Chapter 12: My Father's Death Was No Accident
I couldn't hear anything except my mother's voice.
Her father didn't die because of the rain.
I played the recording again.
Then again.
Each time, the words seemed more impossible.
My father had been gone for twelve years.
I had attended his funeral in a black dress that was too big for me. I had stood beside Mom while relatives told us he was in a better place.
For years, I had visited his grave every Father's Day.
I had believed he lost control of his car during a storm.
Now my mother was telling me that wasn't true.
"Stop the recording," I whispered.
Jonathan paused it.
I looked at Alexander.
"Did you know?""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"Did Mom ever tell you anything about my father's accident?""
"She mentioned that there were unresolved questions. But she never gave me details.""
I stood and walked toward the window.
My reflection looked pale.
"I need to know what happened.""
Alexander approached.
"We'll find out.""
I turned.
"Not just the financial investigation. Everything. The accident report, the police records, the insurance claim. All of it.""
He nodded.
"I'll make sure the investigators have access to every document.""
Vanessa was still sitting at the table.
She looked as though she might faint.
"Emily...""
I turned.
"Did Daniel ever mention Dad?""
She shook her head.
"Never.""
"Did he know where Dad worked?""
"I don't know.""
"Did he ever meet him?""
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she looked at the floor.
I felt my stomach drop.
"Vanessa.""
She began crying.
"I think he did.""
"What?""
"Before we got married, I found an old photograph in his study. It showed Daniel standing outside a warehouse with another man.""
"What did that have to do with Dad?""
"The man looked like him.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I didn't recognize him at first. I thought it was someone from Daniel's old company.""
"Did you ask?""
"Yes.""
"What did he say?""
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
"He told me it was a former business associate who had died years ago.""
I looked at Alexander.
"Where is the photograph?""
"At the house.""
"Can you get it?""
Vanessa nodded.
"I think so.""
Jonathan interrupted.
"Mrs. Bennett, I need to ask something. Did your mother ever mention a man named Robert Hayes?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
Jonathan opened another document.
"He's listed in your father's accident investigation as the driver of a vehicle that stopped at the scene.""
I frowned.
"Why would that matter?""
"Because he was never interviewed by police. His statement was submitted through an insurance representative.""
Alexander leaned forward.
"Who was the insurance representative?""
Jonathan checked the file.
"Richard Collins.""
The room fell silent.
I looked at the old notebook.
Richard had been involved in my mother's estate.
He had handled my father's accident paperwork.
And he had received money from Daniel.
It was beginning to look like the same people had been connected to my family for years.
"Find Robert Hayes," Alexander said.
Jonathan nodded.
"And request the original accident file. Not the summary. Everything.""
Three hours later, we were sitting in a conference room at Carter Global.
A private investigator named Samuel Brooks had joined us.
He placed a large folder on the table.
"Mr. Carter, we've located Robert Hayes.""
"Where?""
"He lives outside Savannah. He's retired.""
"Can we speak with him?""
"He has agreed to a recorded interview tomorrow.""
I leaned forward.
"What does he know?""
Samuel opened the file.
"Twelve years ago, Mr. Hayes was driving behind your father's vehicle on the night of the accident. He told the insurance investigator that he saw another car following your father closely.""
My throat tightened.
"What kind of car?""
"A black SUV.""
I looked at Vanessa.
Daniel drove a black SUV when we were younger.
But that could have been a coincidence.
Samuel continued.
"According to Mr. Hayes, the SUV struck the rear of your father's vehicle shortly before it left the road.""
I covered my mouth.
"Then why wasn't that in the police report?""
Samuel turned a page.
"Because the original witness statement was altered.""
"By whom?""
He pointed to a signature.
Richard Collins.
I felt dizzy.
Alexander put his hand on my shoulder.
"Keep going," I whispered.
Samuel placed another photograph on the table.
It showed the damaged vehicle after the accident.
My father's car.
The rear bumper had a deep impact mark.
I had never seen this photograph before.
The official report had described the damage as consistent with a single-vehicle collision.
This photograph told a different story.
"Was there an investigation?""
Samuel shook his head.
"The insurance company closed the case after receiving a revised statement from the witness.""
"Did my mother know?""
"According to her private notes, she began questioning the conclusion several years later.""
I looked down.
That explained the notebook.
The dates.
The payments.
The repeated references to my father's name.
Mom had been investigating this quietly for years.
Samuel turned to the final page.
"There's something else. We found a financial record showing a payment made to Robert Hayes three months after the accident.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"How much?""
"Fifty thousand dollars.""
"From whom?""
Samuel looked at Alexander.
"The account belonged to a company controlled by Daniel Mitchell's former business partner.""
I stared at him.
"Daniel paid the witness?""
"We can't establish that conclusively yet. But the company was connected to his business network.""
Vanessa began shaking her head.
"No.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
"Daniel told me his former business partner had died in an accident.""
Samuel looked up.
"Who?""
"Michael Turner.""
Samuel checked his file.
Then he slowly closed it.
"That's interesting.""
"Why?""
"Michael Turner was the registered owner of the black SUV mentioned in the original witness statement.""
I felt the room tilt.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Alexander stood.
"Samuel, I want this information delivered to the authorities. Immediately.""
"Understood.""
I remained seated.
My mind was racing.
If Daniel had been involved in the accident, he had been lying to us for twelve years.
He had entered my life, become my fiancé, betrayed me with my sister, and then married her.
And all that time, he might have known what happened to my father.
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice sounded frightened.
"Emily Bennett?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Robert Hayes. We were supposed to meet tomorrow.""
I looked at Samuel.
"Yes. What happened?""
"I changed my mind.""
"Why?""
He lowered his voice.
"Someone came to my house tonight.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who?""
"I don't know. But they knew about the old accident file.""
"Are you safe?""
"For now.""
"Mr. Hayes, please. We need to know what happened to my father.""
There was a long silence.
Then he said, "Your father wasn't the target that night.""
I gripped the phone.
"What?""
"The other driver was trying to stop him from delivering something.""
"Delivering what?""
"A briefcase.""
I looked at Alexander.
Robert continued.
"Your father had evidence against a man who was stealing money from his employer. He told me he was taking it to the police.""
"Who was the man?""
Robert took a shaky breath.
"Daniel Mitchell.""
I couldn't speak.
Then Robert added something that shattered the last piece of my understanding.
"Emily, there's one more thing. Your father wasn't alone in the car that night.""
My throat tightened.
"Who was with him?""
"A little girl.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"What little girl?""
Robert whispered:
"Your sister, Vanessa.""
Across the room, Vanessa dropped her handbag.
May you like
And when she looked at me, I realized she remembered something.
Something she had spent twelve years trying to forget.
