Chapter 8: The Woman Who Arrived at the Lake
My mother refused to continue until Nathan closed the hospital room door.
Then she asked him to sit beside me.
"I need you both to listen carefully," she said.
"What I'm about to tell you could put people in danger.""
Nathan nodded.
"My mother has already put Emily in danger. I won't let that happen again.""
Mom gave him a sad smile.
"You sound like Richard.""
She took a sip of water, then began.
"When I arrived at the lake that afternoon, Richard was carrying a brown leather briefcase. He looked exhausted. He told me he hadn't slept properly in weeks.""
"What was in the briefcase?"" Nathan asked.
"Copies of bank transfers, company ledgers, and recordings of conversations with Isabella.""
Nathan stared at her.
"Recordings?""
"Richard believed she was arranging payments through a private company. He had started documenting every conversation after discovering that several invoices were fraudulent.""
Michael had told us about suspicious transfers, but hearing my mother describe the evidence made the situation feel horribly real.
"What happened when Isabella arrived?"" I asked.
Mom closed her eyes.
"She stepped out of her car wearing a white coat. She looked perfectly calm. She even smiled at me.""
My mother paused.
"Then she asked Richard why he had brought a stranger into their family business.""
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"She knew who you were?""
"She knew I had been examining the accounts. She didn't know I had already made copies of some documents.""
Mom looked at me.
"Richard told her that he was going to the authorities the next morning. He said he had given copies to someone outside the company.""
"Who?"" Nathan asked.
"I don't know. He refused to tell me.""
She rubbed her hands together.
"Isabella became furious. She accused him of betraying her after everything she had sacrificed for him.""
Nathan shook his head.
"My father never told me they were having problems.""
"They were having problems long before that afternoon.""
My mother described the argument in fragments.
Richard demanded that Isabella explain the transfers. Isabella insisted the money had been used to save the company. Richard told her that some of it had gone into private accounts.
Then Isabella turned to my mother.
"She said, 'You should have stayed out of this, Margaret.''"
I felt my stomach tighten.
Mom continued.
"Richard told her to leave. He said they would discuss everything with the board the following morning.""
"What happened next?"" I whispered.
My mother began to cry.
"I heard a crash near the dock. Richard stumbled backward, and the briefcase fell into the water.""
Nathan stood.
"Did she push him?""
"I didn't see what happened. I was standing behind the car when I heard the crash. By the time I reached the dock, Richard was in the water.""
"Was he alive?""
Mom nodded, tears running down her cheeks.
"He was conscious. He called for help.""
Nathan covered his mouth.
My mother continued, her voice barely audible.
"I tried to reach him, but Isabella grabbed my arm. She told me to stay back because the current was dangerous. Then she called someone.""
"Who?"" Nathan demanded.
"I don't know. She said only three words.""
Mom stared at the wall.
"She said, 'It's already done.''"
Nathan looked as though he might collapse.
"What happened to my father?""
Mom shook her head.
"I saw a second car arrive. A man got out and went into the water. I thought he was trying to save Richard.""
"Was it Daniel?"" Nathan asked.
"I couldn't see his face clearly.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"The man pulled Richard toward the shore. Then Isabella told me to leave. She said if I spoke to the police, she'd tell them I had been involved in the financial fraud.""
I leaned forward.
"Did you leave?""
Mom nodded.
"I was frightened. I had you and Lauren to protect. I thought if I went to the police without evidence, Isabella would destroy us.""
"But Richard's body was found," Nathan said.
"The official report said he drowned.""
"Yes.""
"And Daniel died in the same accident.""
Mom looked at him with haunted eyes.
"I never saw Daniel that afternoon. I never saw a second body.""
Nathan turned toward the window.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the monitor beside my mother's bed.
Then he asked, "Why didn't you tell the police that you had been there?""
"I tried to call the detective the following morning. Before I could speak, Isabella arrived at my house.""
My mother gripped my hand.
"She had photographs of you and Lauren leaving school. She knew where you lived, where I worked, and which hospital treated your father before he died.""
I felt sick.
"She threatened us?""
"She told me that if I ever mentioned the lake, she would make sure my daughters suffered for my mistakes.""
Nathan's face hardened.
"She threatened children.""
"She was very convincing," Mom whispered.
"And I had no evidence that could protect you.""
I leaned forward and hugged her carefully.
"Mom, you should never have had to carry this alone.""
She pressed her cheek against mine.
"I wanted you to have a normal life.""
I closed my eyes.
Instead, my mother had spent years living with a secret that might explain why someone was now trying to destroy my wedding.
Nathan's phone vibrated.
Michael had sent a message.
*The black phone has been examined preliminarily. Several deleted messages were recovered. One contains a location and a meeting time for tonight.*
Nathan called him immediately.
"What location?""
"The old Whitmore lake house," Michael replied.
"The message says someone will retrieve the original documents at nine.""
Nathan checked his watch.
It was 8:17 p.m.
"Who sent it?""
"We're still verifying the number. But the message was sent from a device associated with your mother's office.""
My mother began shaking her head.
"No. No, she's going back there.""
Nathan looked at her.
"Who is?""
"Isabella. She always kept copies of important documents at the lake house. She told Richard she wanted a place where the company couldn't reach them.""
I stared at Nathan.
"Then we need to get the police involved.""
"Michael is contacting them," he said.
"We're not going anywhere alone.""
Mom caught my wrist.
"Emily, there's something I haven't told you.""
I looked down at her.
She reached beneath her pillow and pulled out a small envelope.
"I kept this hidden for three years. I thought the person who gave it to me was dead.""
Inside was a photograph of Daniel Cross standing beside a woman whose face was partially obscured.
On the back, someone had written an address and a date.
The date was six months after Daniel's supposed death.
Nathan stared at it.
"Who gave you this?""
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
"A man who came to my house three days after Richard died. He said his name was James Miller.""
Nathan stepped backward.
"James? My father's driver?""
Mom nodded.
"He told me Richard might still be alive.""
The room seemed to tilt.
Nathan gripped the edge of the bed.
"What did he mean?""
May you like
My mother looked directly at him.
"He said the body they buried might not have been your father's.""
