Chapter 11: The Woman Who Wore My Mother's Pearls
The microfilm was taken to the police laboratory under Detective Harris's supervision.
We were told it would take several hours to process.
Several hours.
That was all the time we had before the ceremony.
Brittany was finally forced to remove my gown.
She stood in the bridal suite wearing a hotel robe, furious and humiliated.
“You've ruined everything,” she said.
I was examining the damaged pearl embroidery when she threw the veil onto the sofa.
“You always do this.””
I looked up.
“Do what?””
“Make everything about you.””
I slowly set down the needle I had been holding.
“Brittany, you stole my dress, forged my signature, and helped Mom transfer money that didn't belong to you.””
She folded her arms.
“I was trying to build something.””
“With stolen money?””
“With what Mom promised me!””
I stood.
“And what did she promise?””
Brittany's eyes filled.
“She said the company would belong to me. She said you would sign the papers, and we'd all move forward.””
“You knew I hadn't signed them.””
“She said you'd eventually understand.””
I shook my head.
“You really believed that?””
Brittany looked toward the mirror.
“I've spent my entire life watching you get things without trying.””
I stared at her.
“Without trying?””
“You had Aunt Eleanor. You had the shop. You had Nathan. You had everyone telling you how talented you were.””
I almost laughed.
“You had Mom.””
Her expression hardened.
“Exactly.””
For the first time, I saw the resentment beneath her arrogance.
Brittany hadn't simply wanted my dress.
She had wanted to be the daughter my mother had chosen to make successful.
And Victoria had encouraged that jealousy because it made Brittany easier to control.
I picked up the veil.
“Do you remember when we were children and Aunt Eleanor made us matching dresses?””
Brittany looked away.
“Yes.””
“You spilled paint on yours, and she stayed up all night fixing it.””
“So?””
“She didn't charge Mom. She didn't complain. She just wanted us to feel beautiful.””
Brittany's eyes flickered.
I continued.
“Do you remember what she told us?””
Brittany didn't answer.
“She said a dress could make a woman feel powerful, but it couldn't make her a good person.””
My sister's jaw tightened.
“Stop acting like you're better than me.””
“I'm not. I'm just done pretending we're the same.””
She grabbed her handbag.
“Mom was right about you.””
I stepped aside.
“Then you should ask her why she needed you to steal my dress instead of simply asking me for help.””
Brittany stopped at the door.
For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something.
Instead, she walked out.
Ten minutes later, Detective Harris returned.
He placed several printed photographs on the table.
“We've developed the microfilm.””
I leaned forward.
The first image showed bank transfers from Caroline's company.
The second showed a signed agreement between Victoria and Margaret Reed.
The third was a payment authorization dated the day before Caroline's accident.
The recipient was Richard Reed.
I looked at Daniel.
“You said Richard ordered the accident?””
He shook his head.
“I said I suspected him.””
The detective pointed to the final image.
“This document changes things.””
It was a handwritten instruction.
Ensure Caroline cannot reach the police before the transfer is completed.
The signature belonged to Victoria.
But beneath it was another signature.
Margaret Reed.
I stared.
“Both of them?””
Detective Harris nodded.
“The document suggests they coordinated a plan to stop Caroline from reporting the financial misconduct.””
Daniel leaned forward.
“Does it say who was supposed to intercept her?””
The detective turned another page.
A name appeared.
Richard Reed.
I felt a wave of nausea.
“But Margaret said she was driving.””
“She may have been. We need to establish exactly what happened.””
Daniel looked at the papers.
“There should be another page.””
The detective checked.
“There's a missing section.””
I reached into Aunt Eleanor's wooden box and removed the original transcript.
“Wait.””
I placed it beside the printed microfilm.
The handwriting matched.
But the last paragraph was different.
The missing section from Caroline's letter had been preserved in Eleanor's notes.
I read aloud.
Richard has agreed to meet me at the estate. He says he will return the original documents and confess what Victoria has done. I am taking the recording device with me. If he refuses, I will go directly to the authorities.
I looked up.
“Caroline went to Bellamere voluntarily.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“She thought Richard was going to help her.””
“And Margaret followed her.””
The detective studied the document.
“Possibly.””
Then another officer entered.
“Detective, we've located Richard Reed.””
“Where?””
“At the estate's north gate.””
“Alone?””
The officer hesitated.
“No. He's with Victoria Carter.””
I stood.
“Take me there.””
The detective shook his head.
“Absolutely not.””
“She knows I found the microfilm.””
“Which is why you need to stay here.””
But I was already picking up my purse.
“I've spent my entire life being told to stay quiet while other people decide what's best for me. I'm finished.””
Daniel approached.
“Madison, I'll go with you.””
Nathan appeared in the doorway.
“I will too.””
I looked at him.
“You don't have to.””
“I know. But I want to.””
I studied his face.
There was guilt in his eyes, but something else too.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For me.
We drove to the north gate with two police vehicles following.
Richard stood beside his car.
Victoria was facing him, holding a small leather folder.
When she saw me, she stepped backward.
“Madison, darling. We need to talk.””
I stopped several feet away.
“About Caroline?””
Her smile vanished.
Richard looked toward the officers.
“Victoria, tell them what you told me.””
She turned on him.
“Don't you dare.””
He held up his hands.
“You said you wanted to confess.””
“I said I wanted to negotiate.””
The detective stepped between them.
“Mrs. Carter, you're going to need to come with us.””
Victoria laughed.
“You have no idea who you're dealing with.””
I looked at her.
“I think I finally do.””
She turned toward me.
“You think that necklace proves something? You think a few old photographs make you the victim?””
“No. I think your own handwriting does.””
Her face tightened.
Then she reached into her handbag.
The detective moved immediately.
“Don't touch anything!””
Victoria froze.
But the folder slipped from her fingers.
Several papers scattered across the pavement.
One landed near my shoe.
I picked it up.
It was a medical authorization dated the night Caroline died.
The signature at the bottom was Richard Reed's.
But the witness signature belonged to someone else.
Someone whose name I recognized.
Aunt Eleanor.
I stared at the document.
Why would my aunt witness the authorization?
And why had she kept it hidden?
Before I could ask, Richard whispered:
“Because Eleanor was there when Caroline took her last breath.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He closed his eyes.
“Madison, your aunt knew what happened that night. She helped Victoria cover it up.””
The world seemed to stop.
I turned toward Daniel.
He looked just as shocked.
May you like
Then Richard added:
“And the reason she kept the recording was because she was the one who made the final decision.””
