Chapter 7: My Mother’s Twenty-Minute Lie
My mother had told the police she was home the night Rebecca died.
The photograph on my phone proved she had been somewhere else.
Twenty minutes before the emergency call.
I stared at the image until the edges blurred. My mother stood outside Rebecca's apartment building, wearing a dark coat and holding her brown handbag. Beside her was Evelyn Price, the woman with the red purse and the gold bird necklace.
Neither woman was looking at the camera.
They were looking at the apartment entrance.
“Michael,” I whispered, “what if my mother was there when Rebecca died?””
He took the phone from my shaking hands.
“We don't jump to conclusions. This photograph needs authentication, and the timestamp needs verification. But we have enough reason to request an urgent investigation.””
“What if she lied because she helped Daniel?””
“Then the investigators need to establish exactly what happened.””
I looked at the clock.
Ethan had been gone for nearly an hour.
His final message kept repeating in my mind.
The person who killed Rebecca is closer to you than you think.
I called him again.
The phone went straight to voicemail.
Michael contacted the authorities handling the threats, giving them Ethan's number, the photograph, and the details of the interrupted call. He also requested a welfare check at Ethan's last known address.
Then he turned toward me.
“Sarah, I need you to be prepared for the possibility that your family has been hiding things from you for years.””
I swallowed.
“I think I'm already there.””
We drove to my mother's house with an officer accompanying us. I didn't know whether I wanted answers or simply wanted to see her face when I asked the question.
Eleanor opened the door wearing a pale blue cardigan.
Her expression brightened when she saw me.
“Sarah! Thank goodness. I've been trying to reach you.””
Then she noticed Michael and the uniformed officer.
Her smile disappeared.
“What is this about?””
I held up the photograph.
“Why were you outside Rebecca's apartment the night she died?””
My mother stared at the screen.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she stepped backward.
“Come inside.””
“No. Answer me here.””
“Sarah, please. Not in the doorway.””
“Were you there?””
She glanced at the officer, then at Michael.
“Yes.””
The word struck harder than I expected.
“Why did you tell the police you were home?””
My mother gripped the doorframe.
“Because I was frightened.””
“Of what?””
“Of Daniel.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Everyone is frightened of Daniel. That's apparently the excuse for everything.””
“He threatened me.””
“And that made lying about a woman's death acceptable?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't know Rebecca was going to die.””
The officer asked her to explain what she meant.
My mother led us into the living room. I remained standing while Michael took a seat opposite her.
Eleanor twisted a tissue between her fingers.
“Rebecca called me that afternoon. She said she'd found financial records linking Daniel to payments that had never been reported properly. She believed he was moving money through companies that didn't exist beyond paper.””
“Why would Rebecca call you?””
“Because she trusted me.””
That answer hurt in a way I hadn't anticipated.
Rebecca had been Lily's mother, but she had also been a person with her own fears, hopes, and secrets. I had spent years remembering her through photographs and stories. I had never imagined that my mother had known her personally.
“What happened next?”” Michael asked.
“Rebecca asked me to meet her. She wanted advice about what to do. I went to her apartment, and Evelyn was already there.””
“Why Evelyn?””
“She said she could help Rebecca understand the records. She had worked with Daniel and knew how his accounts were organized.””
My mother stopped speaking.
I leaned forward.
“What happened inside?””
“Rebecca was furious. She accused Evelyn of taking money and helping Daniel conceal it. Evelyn denied everything. Then Rebecca said she had recorded conversations with Daniel.””
Michael opened his notebook.
“Did you hear the recording?””
“No. Rebecca said she had copies somewhere safe.””
“And then?””
My mother began crying.
“Evelyn left first. I stayed because Rebecca was upset. We argued. She accused me of protecting Daniel.””
“Were you?””
“I had accepted money from him,” she whispered.
“He told me it was compensation for helping him with family expenses. I didn't know where it came from.””
I felt sick.
“How much?””
“Fifty thousand dollars.””
I closed my eyes.
“And when did you discover the truth?””
“Rebecca showed me a bank statement. She said the money came from the company and that Daniel had been using my name to move funds between accounts.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I was ashamed.””
My mother's voice cracked.
“I left Rebecca's apartment after she told me she intended to report everything. I said I couldn't get involved. She begged me not to leave her alone.””
The room went quiet.
I could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.
“Did you leave her alone?”” I asked.
My mother nodded.
“Yes.””
“And then she died.””
“Yes.””
“Did you call for help?””
“No. I wasn't there when it happened.””
“Then how do you know what happened?””
She looked at me with an expression that made my stomach tighten.
“Because Evelyn called me twenty minutes later. She said Rebecca had collapsed and that I must never tell anyone I had visited.””
Michael leaned forward.
“Did you go back to the apartment?””
“No.””
“Did you contact emergency services?””
“No. Evelyn told me they were already on the way.””
My mother covered her face.
“I was afraid she'd expose the money Daniel had given me. I thought the police would accuse me of helping him.””
I stared at her.
“So you protected yourself.””
“I was wrong.””
“Yes,” I whispered.
“You were.””
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A single message appeared.
*Your brother is alive. But if you want him to stay that way, stop asking what happened to Rebecca.*
A second message followed.
It contained a photograph of a small silver key lying on a white envelope.
On the envelope was my mother's name.
Michael immediately alerted the officer.
My mother stared at the photograph, her face turning gray.
Then she whispered something I would never forget.
“That's the key to the clock.””
I looked at the grandfather clock in the corner.
“The one Ethan told me to search?””
My mother nodded.
“There's a compartment behind the mechanism. Rebecca hid something there before she died.””
“What?””
She shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“I don't know. But Daniel has been searching for that key for six years.””
Then the grandfather clock chimed.
May you like
And from somewhere inside its wooden case came three sharp knocks.
Someone was already hiding behind the clock's mechanism.
