Chapter 4: The Man at the Door
“Your mother was never supposed to see that video.””
Daniel stood frozen in the doorway.
I knew the man on the other side.
Richard Hale.
My late husband's business partner.
For years, Richard had been the person who brought casseroles to our house after the funeral. The man who sat beside Daniel during the memorial service. The man who told me, with tears in his eyes, that he would always look after our family.
Now he stood in front of us wearing the same expensive charcoal suit he'd worn at Daniel's wedding.
His expression was calm.
Far too calm.
Daniel stepped in front of me.
“What did you just say?””
Richard glanced at the phone in Daniel's hand.
“I said your mother wasn't supposed to see that.””
“How do you know what she saw?””
Richard smiled faintly.
“Because I sent it.””
My stomach dropped.
Daniel's hand curled into a fist.
“You?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Richard looked past him at me.
“Because someone had to tell you the truth.””
I stepped forward.
“Then tell us all of it.””
Richard's eyes settled on mine.
“You really want that?””
“Yes.””
He looked at Daniel.
“Your mother deserves to know why your father died.””
Daniel's breathing changed.
“You said Dad had a heart attack.””
Richard's jaw tightened.
“I said what everyone was told.””
“By whom?””
“By the doctors.””
“That isn't an answer.””
Richard walked into the room without being invited.
I watched every movement.
He shut the door behind him.
Then he said quietly, “Your father didn't die because of a heart condition.””
Daniel stared at him.
“What happened?””
Richard looked at me.
“Your husband discovered something.””
“What?””
“A financial fraud.””
Daniel shook his head.
“That's impossible.””
“No. It's not.””
Richard reached inside his jacket.
I flinched.
He slowly removed a folded document and placed it on the vanity.
“Your father discovered millions were being moved through shell companies.””
Daniel picked up the papers.
“Whose companies?””
Richard didn't answer.
Daniel looked at the names.
His face changed.
“These are yours.””
Richard said nothing.
Daniel looked up.
“You stole from Dad.””
“I borrowed.””
“You stole.””
“I intended to repay it.””
My voice cut through the room.
“Why didn't you?””
Richard looked at me.
“Because your husband found out before I could.””
I remembered that night.
The night before my husband died.
He had come home late.
He had stood in the kitchen with his tie loosened and his face gray.
I had asked him what was wrong.
He had kissed my forehead.
Then he had said, Margaret, if anything happens to me, don't trust Richard.
I had thought he was frightened.
Paranoid.
I had never told Daniel.
Richard watched my face.
“You remember, don't you?””
I swallowed.
“What did you do to him?””
“I didn't kill him.””
“Then why were you in that parking garage?””
Richard's eyes hardened.
“You've seen the video.””
“I saw enough.””
“You didn't see the beginning.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What happened at the garage?””
Richard sighed.
“Your father confronted me.””
“And Jessica?””
“She was there.””
“Why?””
“Because she was working for me.””
The words seemed to suck all the air from the room.
I stared at him.
“Working for you?””
Richard nodded.
“She was never interested in marrying you.””
Daniel's face twisted.
“Don't say that.””
“It's true.””
“Jessica loves me.””
Richard almost laughed.
“No, Daniel. Jessica loves what marrying you gives her.””
Daniel lunged forward.
I grabbed his arm.
“Daniel!””
Richard didn't move.
“Your father discovered the money trail,” he continued.
“He threatened to go to the authorities. I tried to stop him.””
“By killing him?””
“No.””
Richard's voice became quiet.
“I tried to scare him.””
Daniel stared at him.
“What did you do?””
“I arranged for someone to follow him.””
“Who?””
“Jessica.””
My blood ran cold.
“She followed your father for weeks. Learned his routine. His passwords. His meetings.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“She was good at it.””
“No.””
“She gained your father's trust.””
Richard looked at me.
“And then she betrayed him.””
I remembered Jessica's smile in the bridal suite.
The same smile she had worn when she looked at the camera.
My hands began to tremble.
“What did she do?””
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Daniel.
“Your father had evidence against me.””
“What evidence?””
“A recording.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“The video.””
Richard nodded.
“The same recording you just watched.””
“Then why was it in Dad's laptop?””
“Because he made a copy.””
Daniel looked at the phone.
“And Jessica knew about it?””
“She knew everything.””
“Then why didn't she destroy it?””
Richard's expression changed.
For the first time, I saw fear.
“Because she wasn't working alone.””
Daniel whispered, “Who else?””
Richard looked at me.
“You.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Your husband left something behind.””
“What?””
“A second recording.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Where?””
Richard's eyes moved toward the vanity mirror.
“There was a reason Jessica wanted your mother in this room.””
I stared at the tiny red camera.
Daniel understood first.
“The camera.””
Richard nodded.
“Jessica didn't install it to frame your mother.””
“Then why?””
“To make sure your mother would say exactly what she needed her to say.””
I shook my head.
“I don't understand.””
Richard looked at me.
“She needed a recording of you admitting something.””
“Admitting what?””
“That you knew about your husband's money.””
My mouth went dry.
“I knew nothing.””
“I know.””
“Then why would she want me to say it?””
Richard's expression darkened.
“Because if you admitted you knew about the accounts, they could blame you for the fraud.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Who is they?””
Richard didn't answer.
A loud crash came from the hallway.
We all turned.
Someone had knocked over a metal stand outside.
Daniel opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
But at the far end, the elevator doors were closing.
A woman's hand disappeared between them.
Daniel ran.
“Jessica!””
The doors shut.
He pressed the elevator button repeatedly.
Richard grabbed his shoulder.
“Don't.””
Daniel spun around.
“Get your hands off me.””
“You're walking into a trap.””
Daniel stared at him.
“Everything you've told us could be another trap.””
Richard nodded slowly.
“That is why you need to listen carefully.””
He pulled a small flash drive from his pocket.
“This contains the original files.””
Daniel took it.
“What do you want?””
“Nothing.””
I stared at him.
“That's a lie.””
Richard looked at me.
“Then perhaps this will convince you.””
He placed another item on the vanity.
A photograph.
It showed Jessica standing beside my husband.
They were outside a restaurant.
But that wasn't what frightened me.
In the background stood a second person.
A woman.
I recognized her immediately.
I had seen her yesterday.
At the wedding.
She had been sitting in the second row.
Watching me.
Richard whispered, “That's the person Jessica was talking to before she staged the attack.””
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“Who is she?””
Richard's face went pale.
“Her name is Evelyn Carter.””
I stopped breathing.
Carter.
My husband's surname.
Daniel's surname.
My surname.
I looked at Richard.
“Who is Evelyn Carter?””
May you like
He answered softly.
“Your husband's daughter.””
