Chapter 5: The Photograph Taken After the Funeral
"Where did you get this?""
Dad's voice trembled.
Vanessa didn't answer immediately.
She watched him examine the photograph, then slowly reached for her handbag.
"Sarah gave it to me.""
"When?""
"Before she died.""
Dad looked up.
"That date is three days after her funeral.""
Vanessa shrugged.
"Maybe the date is wrong.""
Daniel took the photograph from Dad.
He examined the paper, the edges, and the date written on the back.
"This looks recent enough to be genuine," he said.
"But we need to establish where and when it was taken.""
I climbed onto the chair beside my father.
"That's Mommy.""
He wrapped an arm around me.
"I know, sweetheart.""
"She's wearing my yellow dress.""
Dad looked again.
I was right.
The little girl in the picture was wearing the yellow dress Mommy had bought me for my fifth birthday.
I remembered that dress.
It had little white flowers on the sleeves.
Vanessa had thrown it away after Mommy died.
She told me it was too small.
"Where was this taken?"" Dad asked.
Vanessa looked away.
"I don't know.""
"Who took it?""
"I don't remember.""
"Stop lying!""
She flinched.
Daniel placed the photograph into a protective folder.
"Marcus, we need to be careful. This could be evidence of fraud, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions about the identity of the people involved.""
Dad nodded.
Then he looked at Vanessa.
"Tell me where you were on October 17.""
"I was home.""
"With whom?""
"My children.""
"Did you visit the hospital?""
"No.""
"Did you see Sarah?""
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"Why are you interrogating me like a criminal?""
"Because my daughter is wearing shoes with holes in them while you've been spending her inheritance on designer handbags.""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"You're acting like I'm some kind of monster. I raised Lily!""
I looked down at my feet.
"You didn't buy me shoes.""
Her expression hardened.
"Nobody asked you.""
Dad immediately stood.
"Don't speak to her.""
Vanessa turned toward him.
"You think you're a perfect father? You left her with me for months. You traveled.
You trusted me. And now you're blaming me because you feel guilty?""
Dad didn't answer.
For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes.
"You're right about one thing," he said quietly.
"I trusted you. And I should have protected my daughter.""
Vanessa looked almost satisfied.
Then Daniel interrupted.
"Marcus, there's something else.""
He removed the trust amendment from his folder.
"The second beneficiary was added using a notary stamp registered to a company called Evans Financial Services.""
Dad frowned.
"Who owns it?""
Daniel looked at the document.
"Vanessa's brother, Robert Evans.""
Vanessa's expression changed.
"Leave Robert out of this.""
Dad stared.
"Why?""
"He has nothing to do with Sarah.""
Daniel picked up another sheet.
"Actually, Robert's company received three transfers from Lily's trust over the past eighteen months.""
Dad looked at the figures.
$35,000.
$42,000.
$18,500.
The total was nearly $100,000.
"Where did that money go?"" he asked.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"Business expenses.""
"Whose business?""
"Robert's.""
Dad slowly shook his head.
"You stole almost a hundred thousand dollars from your stepdaughter?""
"I borrowed it!""
"Without permission?""
"I intended to replace it!""
Daniel placed another document on the table.
"Marcus, there's a problem. The original trust agreement requires two signatures for any withdrawal. Yours and Sarah's.""
Dad looked confused.
"Sarah was dead.""
"Exactly. Which means the transactions should never have been approved.""
Daniel turned another page.
A signature appeared at the bottom.
Sarah's signature.
But the date was eleven months after her death.
Dad stared at it.
"Someone forged my dead wife's signature.""
Vanessa began pacing.
"Robert handled everything. I don't know what he did.""
Daniel looked up.
"Then perhaps Robert should explain.""
He took out his phone and called a number.
While he waited, I noticed something strange.
Vanessa wasn't looking at Dad anymore.
She was staring at the storage room.
Then she quietly slipped her hand into her pocket.
I recognized the little silver key.
She still had another one.
Before I could warn Dad, Vanessa suddenly rushed toward the wooden chest.
"Stop!"" Daniel shouted.
She grabbed the chest and pulled out a small metal box hidden underneath it.
Dad caught her wrist.
"What are you doing?""
Vanessa struggled.
"Let go!""
The metal box fell.
Its contents scattered across the floor.
Photographs.
Medical papers.
A hospital identification card.
And a small folded piece of paper.
I picked it up before anyone else could.
It had my mother's handwriting.
*If Lily ever asks where I went, tell her I loved her enough to come back.*
I read the words twice.
"Mommy was coming back?""
Dad took the note from me.
His eyes filled with tears.
Daniel picked up the hospital identification card.
His face changed.
"Marcus...""
"What?""
Daniel turned the card toward him.
It belonged to a woman named Sarah Bennett.
But the photograph was not my mother.
It was another woman.
And beneath her photograph was a hospital admission date.
October 17.
Three days after my mother's funeral.
Dad looked at Vanessa.
"Whose identification is this?""
Vanessa's lips trembled.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"That's the woman who helped Sarah disappear.""
