Chapter 9: The Man Who Disappeared Before Grandma Died
Eleanor stared at the photograph for nearly a minute.
I waited.
"Who is in this picture?""
She turned it toward the light.
"The man beside your grandmother is Daniel Mercer.""
I leaned closer.
Grandma looked exhausted, but she was standing upright. One hand rested on Daniel's arm.
The date printed beneath the photograph was four years old.
Three days before Grandma died.
"What is the note talking about?"" I asked.
"It says he wasn't working alone.""
Eleanor placed the photograph on the table.
"I suspect your grandmother was trying to tell me that the transfer involved another person.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"I don't know yet.""
A sudden noise came from the hallway.
We both turned.
Tessa stood in the doorway.
Her mascara was smudged, and she was holding her phone.
"Mom wants you to come back.""
I folded my arms.
"Why?""
"She says this has gone too far.""
I laughed without humor.
"She should have thought about that before stealing Grandma's business.""
Tessa walked into the room.
Her eyes moved across the open cabinet.
When she saw the ownership certificate, she stopped.
"Is that Grandma's company?""
"Yes.""
"Really?""
I stared at her.
"You didn't know?""
Tessa shook her head.
"Mom said Grandma had sold everything before she died.""
Eleanor closed the document folder.
"Did your mother tell you that you were being listed as the new owner?""
Tessa looked down.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"About two months ago.""
My stomach tightened.
"Two months ago?""
Tessa nodded.
"She said she was finally putting things right. She told me Grandma had always wanted me to continue the business.""
I couldn't believe it.
"Grandma wanted me to have the company.""
"That's what Mom said.""
"Then why did you sign the application?""
Tessa's eyes filled with tears.
"Because she told me you'd already agreed.""
I stepped closer.
"Did you see my signature?""
"She showed me a copy.""
"Did you ask me?""
Tessa shook her head.
I almost laughed.
For years, she'd taken everything Gloria gave her without questioning where it came from.
And now my sister was finally discovering that she had been handed stolen property.
"Why did you need the competition application?"" I asked.
Tessa swallowed.
"Mom said the sponsor was interested in the company. She said if I won the competition, it would make the transfer easier.""
I stared at her.
"So you knew the bakery was involved.""
"I didn't know Grandma had left it to you!""
"But you knew you were claiming something that belonged to our family.""
Tessa began crying.
"I thought you wouldn't care.""
That sentence hurt more than I expected.
Not because I wanted my sister to approve of me.
Because she knew exactly how much baking meant to me.
And she still believed my dreams were disposable.
Eleanor picked up the transfer application.
"Tessa, did you personally sign this document?""
My sister shook her head.
"Yes. But I didn't sign Aaliyah's name.""
"Who did?""
"Mom said she had permission.""
I felt my heart pounding.
"Did you watch her sign it?""
Tessa hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"Yes.""
I stared at her.
"Tell me exactly what happened.""
Tessa sat down.
"About six weeks ago, Mom asked me to come to her house. Daniel Mercer was there.""
Eleanor immediately looked up.
"Daniel was there?""
"Yes. He had gray hair and wore a dark suit. Mom said he was helping with the business paperwork.""
I felt a chill.
"Was that the first time you met him?""
"No. I'd seen him once when I was little. He came to Grandma's house shortly before she died.""
Eleanor moved closer.
"What did he say?""
"Not much. He asked Mom whether she had the original documents. She said she'd found everything.""
"Everything?""
Tessa nodded.
"He had a black briefcase. He took a paper out and gave it to Mom. Then she copied Aaliyah's signature from an old school form.""
My hands went cold.
"Which form?""
"Your high school enrollment form. It was in a folder Mom kept in the study.""
I looked away.
That explained the almost-perfect handwriting.
Gloria had possessed my real signature for years.
Tessa continued.
"Daniel said it wasn't enough to copy the signature. He wanted the original certificate.""
I grabbed the edge of the table.
"Did Mom give it to him?""
"Yes.""
Eleanor's expression became serious.
"Did you hear where he intended to take it?""
Tessa shook her head.
"He said he'd meet her at a bank.""
I swallowed.
"Which bank?""
"I don't know. Mom told him she'd bring everything to his office.""
Eleanor looked at the archive documents again.
"That's important.""
I turned toward her.
"What is?""
"If Daniel was involved in preparing the transfer, he may still possess the original filing records.""
Tessa wiped her face.
"There's something else.""
We both looked at her.
She reached into her handbag and removed a small folded receipt.
"I found this in Mom's car yesterday.""
She placed it on the table.
It was a hotel receipt.
The date was from the previous evening.
The guest name was Daniel Mercer.
The hotel was only three miles from the competition venue.
Eleanor examined it.
"He's in Atlanta?""
Tessa nodded.
"Mom said he was leaving town after the competition.""
My heart began racing.
"Why?""
Tessa looked at me.
"Because he told her the paperwork would be finished by tonight.""
I turned toward Eleanor.
"We need to find him.""
Eleanor checked her phone.
"I'll contact our legal counsel and notify the authorities about the suspected fraudulent transfer.""
She photographed the receipt and slipped it into a protective sleeve.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But the message contained a photograph.
It showed the front of the old Rosewood building.
Someone had taken it minutes earlier.
Below it were nine words.
*Stop digging through your grandmother's papers. You don't know what she did.*
My fingers went numb.
Another message appeared.
*Ask Eleanor why she never told you about the hospital.*
I slowly raised my eyes.
Eleanor was staring at my phone.
Her face had gone completely white.
"Who sent that?"" she whispered.
"I don't know.""
She took the phone and examined the number.
Then she sat down.
I had never seen her look frightened before.
"What's wrong?"" I asked.
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked at the photograph from the hospital.
Then she turned it over again.
Her finger rested on a line of handwriting I'd overlooked.
*Eleanor knows the truth about the last night Rose was alive.*
I stepped closer.
"What truth?""
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
Finally, she spoke.
"Your grandmother didn't die peacefully in her sleep, Aaliyah.""
My entire body went cold.
"What are you saying?""
She looked directly at me.
"Four years ago, I received a phone call from Rose at 11:47 p.m. She told me Gloria and Daniel were coming to the house to take the original ownership certificate.""
I could barely breathe.
"Did you go?""
Eleanor nodded.
"And when I arrived, your grandmother was already gone.""
"Who was there?""
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"Your mother. Daniel. And one other person.""
I gripped the table.
"Who?""
Before Eleanor could answer, my phone rang again.
This time, the caller ID displayed a name I recognized.
*GLORIA JOHNSON.*
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And the first words out of my mother's mouth were:
"Aaliyah, don't believe anything Eleanor tells you. She's the reason your grandmother died.""
