.
"I don't know.""
"Then how do you know the message is true?""
Laura looked at me.
"I don't. That's why we can't stay here.""
Three hard knocks shook the front door.
"Emily!"" Harris called.
"We need to speak with you immediately.""
I moved toward the entrance.
Laura caught my hand.
"If you open that door, you may not get another chance to hear the truth.""
I pulled free.
"I can't keep running from everyone.""
I unlocked the door.
Detective Harris stood on the porch, his expression tight. Patricia was beside him, clutching a tissue. The second officer remained near the gate.
"Emily, step outside," Harris said.
"Why?""
"Because we need to take you somewhere safe.""
I glanced at my mother.
"Is that why you brought her?""
Patricia began crying.
"Emily, please. I was so worried.""
I looked at the detective.
"Why is my mother here?""
Harris lowered his voice.
"She says she has information about the financial investigation.""
"Convenient.""
His jaw tightened.
"Emily, I need you to cooperate.""
"Then tell me who the body belongs to.""
For a fraction of a second, his expression changed.
It was small.
But I saw it.
"You've heard about the remains?"" he asked.
"Someone told me they weren't Victor Hale.""
Harris looked toward Patricia.
She shook her head quickly.
"I don't know anything about that.""
Laura appeared behind me.
"Then why did you bring the police here, Patricia?""
My mother stared at her.
For a moment, the two women looked at each other with the intensity of people who had spent decades hating the same secret.
"Because Emily is in danger," Patricia whispered.
Laura laughed bitterly.
"You've been saying that since the day you took her from me.""
Harris stepped between them.
"Enough. Everyone needs to remain calm.""
I looked directly at him.
"Detective, I need to ask you something. Did you know my husband was investigating this case before you came to my house?""
"No.""
"Did you know he bought the property where the remains were discovered?""
His silence was answer enough.
I stepped backward.
"You're hiding something.""
Harris removed his cap.
"Emily, the investigation is more complicated than you realize.""
"Then explain it.""
He looked at Patricia.
She nodded almost imperceptibly.
Harris finally spoke.
"The body found beneath the concrete belongs to a man named Samuel Price. He worked as a bookkeeper for your father's company.""
I remembered the name from old family photographs. Samuel had visited our house several times when I was a teenager. He'd brought Dad paperwork and stayed for dinner.
"What happened to him?""
"We believe he was killed shortly before your father's disappearance.""
"By whom?""
"We don't know.""
I turned toward Laura.
She looked genuinely shocked.
"Samuel was dead?"" she whispered.
Harris nodded.
"His disappearance was never formally reported. His family believed he'd left the state.""
I gripped the doorframe.
"Why would Daniel have been involved?""
"Because the property was purchased through a company he controlled, and because the original financial records show that Samuel transferred money into accounts linked to Daniel.""
My mother suddenly spoke.
"Richard knew Samuel was going to expose the theft.""
Laura turned on her.
"Then why didn't he protect him?""
Patricia's face crumpled.
"Because he was too late.""
The words silenced everyone.
I stepped toward her.
"What do you mean?""
She wiped her eyes.
"Samuel came to Richard with evidence that Victor was stealing from the company. Richard promised to meet him at the warehouse. But someone leaked the meeting details.""
"Who?""
Patricia shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Laura stared at her.
"You expect us to believe that?""
"I didn't know Daniel was involved until much later!""
"Then why did you keep working with him?""
My mother looked at me.
"Because he told me he knew where Richard was.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"You paid Daniel to find Dad?""
She nodded.
"After Richard disappeared, Daniel approached me. He said he could help recover the money and locate your father. He promised that if I cooperated, you would inherit everything.""
"And the affair?""
Patricia covered her face.
"I was lonely. I was frightened. He told me he understood what I was going through.""
I stared at her.
"So you slept with him.""
She nodded.
"And you helped him forge my signature.""
"No!"" She shook her head violently.
"I never signed those papers.""
"Did you know he was using my name?""
She hesitated.
That hesitation destroyed whatever remained of my trust.
"You knew," I whispered.
"I knew he'd been moving money through an account registered to you. I didn't know about the forged documents until recently.""
Harris stepped forward.
"Mrs. Thompson, are you admitting that you knowingly participated in financial transactions using your daughter's identity?""
My mother began crying harder.
"I was trying to find Richard!""
"That's not an answer.""
She looked at me desperately.
"Emily, I swear I never wanted you to be hurt.""
I shook my head.
"You keep saying that as if it changes what you did.""
A phone vibrated in Harris's pocket.
He answered, listened, and went pale.
"Where?"" he asked.
A pause.
"Understood.""
He ended the call and looked at us.
"We have a problem.""
Laura folded her arms.
"What now?""
"The medical examiner found something inside Samuel Price's clothing. A storage key with a number stamped on it.""
I remembered the brass key from the estate folder.
"Another safe deposit box?""
Harris nodded.
"But this one belongs to a bank in Savannah.""
My mother took a shaky breath.
"That box belongs to Richard.""
I stared at her.
"How do you know?""
"Because he told me about it the night he disappeared.""
Harris looked at her sharply.
"What did he say?""
Patricia's voice dropped.
"He said if anything happened to him, the box would prove who killed Samuel Price.""
Laura grabbed the canvas bag.
"Then we need to get there before Daniel does.""
Harris blocked the doorway.
"Nobody is going anywhere until I have authorization.""
A sudden crash came from the backyard.
We all turned.
The kitchen window shattered inward.
A brick rolled across the floor, tied to a folded piece of paper.
Harris drew his weapon and ordered everyone away from the windows.
I picked up the note only after he had checked the room.
Three words were written in thick black ink.
*ASK YOUR MOTHER.*
Beneath them was a second sentence.
*SHE KNOWS WHO KILLED SAMUEL.*
I looked at Patricia.
She had gone completely white.
"Mom?""
Her lips trembled.
Then she whispered, "I didn't kill him.""
Laura stepped closer.
"Nobody said you did.""
May you like
My mother looked at me.
"But I saw who did.""
