Chapter 5: The Lawyer Who Had Been Waiting Two Years
Daniel immediately called Evelyn back.
No answer.
He tried again.
Voicemail.
I paced the living room while Lily sat beside Mrs. Bennett, watching cartoons with the volume turned low.
My daughter occasionally touched her head, as if expecting her curls to be there.
Each time I noticed, my stomach twisted.
Daniel approached me.
"We need to get Evelyn somewhere safe.""
"Where is her office?""
"Uptown Charlotte. I'll drive there.""
"I'm coming.""
"Michael, you need to stay with Lily.""
I looked toward my daughter.
He was right.
But the thought of another person connected to Sarah disappearing made me feel physically sick.
I called Mrs. Bennett.
"Would you mind staying with Lily a little longer?""
She squeezed my shoulder.
"Of course. That child is family.""
I knelt beside Lily.
"Daddy has to go find someone who knew Mommy. I'll be back soon.""
She grabbed my hand.
"Don't let the bad man take you too.""
I kissed her forehead.
"Nobody is taking me anywhere.""
At 10:20 a.m., Daniel called.
"We found Evelyn.""
My heart jumped.
"Is she okay?""
"She's alive. But someone broke into her office.""
"What?""
"The door was forced open. Her computer is missing, and the filing cabinets have been emptied.""
"Where is she?""
"At a coffee shop two blocks away. She called me from a borrowed phone.""
I grabbed my keys.
"Send me the address.""
Twenty minutes later, I found Evelyn sitting in a corner booth.
She was in her late fifties, with silver-streaked hair and a leather folder resting on her lap.
When she saw me, her eyes filled with tears.
"Michael.""
I sat across from her.
"You knew my wife.""
Evelyn nodded.
"Sarah was one of the bravest people I've ever represented.""
"Then why didn't you tell me she was in danger?""
"I tried.""
She opened her folder and pulled out several printed emails.
The first was dated four days before Sarah's accident.
It contained a message from Evelyn to Sarah.
*We need to notify Michael. The account activity is now connected to Lily's trust.*
Sarah's reply was short.
*Not yet. If they discover he knows, they'll use him against us.*
I read the message twice.
"She was protecting me.""
Evelyn nodded.
"She believed the people involved had access to the police department. She didn't know whom she could trust.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Tell us about Hayes.""
Evelyn looked around before answering.
"Robert Hayes was assigned to investigate financial fraud involving a company called Northbridge Capital. Several months later, he began contacting Sarah.""
"What did he want?""
"Sarah had discovered that Northbridge was moving money through accounts belonging to deceased clients and minor children.""
I remembered the account in Lily's name.
"Was Lily one of those children?""
"Yes.""
Evelyn removed another document.
It was a copy of a trust agreement.
Lily's name appeared at the top.
The amount listed was $480,000.
I stared at the page.
"Where did this money come from?""
"Sarah inherited a substantial amount from her grandmother. She placed it into a protected trust for Lily.""
I remembered Sarah mentioning the inheritance once.
She had told me it would be Lily's future security.
"Why would Hayes want it?""
"Because the trust was being used to conceal transfers involving Northbridge. Someone forged documents making it appear that you had authorized the transactions.""
I rubbed my face.
"Who?""
Evelyn hesitated.
"That is what Sarah was trying to establish.""
Daniel pointed at the document.
"Can you prove the signatures were forged?""
"I have the original trust agreement. Michael's signature was witnessed by me. The signatures on the fraudulent account are not authentic.""
"Where is the original?""
Evelyn touched the leather folder.
"Here.""
She pulled out a small envelope.
But before she could open it, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
"That's impossible.""
"What?"" I asked.
She turned the phone toward me.
The caller ID displayed SARAH CARTER.
I stared at it.
"That's my wife's old number.""
Evelyn answered without speaking.
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then a woman's voice came through.
"Hello, Evelyn.""
Evelyn's hand began trembling.
I leaned closer.
"Who is this?""
The voice paused.
Then it spoke.
"Michael?""
My heart stopped.
It was Sarah's voice.
I knew it.
I would have recognized it anywhere.
"Michael, if you're there, listen carefully.""
I grabbed the phone.
"Sarah?""
Daniel stood up.
"Michael, wait!""
The voice continued.
"Don't trust Vanessa. She knows where the original recording is.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Where are you? Are you alive?""
There was a faint sound in the background.
Then Sarah whispered:
"I tried to come home. But they told me Lily would die if I did.""
My eyes filled with tears.
"Sarah, please. Tell me where you are.""
A man's voice suddenly interrupted.
"End the call!""
There was a struggle.
Then the line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Evelyn slowly sat back.
"Michael...""
I couldn't speak.
Daniel took the phone from my hand.
"That call needs to be traced immediately.""
But Evelyn was looking at something else.
The leather folder was open.
The original trust agreement was missing.
Someone had taken it while we were distracted.
Daniel checked beneath the table.
Nothing.
Then he looked toward the coffee shop entrance.
A man wearing a gray baseball cap was walking quickly toward the street.
"Michael!""
We rushed outside.
The man jumped into a black SUV.
Daniel ran after him, but the vehicle sped away.
I stood on the sidewalk, staring at its license plate.
It was the same black SUV from the security footage.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa.
*I know you heard Sarah's voice. Meet me alone if you want to see her again.*
A second message followed.
*Bring the blue USB. No police. No Daniel.*
I looked at the street where the SUV had disappeared.
Sarah was alive.
Or someone wanted me to believe she was.
May you like
Either way, Vanessa knew something.
And I was about to discover just how far she had gone to keep it hidden.
