Chapter 12: The Photograph That Shouldn't Exist
I stared at Mia's phone.
"That's impossible.""
Mia enlarged the picture.
It didn't change what I was seeing.
My mother looked younger.
Her hair was shoulder-length.
She wore the red coat I remembered from childhood photographs.
Beside her stood Vanessa.
Younger too.
But unmistakable.
Mia whispered, "Mom told me she met Richard five years ago.""
"That's what Dad told me too.""
We ran inside.
"Dad!""
He came out of his office.
One look at us and he knew something was wrong.
Mia showed him the photograph.
Dad stopped breathing.
"Where did you get this?""
"Mom sent it.""
He took the phone.
His face turned gray.
"No.""
"You recognize when this was taken?"" I asked.
Dad zoomed in.
"That coat.""
My stomach tightened.
"What about it?""
"I bought it for Laura on our tenth anniversary.""
"When?""
"About a year before she died.""
Mia whispered, "So Mom knew Laura.""
Dad stared at the image.
"Apparently.""
He called Karen immediately.
This time nobody suggested waiting until morning.
Within an hour, the information had been passed to the appropriate investigators.
Mia received three more messages.
PLEASE.
I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.
COME ALONE.
She didn't answer.
Then Vanessa called.
Mia put it on speaker.
"Hello?""
"Mia.""
Vanessa sounded breathless.
"Why aren't you answering?""
"Dad and Ava are here.""
Silence.
Then, "I told you to come alone.""
"Why?""
"Because I need to explain something.""
"Then explain it now.""
"I can't.""
Dad leaned toward the phone.
"Vanessa, how did you know Laura?""
The line went dead.
Mia stared at us.
"Well.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"That answered something.""
Twenty minutes later, Vanessa called again.
This time Dad answered.
"Where are you?""
"Richard, listen to me.""
"How did you know my wife?""
"I can explain.""
"Do it.""
Vanessa began crying.
"It wasn't what you think.""
"I don't know what to think.""
"I knew her from work.""
Dad frowned.
"Laura was a pediatric physical therapist.""
"I know.""
"You're an accountant.""
"I wasn't always.""
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
"Before Mia was born, I worked administrative jobs. One was at the financial firm where Daniel worked.""
Daniel's company.
My skin went cold.
Dad's voice dropped.
"You worked for us?""
"Not directly for you.""
"How did I never see you?""
"You were mostly at the second office. I worked records and client processing.""
Dad sat down.
"And Laura?""
"She had an account there.""
My heart hammered.
"You processed her paperwork.""
Vanessa went silent.
I leaned toward the phone.
"Did you know about Daniel stealing from her?""
"No.""
Too fast.
Dad heard it too.
"Vanessa.""
"I suspected something was wrong.""
"How?""
"Transfers.""
"What transfers?""
"Daniel would submit requests after hours. Sometimes paperwork was incomplete.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"And you said nothing.""
"I needed the job.""
I felt sick.
"You knew someone might be stealing from my mother and stayed quiet?""
"I didn't know for certain!""
"Did Mom confront you?""
Silence.
That was the answer.
"When?"" I demanded.
"About a month before she died.""
My knees weakened.
Dad whispered, "What did Laura say?""
Vanessa's voice cracked.
"She asked if I'd processed several transfers.""
"Had you?""
"Yes.""
"Did you forge anything?""
"No!""
"Did you help Daniel?""
"I processed documents he gave me. I didn't know the signatures were false.""
Dad looked at me.
Everything was beginning to connect.
Not cleanly.
But enough to hurt.
"What happened after Laura confronted you?"" Dad asked.
"I told her the truth.""
"Which was?""
"That Daniel had instructed me to process the transfers.""
"And?""
"She said she was going to investigate.""
I thought of Mom's letter.
Three weeks before she died.
"Is that when the photograph was taken?""
Vanessa started crying harder.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Laura asked me to meet her outside the office. Someone took a picture at a company charity event afterward. I kept it because...""
She stopped.
"Because what?""
"Because I felt guilty.""
Dad stood.
"Why did you marry me?""
The question changed everything.
Vanessa stopped crying.
For several seconds, only static came through the speaker.
"Richard—"
"Did you know who I was when we met?""
Another silence.
Dad's face crumpled.
"Oh my God.""
"Richard, please.""
"You knew.""
"I recognized your name.""
"You knew I was Laura's husband.""
"Yes.""
The word was barely audible.
Mia covered her mouth.
Dad sat down again.
"So our first meeting wasn't random.""
"It was.""
"But you knew.""
"Yes.""
"And you never told me you'd known my dead wife.""
"I was scared.""
"For five years?""
"I loved you.""
Dad laughed painfully.
"You built our marriage on a lie.""
"I didn't mean for it to happen.""
Mia finally spoke.
"Mom, what's in unit 214?""
Vanessa stopped.
"Mia—"
"What's inside?""
"Old records.""
"What records?""
"Things I kept from the firm.""
Dad's head snapped up.
"Client records?""
"Copies.""
"Why?""
"Insurance.""
"Against Daniel?""
"Against everyone.""
Then we heard a noise through the phone.
Metal scraping.
Vanessa gasped.
"Mom?"" Mia said.
No answer.
Another sound.
Then Vanessa whispered, "Someone's here.""
Dad stood.
"Leave.""
"I can't.""
"Vanessa, get out of there.""
Footsteps sounded over the line.
Then a man's voice.
Faint.
But clear enough.
"Still keeping things that don't belong to you?""
Vanessa inhaled sharply.
The call ended.
Mia stared at the phone.
"I know that voice.""
Dad grabbed his keys.
"Who?""
Mia looked at me.
Then at him.
May you like
Her face had gone completely white.
"Daniel.""
