Chapter 6: The Man in My Mother's Photograph
My father took the photograph from Vanessa's hand.
His fingers trembled.
The picture showed my mother standing outside a restaurant, smiling beside a tall man in a dark coat.
I recognized her immediately.
She was wearing the blue scarf she had given me for my twelfth birthday.
But the man beside her was a stranger.
“Who is he?”” I asked.
Dad didn't answer.
He turned the photograph over.
Marcus knows everything.
Three words.
Written in black ink.
“Dad?””
He looked up.
“His name was Richard Cole.””
Daniel Price glanced at the photograph.
“Was?””
Dad swallowed.
“Richard was my business partner.””
Vanessa gave a small laugh.
“Was?””
Dad ignored her.
“He disappeared seven years ago.””
I stared at him.
“Disappeared?””
“He was supposed to meet me at our office one morning. He never showed up. His car was found near the river, but they never recovered his body.””
I looked back at the photograph.
“Why was Mom with him?””
Dad rubbed his forehead.
“I don't know.””
Vanessa suddenly stepped forward.
“Of course you don't.””
Dad turned toward her.
“What does that mean?””
She looked at Daniel.
“Can we speak privately?””
“No,” Dad replied.
Vanessa ignored him.
“Richard was the person who helped Danielle establish the trust.””
My heart began racing.
Dad's expression hardened.
“What?””
“He was involved in the estate arrangements. He knew about the money. He knew about the house.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because you never asked.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Where did you get that photograph?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“Danielle left it.””
“Where?””
“In the documents I found after she died.””
I stared at her.
“You've had this photograph for seven years?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Because I knew your mother was hiding something.””
Daniel interrupted.
“Mrs. Williams, you mentioned that Richard Cole helped establish the trust. Do you have documentation?””
Vanessa gave him a dismissive look.
“I'm not required to answer your questions.””
“That's true,” Daniel replied.
“But if you possess documents connected to an attempted financial fraud, I would strongly recommend preserving them.””
She laughed.
“You're making this sound much worse than it is.””
Dad held up the photograph.
“Then tell me why Danielle was meeting my missing business partner behind my back.””
Vanessa looked at him for several seconds.
Then she said something I wasn't prepared to hear.
“Because Richard was helping her investigate you.””
The room went silent.
Dad stared at her.
“Investigate me?””
“Yes.””
“Why would my wife investigate me?””
Vanessa shrugged.
“Maybe she discovered something you didn't want her to know.””
Dad's face turned red.
“Don't twist this around.””
“I'm not twisting anything. Ask Robert.””
Dad immediately returned to the phone.
“Robert? Are you still there?””
“Yes,” the lawyer answered.
“Do you know Richard Cole?””
A long pause followed.
Then Robert sighed.
“Yes.””
“Why was he working with Danielle?””
“Because Danielle discovered irregularities in the company accounts. Richard helped her trace the missing funds.””
Dad gripped the phone.
“What missing funds?””
“Approximately $1.8 million disappeared from one of your development projects over several years.””
My father looked stunned.
“That project was investigated. We thought it was an accounting error.””
“It wasn't.””
“Who took the money?””
Robert paused.
“Danielle believed the transfers were connected to a shell company. Richard was helping her identify the people involved.””
Dad turned toward Vanessa.
She was no longer smiling.
“Did Danielle ever tell you what she found?”” he asked.
Vanessa looked away.
Robert continued.
“Marcus, there's something I never told you because Danielle specifically instructed me to wait until Ethan was old enough to understand.””
I felt my throat tighten.
“What?””
“Your mother left a second sealed document with me. It contains the original records from the investigation.””
Dad frowned.
“Why didn't you send it?””
“I tried. Several times. Every delivery was intercepted. After the third attempt, I realized someone had access to your correspondence.””
Dad looked at Vanessa.
Robert continued.
“Danielle also instructed me to give Ethan the document personally when he turned eighteen.””
I stared at the phone.
“My eighteenth birthday was last month.””
“Yes,” Robert answered.
“I was preparing to contact you.””
Dad looked toward the hallway.
“Where is the document now?””
“In a secure storage facility. I can bring it tomorrow morning.””
“Tomorrow?””
“Marcus, I need to explain something first. The investigation was never only about the inheritance.””
I leaned closer.
“What else was it about?””
Robert lowered his voice.
“Your mother's death.””
The words hit me harder than the slap Vanessa had given me.
My mother had died after a sudden medical emergency.
At least, that's what I'd been told.
She had been feeling tired for several weeks, then collapsed at home one evening.
The doctors couldn't save her.
Dad told me it was a rare complication.
We buried her three days later.
I had spent seven years believing that was the end of the story.
“What about her death?”” I whispered.
Robert answered carefully.
“Danielle was scheduled to meet me the morning after she died. She had called me the previous evening and said she had discovered something urgent.””
Dad covered his mouth.
“What did she discover?””
“I don't know. She never got the chance to tell me.””
Vanessa suddenly grabbed the photograph from Dad's hand.
“That's enough!””
Daniel stepped between her and the table.
“Mrs. Williams, please put the photograph down.””
She threw it onto the sofa.
“You have no idea what you're doing!””
Dad stared at her.
“Did you have something to do with Danielle's death?””
Vanessa's eyes widened.
“Don't you dare accuse me of that!””
“Then answer me!””
“I didn't kill your wife!””
Nobody had said the word kill until she did.
Brittany began crying.
“Mom, please.””
Vanessa turned toward her.
“Get your things. We're leaving.””
Daniel moved toward the entrance.
“Mrs. Williams, I need you to remain available while we document these transactions.””
“I am not your prisoner!””
“No one said you were.””
Dad looked at Brittany.
“Brittany, you can stay here tonight if you want. Nobody is going to hurt you.””
She looked at her mother.
Then at me.
“I don't want to go with her.””
Vanessa stared at her daughter.
“What?””
Brittany wiped her cheeks.
“You told me Ethan would go away. You said Dad would choose us.””
“Brittany, don't.””
“You said the money would make everything better.””
Vanessa's expression hardened.
“After everything I've done for you?””
Brittany stepped backward.
“You made me lie.””
For a moment, Vanessa looked as though she might strike her.
Dad immediately moved in front of Brittany.
“That's enough.””
Vanessa grabbed her handbag and walked toward the front door.
Daniel stepped aside but handed her another card.
“Please contact our office tomorrow. We will need a formal statement.””
She took the card without looking at him.
Then she turned toward me.
“You think you've won, Ethan?””
I didn't answer.
She leaned closer.
“Your mother wasn't as innocent as you think. And when you find out why she put everything in your name, you'll wish you had never opened that camera recording.””
The front door slammed.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then my father sat beside me.
“I should have protected you.””
I stared at the photograph.
“Dad, did Mom know Vanessa before she married you?””
He looked confused.
“No. They met after Danielle died.””
I picked up the picture again.
Something about the restaurant bothered me.
I turned it toward the light.
Behind my mother and Richard, a reflection appeared in the restaurant window.
A man sitting at a table.
His face was partially visible.
But I recognized the watch on his wrist.
I'd seen it every morning for seven years.
It was the same silver watch my father was wearing.
I slowly looked up.
“Dad?””
He followed my gaze.
Then his face turned white.
Because the man in the reflection wasn't just wearing his watch.
May you like
He was wearing the exact same suit my father had worn to my mother's funeral.
And suddenly, I understood why Robert had said Danielle's death was the one part of the investigation he had never been able to finish.
