Chapter 6
Richard stared at his name.
“I had nothing to do with this.”
Detective Ruiz watched him carefully.
“I didn’t say you did.”
“Emily put my name on that page.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“We’ll find out.”
Margaret appeared at the back door.
The second she saw Victor on the ground, she stopped.
Victor turned his head.
Their eyes met.
It lasted less than a second.
But Detective Ruiz saw it.
So did Richard.
Victor smiled.
Margaret immediately looked away.
Ruiz walked toward her.
“Mrs. Bennett, do you know this man?”
“No.”
Victor laughed from the snow.
Margaret’s face hardened.
Ruiz glanced back at him.
“You find something funny?”
Victor said nothing.
Margaret went inside.
Ruiz followed.
Daniel stayed near the door.
Richard could see panic building in him.
Police collected every page from the snow.
The rabbit had been damaged, but Lily clung to it anyway.
“It’s broken,” she whispered.
Noah hugged her.
“We’ll fix it.”
Lily looked at Richard.
“Can Grandpa fix it?”
The word hit him again.
Grandpa.
Richard crouched.
“Yes.”
“You promise?”
“Yes.”
She handed him the rabbit.
Richard held it like it was the most valuable thing he had ever owned.
Maybe it was.
Inside the house, Victor demanded a lawyer.
He refused to answer questions.
But police found something in his pocket.
A key.
Not a house key.
A bank deposit-box key.
The number on it matched one of Emily’s handwritten notes.
Detective Ruiz immediately obtained an emergency preservation order while prosecutors prepared a warrant.
The bank was downtown.
Richard wanted to go.
Ruiz refused.
“You’re potentially connected to the evidence.”
“I am not involved.”
“Then let us confirm that.”
Richard looked at his own name again.
Emily had put it there for a reason.
He returned to his study.
Noah followed.
“Why was your name on Mom’s paper?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Mom think you were bad too?”
Richard looked at the boy.
“Maybe.”
Noah sat on the edge of a chair.
“Were you?”
Richard could have defended himself.
He could have said he never stole money.
Never threatened Emily.
Never hired Victor.
But that wasn’t what Noah asked.
Was he bad?
Richard looked at the family photograph on his desk.
Emily had been cut out of newer pictures.
Not physically.
She simply wasn’t there.
And somehow Richard had allowed her absence to become normal.
“I was wrong,” he said.
“That’s not the same.”
Richard looked at him.
Noah continued.
“My teacher once said being wrong isn’t always being bad.”
“Your teacher sounds smart.”
“She was.”
“Do you still go to school?”
Noah looked down.
“I stopped.”
“When?”
“Two weeks before Mom died.”
“Why?”
“She needed help with Lily.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Everything Emily had endured kept getting worse.
“Did anyone from school come looking for you?”
“They called.”
“And?”
“Mom said we were moving.”
“Were you?”
“No.”
Richard nodded slowly.
He made another silent promise.
Noah would go back.
Lily would go to school.
They would have food.
Heat.
Beds.
But even as Richard imagined fixing everything with money, he realized how small that sounded.
Money could buy safety.
It could not give them back their mother.
A knock came.
Thomas entered.
“We found Michael Hayes.”
Richard stood.
Noah looked alert.
“My dad?”
Richard looked at Thomas.
“You’re sure?”
Thomas nodded.
“He’s alive.”
“Where?”
“Milwaukee.”
Noah jumped up.
“He’s my dad?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Based on Emily’s letter, yes. We haven’t confirmed paternity.”
Noah stared at Richard.
“Does he know about us?”
Richard didn’t know what to say.
Thomas answered.
“We don’t know yet.”
“Call him.”
Richard nodded.
Thomas made the call on speaker.
A man answered after four rings.
“Hello?”
Thomas said, “Is this Michael Hayes?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Thomas Reed. I represent Richard Bennett.”
Silence.
Then Michael said, “I have nothing to say to that family.”
Noah looked at Richard.
Thomas continued.
“This is regarding Emily Carter.”
Another long silence.
Michael’s voice changed.
“What happened?”
Richard took the phone.
“Emily died last month.”
Nothing.
Then a sharp inhale.
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
Michael’s voice cracked.
“No, no, no.”
Noah stepped closer.
Richard said, “She had two children.”
Michael stopped crying.
“What?”
“A boy named Noah and a girl named Lily.”
Silence.
“Who are you?”
“Richard.”
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I were.”
“She told me…”
He stopped.
Richard’s grip tightened.
“What did she tell you?”
“That the baby wasn’t mine.”
Noah’s face changed.
Richard closed his eyes.
Margaret.
Emily’s letter had said Margaret threatened to convince Richard the baby wasn’t Michael’s.
Apparently she had done more than threaten.
Michael said, “Emily called me ten years ago. She said she had lied about everything between us. Said she never wanted to see me again.”
“Did you believe her?”
“No.”
“Then why didn’t you find her?”
“I tried!”
His voice rose.
“I went to her apartment. She was gone. I called. Number disconnected. I came to your house.”
Richard froze.
“What?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.”
“I spoke to your wife.”
Richard felt sick.
“What did Margaret say?”
“She said Emily had moved to California with someone else.”
Richard looked toward the hallway.
“She lied.”
Michael laughed bitterly.
“Welcome to the club.”
Noah stepped forward.
“Can I talk?”
Richard handed him the phone.
Noah swallowed.
“Hello?”
Michael didn’t answer immediately.
Then softly, “Hi.”
“Are you Michael?”
“Yes.”
“My mom kept a picture of you.”
Michael began crying.
Noah’s voice trembled.
“Are you my dad?”
Richard turned away.
Michael whispered, “I think I might be.”
Noah’s eyes filled.
“Why didn’t you come?”
The question hurt everyone in the room.
Michael said, “I didn’t know where you were.”
“That’s what Grandpa said.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Noah continued.
“Everyone says they didn’t know.”
No one had an answer.
Then Detective Ruiz entered.
“Mr. Bennett.”
Richard turned.
“We found something in the bank box.”
The call ended minutes later with Michael promising to come to Chicago immediately.
Ruiz placed photographs on the desk.
“Inside the deposit box were copies of financial records, contracts, and audio recordings.”
“Audio?”
“Emily recorded conversations.”
“With whom?”
“Margaret.”
Richard sat.
Ruiz played one.
Emily’s voice filled the room.
Young.
Angry.
Terrified.
“You planted those pills.”
Then Margaret.
Calm.
“You need to stop making accusations.”
“I saw Daniel take the company checkbook.”
“You saw nothing.”
“I made copies.”
Silence.
Then Margaret’s voice changed.
“If you try to destroy my son, I will destroy you first.”
Richard stopped breathing.
Emily said, “He’s your son. I’m your daughter too.”
Margaret laughed.
“No, Emily. You’re Richard’s daughter.”
The recording ended.
Noah’s face was wet with tears.
Richard couldn’t move.
Ruiz played another.
Daniel’s voice this time.
“Just take the money and leave.”
Emily: “You stole from Dad.”
Daniel: “Dad has more money than he’ll ever spend.”
Emily: “You forged his signature.”
Daniel: “And if you tell him, Mom will make sure he thinks you’re high again.”
A crash.
Emily crying.
Then Daniel’s voice.
“You don’t understand how this family works.”
The recording ended.
Richard stood so quickly the chair fell.
“Arrest him.”
Ruiz said, “There’s more.”
“What more do you need?”
“The recordings prove fraud and intimidation.”
“And Emily?”
“We haven’t connected them to the poisoning yet.”
Noah suddenly said, “I can.”
Everyone turned.
He wiped his face.
“Mom got a package before she got sick.”
Ruiz crouched.
“What package?”
“A box.”
“What was inside?”
“Cookies.”
Richard frowned.
“Cookies?”
Noah nodded.
“Mom thought they were from work.”
“Did you eat any?”
“No.”
“Lily?”
“No.”
“Your mother did?”
“She ate two.”
Ruiz’s expression changed.
“What happened to the box?”
“I threw it away after she went to the hospital.”
“Do you remember anything written on it?”
Noah thought.
“There was a card.”
“What did it say?”
“Congratulations on the promotion.”
Richard looked confused.
“Promotion?”
Noah shook his head.
“Mom said it was weird because she didn’t get promoted.”
Ruiz asked, “Who sent it?”
Noah’s face tightened.
“The card said D.”
Everyone looked toward the hallway.
Daniel was gone.
Richard rushed out.
“Daniel!”
The front door stood open.
A car engine roared outside.
Security shouted over radios.
Richard ran onto the driveway just as Daniel’s sports car smashed through the half-closing gate.
“Stop him!”
Police vehicles pulled out after him.
Margaret stood in the doorway.
She wasn’t shocked.
Richard looked at her.
“You knew he was leaving.”
“No.”
“You knew.”
She stared at him.
Richard stepped closer.
“Did Daniel poison Emily?”
Margaret’s face cracked.
Just slightly.
And that was enough.
Richard whispered, “Oh God.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
“You know.”
“I said no.”
“Then look at me and tell me your son didn’t kill my daughter.”
May you like
Margaret stared at him.
For the first time in twenty-seven years, she had nothing to say.
