Chapter 5: The Man Who Kept My Mother's Secrets
I read the message again.
Ask him who was driving the other car.
The words seemed to move across the screen, each one more frightening than the last.
“Dad, what does this mean?””
He reached for my phone, but I pulled it away.
“Emily, please give me a minute.””
“No. You've had eleven years.””
He sank onto the bottom stair, his work jacket falling open. For the first time, he looked less like my father and more like a tired man who had been carrying something too heavy for too long.
“Daniel Harrison represented your mother when she changed her estate documents,” he said.
“He was also a close friend of hers before he became our attorney.””
“Was he driving the other car?””
“I don't know.””
“You just said he was the last person to see her alive.””
“Because he spoke to her at the hospital that evening. She left before he did.””
“Then why would he be involved in her death?””
Dad shook his head.
“I didn't say he was.””
“But you're hiding something.””
He looked at me for a long moment.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“I am.””
The honesty hurt more than another lie would have.
Before I could ask another question, the cordless phone crackled. Mr. Harrison was still on the line.
“Emily,” he said, “are you all right?””
I pressed the phone against my ear.
“I received a text telling me to ask Dad who was driving the other car.””
Silence.
Then Mr. Harrison said, “What number did it come from?””
I read it aloud.
“I don't recognize it,” I added.
“Don't delete the message. Take a screenshot and save the original. We may need to establish where it came from.””
Dad stood abruptly.
“Daniel, enough with the careful lawyer talk. Tell me what you know.””
“I know Claire was preparing to protect Emily's inheritance from a dispute that had developed within the family.””
“What dispute?”” I demanded.
Mr. Harrison paused.
“Your mother discovered discrepancies in records relating to Carter Development, your father's company. She believed money had been diverted from an account that was supposed to remain separate from the family business.””
Dad gripped the banister.
“That's impossible.””
“Claire brought me documents,” Mr. Harrison replied.
“I advised her to preserve them and avoid making accusations until we could verify the transactions.””
“Who was she accusing?”” I asked.
Another pause.
“Your uncle Robert was responsible for several of the transactions. However, the records I reviewed did not establish whether he acted alone.””
Dad sat down again.
“Robert told me the accounts had been reconciled.””
“Then you should ask him to explain why Claire was preparing a formal complaint.””
I looked at my father.
“You knew about the missing money?””
“I knew the company had financial problems,” he said.
“Robert managed the accounts. He told me everything was under control.””
“Did you believe him?””
Dad's silence answered for him.
Mr. Harrison continued.
“Claire intended to transfer certain assets into a protected arrangement for Emily. She wanted to make sure her daughter would never be affected by any claims arising from the business.””
“That's why she left me the house?”” I asked.
“It's part of the reason. The documents need to be reviewed before I can explain the full scope of your rights.””
I glanced toward the staircase, where my clothes still lay in a heap.
“So somebody tried to make me surrender something I never even knew I owned.””
“That appears to be the case.””
“And Uncle Robert signed the witness declaration?””
“His name appears on it. We still need to verify the signature and establish what he knew.””
Dad rose and began pacing.
“Robert wouldn't steal from his own family.””
“Then you should have no difficulty asking him for an explanation,” Mr. Harrison said.
Dad stopped.
For a moment, I thought he would call his brother immediately.
Instead, he asked, “Daniel, what happened the night Claire died?””
The silence that followed was so long I checked whether the call had disconnected.
Finally, Mr. Harrison answered.
“Your wife called me at 8:17 p.m. She was frightened.””
“Frightened of what?””
“She said she had discovered something in the company records that could change everything. She wanted to meet me at my office the next morning.””
“Why didn't you tell the police?””
“Because she died before the meeting, and at the time, I had no evidence that her death was connected to the financial dispute.””
“Was she being threatened?””
“I don't know. She wouldn't tell me everything over the phone.””
My throat tightened.
“What were her last words to you?””
Mr. Harrison's voice softened.
“She said, 'If anything happens to me, make sure Emily gets the letter.''”
I closed my eyes.
Mom had known something was wrong.
She had prepared for the possibility that she wouldn't be there to protect me.
And somehow, the letter had survived.
“Mr. Harrison,” I whispered, “why did you say you'd been waiting eleven years for me to call?””
“Because your mother asked me to wait until you contacted me yourself, unless there was an immediate threat to your inheritance. She believed that one day you'd be old enough to understand what she'd done.””
“But you knew Vanessa was trying to take the house?””
“I knew someone had filed questionable documents. I didn't know Vanessa was attempting to move you out of your room.””
Dad stopped pacing.
“Who filed them?””
“I can't disclose the complete filing history until I verify the parties involved. I can tell you that the submission came through a company connected to the Carter family's business interests.””
Dad's face tightened.
“Robert's company?””
“Possibly. I need to examine the original records.””
Suddenly, a car horn sounded outside.
Dad glanced through the window.
A black SUV had pulled into the driveway.
A man stepped out, wearing a dark coat despite the mild evening weather.
I recognized him immediately.
My uncle Robert.
He didn't knock.
He used the key he had carried since I was a little girl and walked straight into our house.
His gaze landed on my scattered clothes, then on the letter in my hands.
For a moment, he looked almost relieved.
Then he saw Dad's expression.
“Michael,” he said carefully, “we need to talk.””
Dad stepped between him and me.
“No. You need to explain why your name is on a document attempting to take my daughter's inheritance.””
Robert's face went pale.
He looked at the letter again.
Then he whispered, “Claire was supposed to have destroyed that.””
I tightened my grip on the envelope.
May you like
Three people had now admitted they believed my mother's letter should never have survived.
And the newest one was the uncle who had held my hand at her funeral.
