Chapter 14: What Danielle Buried Beneath the House
I called the police before stepping outside.
The photograph had been taken recently.
The person standing beside Danielle's rose garden wore a dark jacket and a baseball cap.
His face was turned away from the camera.
But I recognized the vehicle parked near the fence.
Daniel's black SUV.
Ethan stood beside me.
"Is Uncle Daniel trying to destroy something?""
"I don't know.""
"But why would Mom bury something?""
I looked toward the backyard.
"Maybe she wanted to make sure nobody could find it.""
Two officers arrived twenty minutes later.
They inspected the garden and found fresh disturbances in the soil near the old rose bushes.
One officer crouched beside the flowerbed.
"Someone has been digging here recently.""
I showed him the photograph.
He studied it.
"Do you know this person?""
"My brother.""
He looked up.
"Does your brother have permission to be on the property?""
"No.""
The officers secured the area.
Robert arrived shortly afterward with an investigator.
He examined the garden and asked whether Danielle had ever mentioned hiding documents.
I shook my head.
But Ethan suddenly spoke.
"She told me something when I was little.""
We all turned toward him.
"What?"" I asked.
Ethan pointed toward the largest rose bush.
"She said that if anyone ever tried to take our home, I should remember where the red roses grew.""
I stared at the flowerbed.
Danielle had planted those roses herself.
She used to spend Sunday mornings trimming them while Ethan played in the grass.
Robert nodded to the officers.
They carefully examined the area.
After several minutes, one officer uncovered a small metal container wrapped in waterproof plastic.
He lifted it out.
The container was old and rusted around the edges.
A handwritten label was attached.
*DANIELLE WILLIAMS — PRIVATE.*
My hands began trembling.
The officer opened it after photographing the evidence.
Inside were several documents, two small USB drives, and an envelope addressed to me.
I opened the envelope.
Michael, if you've found this, then Daniel has finally tried to take what belongs to Ethan.
I swallowed.
I'm sorry I couldn't explain everything while I was alive. I wanted to protect you, but I also needed to protect our son.
I continued reading.
The documents inside prove that Daniel and Richard used your personal information to establish unauthorized accounts. They also show that money was transferred from the family trust into businesses neither of us approved.
I looked at Robert.
He was examining the financial documents.
His expression became increasingly serious.
"Michael, these are original transaction records.""
"How much?""
He looked at the totals.
"At least $247,000 in unauthorized transfers. There may be more.""
I turned back to Danielle's letter.
The final paragraph was underlined.
There is one more thing. Daniel did not act alone. He had help from someone who knew exactly when you would be away from the house.
I stopped reading.
Ethan looked at me.
"Who?""
I turned the page.
A name was written in blue ink.
*VANESSA.*
I closed my eyes.
Even after everything we'd discovered, a small part of me had hoped she had only become involved after Danielle's death.
But Danielle had known.
She had known before she died.
Robert examined the second USB drive.
"This one is encrypted.""
"Can you open it?""
"Not immediately.""
An officer approached.
"Sir, there's something else you should see.""
He showed me a photograph taken from the security camera outside the property.
The person digging in the garden was clearly Daniel.
But he wasn't alone.
A second person was standing near the driveway.
Vanessa.
I stared at the image.
"She was here?""
"According to the timestamp, approximately two hours before you contacted us.""
I called Vanessa.
She answered after several rings.
"Michael?""
"Why were you in my backyard tonight?""
Silence.
Then she whispered, "I was looking for something.""
"What?""
"The metal box.""
I looked toward the officer.
"You knew it was there?""
"Daniel told me Danielle buried documents beneath the roses.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Daniel said the documents would destroy all of us.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"Who is Richard Coleman?""
Vanessa began crying.
"He's the person Daniel introduced me to before I married you.""
"What was his role?""
"He arranged the financial accounts. He also helped Daniel obtain copies of your signature.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Why would you do this?""
She whispered, "Because I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
"Daniel told me he had proof that my sister and I had been involved in something illegal. He said if I didn't cooperate, he'd expose everything.""
I took a breath.
"Vanessa, did you know about Danielle's medication?""
A long silence followed.
Then she answered.
"I knew Daniel had arranged for someone to change the treatment paperwork. I didn't know what he intended to do.""
"Did you know Danielle was in danger?""
"I thought he only wanted her removed from the trust.""
I closed my eyes.
"That's not an answer.""
She began sobbing.
"I swear I never wanted Danielle dead.""
I ended the call.
Robert looked at me.
"Michael, we need to take these records to the investigators. We also need to identify Richard Coleman.""
As if summoned by the name, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice responded.
"Mr. Williams, my name is Richard Coleman.""
I froze.
"How did you get this number?""
"Daniel gave it to me.""
"What do you want?""
"I want to make sure you understand something. Your brother has been telling you only half the story.""
"Then tell me the other half.""
Richard laughed quietly.
"Danielle didn't just discover the missing money. She discovered who was really controlling the accounts.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"Who?""
"Your brother was only the trustee. I was the one who organized the transfers.""
I looked at Robert.
Richard continued.
"And I wasn't working alone.""
"Who else?""
His answer was almost inaudible.
"Your wife.""
I closed my eyes.
"I already know about Vanessa.""
"No, Mr. Williams. You don't.""
There was a pause.
Then Richard said:
"Vanessa wasn't the person who arranged the medical documents. She was simply following instructions from someone else.""
"Who?""
He took a breath.
"Danielle's doctor.""
I felt the ground shift beneath me.
"Dr. Samuel Reed?""
Richard laughed.
"No. Dr. Reed tried to stop us.""
Then he gave me a name.
"Dr. Alan Pierce.""
I searched the name in the hospital records on my phone.
And my blood ran cold.
Dr. Alan Pierce had signed Danielle's official death certification.
Richard continued.
"Meet me tomorrow. I'll give you the original records and explain everything.""
"Why should I trust you?""
"Because I have the one document that can prove who ordered the medication change.""
The call ended.
I looked at Ethan.
He had heard everything.
"Dad," he whispered, "are we ever going to find out what really happened to Mom?""
I looked at the metal container.
Then at the photograph of Danielle.
"Yes, son.""
For the first time in seven years, I believed we might.
But the next morning, Richard never showed up.
Instead, Robert received an email from an address connected to his company.
It contained one attachment.
A scanned death certificate.
The name at the top was Richard Coleman's.
The date of death was yesterday.
May you like
And beneath the official cause of death was a handwritten note:
*THE SAME MEDICATION THAT KILLED DANIELLE WILLIAMS.*
