Chapter 4: The Night Daniel Cole Died
“Daniel didn't die of natural causes.””
Stephanie's whisper seemed to drain the air from the room.
I stared at her, waiting for the words to become something else. Outside the office window, rain battered the glass. Somewhere down the hallway, a relative laughed softly, unaware that our family was disintegrating behind a closed door.
“What does that mean?”” I asked.
Stephanie shook her head.
“I shouldn't have said anything.””
“Then why did you?””
“Because Mom's letter—”
“Stop blaming Mom!”” My voice cracked.
“She's dead, Stephanie. She can't answer any more questions for us. So you will.””
Nathan grabbed her elbow.
“Stephanie, please. Think about what you're saying.””
She yanked herself free.
“Don't touch me.””
For the first time since entering the funeral home, my sister looked genuinely afraid of the man beside her.
Alexander moved closer to me.
“Mr. Harrison, is there a police report concerning Daniel's death?””
The attorney nodded slowly.
“Daniel Cole died six years ago, approximately two months before Claire's wedding was scheduled to take place. His death was officially ruled an accidental overdose.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Two months before my wedding?””
“Yes.””
“And Mom knew about it?””
“Your mother received a phone call from Daniel shortly before he died. She contacted me the following morning.””
“What did he tell her?””
Mr. Harrison hesitated.
“I wasn't present for that conversation. However, Eleanor told me Daniel had threatened to expose your parentage and challenge the trust. She believed he possessed documents that could jeopardize your inheritance.””
Nathan sank into his chair.
“My father was an addict,” he muttered.
“He'd been struggling for years.””
“That's what the report says,” Alexander replied.
“But it doesn't explain why Stephanie is frightened.””
Nathan's head snapped up.
“Leave her out of this.””
Alexander's expression hardened.
“I'm afraid she's already put herself in the middle of it.””
Stephanie backed toward the wall.
“You don't understand what happened that night.””
“Then explain it,” I said.
She pressed her palms against her eyes.
“I was twenty-six. I was living at home because I couldn't keep a job, and Mom was always comparing me to you. You had Nathan, your career, your wedding. Everything was falling into place for you.””
“That doesn't explain a man's death.””
“I know!””
Her scream echoed through the office.
For one moment, she looked like the little girl who used to hide in my bedroom after breaking something and insist that the accident hadn't been her fault.
Then her expression changed.
“Daniel called me the night he died. He wanted Nathan to meet him at a hotel outside Savannah. Nathan was supposed to go, but we had just started seeing each other.””
I stared at Nathan.
“You were already sleeping with her before I discovered you?””
He looked away.
Stephanie continued.
“Daniel told me he knew about us. He said if Nathan married you, he'd make sure the whole family learned the truth. He threatened to ruin Nathan's business and expose everything.””
“Everything about what?”” I demanded.
“The affair. Your inheritance. Your biological father.””
“And what happened at the hotel?””
Stephanie swallowed.
“I went instead of Nathan.””
The room fell silent.
Nathan sprang to his feet.
“You promised you'd never tell anyone that!””
She stared at him with disbelief.
“You promised you'd protect me!””
“Enough!”” Alexander thundered.
Even Mr. Harrison flinched.
Alexander rarely raised his voice. I had heard him negotiate multimillion-dollar deals without changing his tone. Seeing him furious made something cold settle in my chest.
“Stephanie,” he said, “did you see Daniel that night?””
“Yes.””
“Was he alive when you left?””
She began shaking.
“He was sitting at the desk. There was a bottle on the table. We argued. He said Nathan would never choose me over Claire unless I gave him a reason to.””
My mouth went dry.
“What did you do?””
“I left.””
“Did you call anyone?””
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because he was still alive!””
Her voice broke.
“I heard him shouting as I walked out. I thought he was just trying to frighten me.””
Nathan rubbed his forehead.
“When I arrived later, the police were already there.””
I turned toward him.
“You went to the hotel?””
He nodded.
“After Stephanie called me. She was hysterical.””
“You knew she had been there.””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
“I was trying to protect her.””
The same words again.
Protect her.
Protect her.
Protect her.
I suddenly understood how little protection had ever been offered to me.
I had been left to believe that I wasn't good enough to keep my fiancé. I had spent six years wondering what Stephanie possessed that I lacked. I had built an entirely new life around a lie.
My mother had known. Nathan had known. Stephanie had known.
And they had let me mourn a relationship that should never have happened while hiding a death that might have changed everything.
“Did the police question you?”” I asked Nathan.
“Yes.””
“What did you tell them?””
“That I hadn't seen my father that night.””
Stephanie let out a broken laugh.
“He lied for me.””
Nathan turned on her.
“You were the one who asked me to!””
“And you agreed!””
Mr. Harrison rose slowly.
“This conversation needs to stop until I can obtain the original police records.””
“No,” I said.
“It doesn't.””
I turned to Stephanie.
“Did you kill him?””
She stared at me.
For a heartbeat, I thought she might finally tell me the truth.
Instead, she whispered, “I didn't mean for him to die.””
My knees weakened.
Alexander caught my hand.
Nathan looked as though he might be sick.
Then Stephanie reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I kept this because I was afraid Nathan would turn against me one day.””
She placed it on the desk.
It was a hotel receipt dated the night Daniel died.
On the back, someone had written a message in blue ink.
If Claire ever learns the truth, make sure she never sees the recording.
I looked at Nathan.
His face had gone white.
“What recording?”” I asked.
He didn't answer.
Stephanie backed toward the door.
Then she looked directly at my husband.
“Ask Alexander what his company was doing at that hotel six years ago.””
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And suddenly, my husband was the only person in the room who wasn't looking at the receipt.
He was looking at me.
