Chapter 9: The Man Who Fixed My Mother's Car
The name was Robert Hayes.
My father's business partner for almost fifteen years.
He had attended my mother's funeral.
He had stood beside my father during the memorial service and told me that my mother would always be watching over me.
He had even given me a small gold necklace afterward.
I remembered wearing it for years.
Now I wondered whether he had known what happened to her.
The investigator, Deputy Collins, placed a photograph on the table.
It showed a man in his fifties wearing a gray business suit.
"Is this Robert Hayes?"" she asked.
I nodded.
"Yes. He used to come to our house.""
Patricia leaned forward.
"What exactly did the mechanic tell you?""
Deputy Collins opened her notebook.
"He remembers Robert bringing the vehicle in the afternoon before the accident. He requested work on the braking system and paid in cash.""
"Did he say what work was performed?"" Daniel asked.
"Not yet. The shop is locating its archived records.""
My heart began beating faster.
"Was the car damaged?""
Deputy Collins shook her head.
"We don't know. We need the original records and a forensic review.""
I stared at Robert's photograph.
"Why would he do that?""
Nobody answered.
Then Daniel received a phone call.
He listened for several seconds before standing.
"That complicates things.""
Patricia frowned.
"What happened?""
"Robert Hayes has been informed that investigators are asking questions about the vehicle.""
"How?""
Daniel looked toward the front window.
"Because someone at the repair shop contacted him.""
I felt cold.
"Is he coming here?""
Daniel shook his head.
"No. But he's already trying to contact Emily.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I looked at the screen.
One message.
*Emily, this is Robert. I know what your father has told you. Before you make another mistake, meet me alone. I can explain everything about your mother.*
Patricia immediately reached for my phone.
"Don't answer.""
Deputy Collins photographed the message.
"Don't delete anything. We'll preserve it.""
A second message arrived.
*Your mother wasn't supposed to die that night.*
I stared at the words.
My fingers went numb.
Daniel leaned over my shoulder.
"That's an interesting choice of wording.""
I typed nothing.
Another message appeared.
*Your father will blame me. Vanessa will lie. But there's something you need to know about the insurance money.*
I looked at Daniel.
"What does he mean?""
Daniel exhaled.
"The original insurance payment was $750,000. But according to Laura's documents, there was another policy.""
"How much?""
He hesitated.
"One million dollars.""
I felt dizzy.
My mother had apparently been insured for $1.75 million in total.
"Who received the second payment?""
Daniel checked the paperwork.
"That's what we need to establish.""
Deputy Collins stood.
"We're going to locate Mr. Hayes and arrange a formal interview. Emily, you should not meet him alone.""
I nodded.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the message.
Your mother wasn't supposed to die that night.
It suggested something had gone wrong.
Something someone had planned.
That evening, Patricia drove me to her house.
It was smaller than my father's mansion, but it felt warm.
There were books stacked beside the sofa, family photographs on the walls, and a kitchen that smelled of cinnamon.
She made grilled cheese sandwiches.
I sat at the table, staring at the untouched plate.
"Did Mom ever tell you she was afraid of Dad?""
Patricia sat opposite me.
"She didn't always feel that way.""
"When did things change?""
"After Marcus started working with Robert. Their business grew quickly, but your mother noticed that money was disappearing.""
"Did she ever tell you about Vanessa?""
Patricia nodded.
"She suspected Vanessa and Marcus were having an affair before your mother died.""
I stared at her.
"Before?""
"Yes. Your father told everyone they met after Laura passed away. That wasn't true.""
I felt sick.
"How long?""
"At least a year.""
I pushed the plate away.
"Mom knew?""
"She suspected. She was trying to gather proof.""
I remembered the wedding photographs.
The expensive dress.
The six months between the funeral and the marriage.
Everything suddenly looked different.
Patricia reached across the table.
"Emily, there's something else I haven't told you.""
I looked up.
"Please don't tell me there's another secret.""
She gave a sad smile.
"I wish there weren't.""
She walked to a cabinet and removed a small photo album.
Inside were photographs of my mother with a young woman I didn't recognize.
The woman had dark hair and a familiar smile.
"Who is she?""
"Her name was Rachel. She worked with your mother at the hospital.""
"Why are you showing me this?""
Patricia turned the page.
There was a photograph of Rachel standing beside my mother.
On the back, my mother had written:
The only person who knows what Marcus did with the original records.
I stared at the handwriting.
"Is she still alive?""
Patricia nodded.
"Yes. But she disappeared from Atlanta shortly after your mother's funeral.""
"Why?""
"Your father told me she had moved overseas.""
I looked closer at the photograph.
Rachel was wearing a hospital identification badge.
There was a name beneath her picture.
Rachel Miller.
I picked up my phone and searched the name.
Nothing useful appeared.
Then a notification arrived.
It was from an unfamiliar email address.
The subject line read:
*I WAS THERE THE NIGHT LAURA DIED.*
My hands began shaking.
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
Emily, your mother didn't crash because of faulty brakes. Someone followed her that night, and I have the original hospital report to prove it.
A second message appeared before I could respond.
Do not trust your aunt.
I slowly looked up at Patricia.
She was standing beside the kitchen doorway.
May you like
Her expression had changed.
And for the first time since I had found my mother's letter, I wondered whether the person who had promised to protect me might be hiding something too.
