Chapter 7: The Woman in the Video
Linda saw the change in my face.
“Daniel?””
I moved between her and Sophie.
“Don’t move.””
Her eyes widened.
“What are you doing?””
Officer Ramirez stepped forward.
“Mrs. Mercer, I need you to keep your hands where I can see them.””
Linda stared at him.
Then at me.
“What happened?””
“The hotel has security footage.””
All color drained from her face.
Claire pulled Sophie behind her.
Ramirez continued.
“The footage shows you putting something into Daniel’s champagne glass.””
Linda’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
That silence terrified me more than a denial.
“Linda,” I said, “what did you put in my drink?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I can explain.””
“Then explain.””
“It wasn’t poison.””
My stomach dropped.
I hadn’t said poison.
Ramirez caught it too.
“What was it?””
“A sleeping medication.””
Claire gasped.
“You drugged his drink?””
“No!””
Linda shook her head violently.
“I mean yes, I put something in it, but I didn’t know what Vanessa was planning.””
“You put a drug in my champagne.””
“She told me you were having panic attacks.””
I stared at her.
“And that made sense to you?””
“She said you refused to take your medication because you were nervous about appearing weak in front of guests.””
“So you secretly put it in alcohol?””
Linda started crying.
“I know how it sounds.””
“It sounds like you drugged me.””
“She said it was prescribed!””
“Whose prescription?””
Linda went silent.
Ramirez held out his hand.
“Your purse.””
“What?””
“Put it on the table.””
She hesitated.
That was enough.
An officer took it.
Inside were lipstick, tissues, a wallet, keys, and a small amber prescription bottle.
The label had been peeled off.
Ramirez held it up.
“Is this what you used?””
Linda nodded.
“Vanessa gave it to me.””
“When?””
“This morning.””
“What exactly did she tell you?””
Linda covered her face.
“She said Daniel had been suffering panic attacks for months. She said he was terrified he’d freeze during the speeches.””
“I have never had a panic attack in my life.””
“I know that now!””
Claire stepped toward her.
“You’ve known Daniel for three years.””
Linda looked ashamed.
“I thought Vanessa knew things we didn’t.””
“You didn’t ask him?””
“She told me not to embarrass him.””
I laughed once.
Coldly.
“Convenient.””
Ramirez sealed the bottle in an evidence bag.
“We’ll test it.””
Linda looked at me desperately.
“I would never hurt you.””
“You already did.””
“Daniel—”
“You helped her.””
“I didn’t know!””
“Maybe.””
I pointed upstairs.
“But your daughter installed cameras in Sophie’s bedroom. She forged my signature. Your son created a fake death certificate.
Greg broke into my safe. And now there’s video of you putting drugs into my glass.””
Linda sank into a chair.
“My family is not like this.””
I looked at Sophie.
The red mark on her cheek was fading, but I could still see it.
“Apparently it is.””
Ramirez asked Linda to accompany another officer to the station for a formal statement.
She didn’t resist.
Before leaving, she stopped near Sophie.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.””
Sophie moved closer to Claire.
Linda’s face crumpled.
Then she left.
The front door closed.
I exhaled.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Sophie whispered, “Daddy?””
“Yes?””
“Grandma Linda was crying yesterday too.””
I crouched.
“Why?””
“She was fighting with Vanessa.””
“About what?””
“I don’t know.””
“Where?””
“In the kitchen.””
“Do you remember anything they said?””
Sophie thought carefully.
“Grandma said, ‘I won’t help you do that.’”
My pulse quickened.
“What did Vanessa say?””
“She said…”
Sophie frowned.
“She said, ‘You already helped. There’s no going back.’”
Claire and I exchanged a look.
Ramirez had just reached the front door when I called him back.
He wrote Sophie’s statement down.
“What else did you hear?””
Sophie squeezed Bunny.
“Vanessa said Grandma would lose her house.””
Martin, who had been quiet, suddenly looked up.
“Lose her house?””
“Yes.””
He pulled out his phone.
“Linda’s husband’s company had financial problems last year.””
“How bad?””
“I don’t know.””
He searched.
Then his expression tightened.
“There’s a lien against their property.””
“Amount?””
“Eight hundred and sixty thousand dollars.””
Claire whispered, “Jesus.””
Martin scrolled further.
“And there’s another filing.””
“What?””
“A private loan.””
“From whom?””
He looked at me.
“Alder Financial Management.””
My stomach tightened.
“Alder?””
“Same name as Rachel’s holding company.””
Ramirez stepped closer.
“Could Vanessa have used assets connected to the trust?””
“Not legally.””
Martin’s voice hardened.
“But if she had access to confidential information, she could have used the company name to make the loan appear legitimate.””
My phone buzzed.
An alert from the home security system.
BACK DOOR — MOTION DETECTED.
Everyone froze.
I opened the live feed.
Nothing.
Just the backyard.
Then another alert.
GARAGE DOOR — OPEN.
“Police are here,” Claire whispered.
“Who would be stupid enough to—”
The lights went out.
Sophie screamed.
I grabbed her.
“Everybody stay where you are!””
Ramirez drew his flashlight and weapon.
“Officer outside, check the panel!””
A crash came from upstairs.
Martin whispered, “Someone’s in the house.””
Ramirez moved toward the staircase.
Another officer entered from the front.
“Power line’s been cut at the exterior box.””
Not an outage.
Someone had done it.
Footsteps thundered above us.
Then a bedroom door slammed.
“Sophie stays downstairs,” Ramirez ordered.
Claire took her.
I wanted to follow the officers, but Ramirez stopped me.
“Stay here.””
Seconds later, shouting erupted upstairs.
“Police! Hands!””
A window shattered.
Then silence.
My heart pounded.
One minute later, Ramirez came down.
“Who was it?””
“He got out through the guest-room window.””
“Greg?””
“Greg is in custody.””
“Nathan?””
“Still detained at the hospital.””
“Then who?””
Ramirez held something.
Rachel’s letter.
My stomach dropped.
“He was looking for this.””
Martin checked the desk.
“The folder is gone.””
“What folder?””
“The forged guardianship documents.””
Someone had entered my house with police outside, cut the power, and risked arrest to steal those papers.
“Did you see him?””
Ramirez nodded.
“Male. Tall. Dark jacket. Mask.””
Then Sophie screamed from the kitchen.
“Daddy!””
I ran.
She was pointing through the glass back door.
A figure stood beyond the fence.
Watching us.
For one second, he stepped beneath the security light from the neighboring house.
Claire inhaled sharply.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“You know him?””
Her face turned white.
“That’s not one of Vanessa’s friends.””
“Then who is he?””
Claire stared at the disappearing figure.
“That’s Rachel’s father.””
I froze.
“Rachel’s father is dead.””
Claire shook her head.
“No, Daniel.””
May you like
Her voice trembled.
“That’s what Rachel told you.””
