Chapter 7: The Name Hidden in His Mother's Notebook
Daniel read the threatening message three times before he showed it to his father.
Richard stood in the doorway of Eleanor's sewing room, his face pale beneath the warm yellow light. In Daniel's hand, the phone seemed almost absurdly small for the amount of fear it had brought into the house.
“Your mother died because she refused to listen.””
Richard read the words silently.
Then he handed the phone back.
“We're taking this to Detective Bennett.””
“Dad, someone knows I opened the safe.””
“Then someone has been watching us.””
Daniel looked toward the window. Beyond the glass, the garden disappeared into darkness, and the security lights illuminated only the first few feet of the wet stone path.
“Do you think Gregory sent it?””
“I think we should stop guessing and start preserving evidence.””
Daniel slipped the phone into his pocket.
“I want to know who received the money.””
“So do I.””
“No, Dad. I mean the money from Mom's account. The money she was tracking before she died.””
Richard's expression changed.
Daniel opened the notebook and turned to the final pages.
“The account number she wrote down belongs to a bank in Switzerland. If we can identify the account holder, we might find the person she was trying to expose.””
Richard studied the handwriting.
“I didn't know about this account.””
“She didn't tell you everything.””
The words sounded harsher than Daniel intended.
Richard lowered his eyes.
“Apparently not.””
For a moment, Daniel saw the grief beneath his father's composure. Seven years had passed since Eleanor's death, but Richard still seemed to carry the weight of every conversation they had never finished.
Daniel softened his voice.
“I'm not blaming you.””
“I should have asked more questions when she came home frightened.””
“You didn't know what was happening.””
“Neither did you. But she was my wife. I should have known when something was wrong.””
Daniel placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
“We can't change what happened to Mom. But we can stop whoever is doing this now.””
Richard nodded.
Then he noticed the photograph on the desk.
Mia and Gregory stood outside a hotel entrance, their faces turned toward each other. Gregory's hand rested against Mia's back.
Richard picked it up.
“Where did you get this?””
“An unknown number sent it to me.””
“When?””
“About twenty minutes ago.””
Richard examined the date.
“Six months ago.””
“She told me she was visiting her sister.””
“Did you ask her about it?””
“Not yet.””
Richard returned the photograph to the desk.
“Don't confront her alone.””
Daniel frowned.
“You think she's dangerous?””
“I think she has already shown us that she'll manufacture evidence to get what she wants. If she believes you're about to expose her, she may do something unpredictable.””
Daniel's phone rang.
Detective Bennett.
He answered immediately.
“Detective?””
“Mr. Hayes, I need you and your father to come to the station. We've received new information about the financial transfers.””
Daniel glanced at Richard.
“What kind of information?””
“Gregory Price has attempted to move money out of a company account this morning. Our financial crimes team flagged the transaction before it cleared.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“How much?””
“Just under eight hundred thousand dollars.””
Daniel stared at the notebook.
“That account wasn't mentioned in the first report.””
“No. It appears to be connected to a separate subsidiary. We're investigating whether the funds were being moved to prevent them from being frozen.””
“Is Gregory under arrest?””
“Not yet. We need to establish the destination of the transfer and whether he knew the transaction had been flagged.””
Richard picked up his coat.
“We're on our way.””
Bennett's voice sharpened.
“One more thing. Don't contact Mia. We believe she may be preparing to leave town.””
Daniel looked at the photograph again.
“Understood.””
He ended the call.
Richard moved toward the door.
Daniel stayed where he was for another second.
“What if she's already gone?””
“Then we'll find her,” Richard replied.
“And if she takes the money with her?””
Richard looked back at his son.
“Then she'll discover that money isn't the same thing as freedom.””
Neither man knew that Mia was already standing outside a private terminal at Logan Airport, holding a passport that carried a different surname.
And she wasn't alone.
At the airport, Mia watched a baggage handler wheel a cart past the glass doors.
Her suitcase stood beside her, small enough to suggest a weekend trip rather than an escape from an unfolding criminal investigation.
She had chosen the name Claire Morgan for the ticket.
The passport had cost her more than she wanted to admit, and Gregory had promised to arrange everything else. A driver would take her to a property in Montreal, where she could stay until the investigation quieted down.
Then she would decide what to do next.
The plan sounded simple when Gregory described it over the phone.
It sounded less simple now that he had stopped answering her calls.
She tried again.
Voicemail.
“Gregory, call me,” she whispered after the tone.
“I'm at the airport. You said you'd be here.””
She ended the call and opened their messaging thread.
*Mia:* Where are you?
No reply.
*Mia:* You said we were leaving together.
Still nothing.
Her stomach tightened.
She opened her banking app and checked the account Gregory had promised to fund.
The balance was lower than it had been the previous night.
Much lower.
Mia stared at the numbers.
She refreshed the screen.
Nothing changed.
Then a notification appeared.
*Your transfer request has been canceled for security review.*
She felt the air leave her lungs.
She called Gregory again.
This time, he answered.
“What happened to the money?”” she demanded.
“Keep your voice down.””
“You told me the account was ready.””
“It was.””
“Then why has my transfer been canceled?””
“Because the bank flagged the transaction.””
“Why?””
“Because someone is looking into the accounts.””
Mia's grip tightened around the phone.
“The police?””
“Probably.””
“You said they didn't have the footage.””
“I said we didn't know whether they had it.””
“You told me everything would be fine!””
Gregory exhaled sharply.
“Stop behaving like a child. Get out of the airport.””
“Where are you?””
“Somewhere safe.””
“Gregory, we had an agreement.””
“Yes, and that agreement is now in danger because you couldn't keep your mouth shut.””
Mia went still.
“What are you talking about?””
“Did you tell Daniel about the money?””
“No.””
“Did you tell him about the hotel?””
“No!””
“Then why is he asking questions?””
Mia's mind raced.
She remembered Daniel leaving the apartment without telling her where he was going. She remembered the way he had looked at her when he asked about the knife.
And she remembered the security camera.
“Gregory,” she whispered, “what if they have the recording?””
He didn't answer.
That silence frightened her more than any accusation could have.
“Gregory?””
“If they have it, you need to say you were acting alone.””
Mia stared at the departure board.
“What?””
“You heard me.””
“You said we were doing this together.””
“We were discussing options. You staged the incident. You cut yourself. You made the accusation.””
“You told me to do it!””
“Can you prove that?””
She opened her mouth.
No words came.
Gregory continued, his voice suddenly calm.
“Listen to me. You have no criminal record. You have a husband who loves you. If you cooperate, you may be able to negotiate a deal.””
“You want me to take the blame?””
“I want you to survive.””
Then he hung up.
Mia stood frozen among the travelers.
For months, Gregory had told her she was special. He had promised that once Richard was removed from the company, they would finally have enough money to live without anyone controlling them.
He had told her Daniel would recover from the betrayal eventually.
He had even promised that they would leave Boston together.
Now he was abandoning her at an airport and advising her to confess.
She looked at the exit.
Then at the departure gate.
She could still leave.
But without money, she would be stranded in another country, carrying a false passport and a criminal allegation that could follow her for years.
She had one chance to protect herself.
She had to get ahead of Gregory.
She opened her messages and typed a number she had sworn never to contact.
*Mia:* I need to speak to Detective Bennett. I have information about Gregory Price.
She hesitated.
Then she added another sentence.
*Mia:* But I need protection first.
She pressed send.
A moment later, her phone vibrated.
It wasn't Bennett.
It was Gregory.
*Gregory:* Don't do anything stupid. I know where Daniel is.
Mia's blood ran cold.
She looked around the terminal, searching faces.
For the first time in her life, she couldn't tell whether anyone was watching her.
Detective Bennett's office was crowded when Daniel and Richard arrived.
Two financial investigators stood beside a whiteboard covered in account numbers and dates. A large monitor displayed a diagram connecting several companies to a network of bank transfers.
Bennett rose to greet them.
“Mr. Hayes. Daniel. Thank you for coming.””
Richard looked at the monitor.
“What have you found?””
Bennett pointed to a highlighted company.
“Northbridge Advisory Group. It received the original transfers from Hayes Construction. The company was registered six years ago through a corporate services firm. Its listed director is a nominee who appears to have no operational role.””
Daniel studied the diagram.
“And the money?””
“Some went to overseas accounts. Some returned through intermediary companies and were recorded as consulting revenue. We're still tracing the remainder.””
Richard leaned closer.
“Who owns Northbridge?””
“That is the question we're trying to answer.””
Daniel removed the photograph and placed it on the table.
“Someone sent me this last night. Mia and Gregory, six months ago.””
Bennett examined it.
“Do you know where it was taken?””
“A hotel in Boston. I recognize the entrance.””
“Were they there for business?””
“Mia told me she was visiting her sister.””
Bennett looked up.
“Does her sister live nearby?””
“No. She lives in Connecticut.””
The detective exchanged a glance with one of the investigators.
“Can you send me the original image and the message that accompanied it?””
Daniel nodded.
“There's something else.””
He opened the folder containing Eleanor's notebook and the note from the safe.
“My mother was tracking the same companies years ago. She also wrote down a Swiss bank account number.””
Bennett read the relevant pages carefully.
“Have you connected the account to Northbridge?””
“Not yet.””
“We'll need the original records. Don't attempt to access the account yourself. International banking records can require formal legal requests, and we don't want to compromise evidence.””
Daniel handed over copies of the notebook pages and the threatening message.
Bennett's expression hardened as she read the text.
“Did the sender identify themselves?””
“No.””
“Have you received any other threats?””
“No.””
“Then I want you to preserve the phone and avoid replying. We'll see whether the message can be traced.””
Richard looked at the board again.
“Detective, I need to know whether Gregory was involved in my wife's death.””
Bennett was quiet for a moment.
“Your wife's accident was investigated seven years ago. We can't assume it was connected to the financial case. But your mother's notes and the threatening message are relevant leads. We'll review the original investigation and determine whether anything warrants reopening it.””
Richard nodded, though the answer clearly wasn't enough.
Bennett turned to Daniel.
“Have you spoken to Mia today?””
“No.””
“Good. We believe she may attempt to leave the area. She has also sent me a message indicating that she wants to cooperate.””
Daniel's expression changed.
“She has?””
“Yes. She says she has information about Gregory. I haven't interviewed her yet.””
Richard folded his arms.
“What do you think she'll tell you?””
“Whatever she believes will protect her.””
The answer was blunt enough to make Daniel look away.
Bennett continued.
“If she has evidence of financial crimes, we'll examine it. But her cooperation won't automatically excuse a false allegation or any role she may have played in the transfers.””
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“She's my wife.””
“I know.””
“I still don't understand how she could do this.””
Bennett's voice softened.
“Sometimes people tell themselves a story about why they're entitled to do something. They repeat it until they believe it. That doesn't make the harm any less real.””
Daniel swallowed.
Richard put a hand on his son's shoulder.
“We'll get through this.””
For the first time, Daniel didn't pull away.
Then Bennett's phone rang.
She listened for several seconds before answering.
“Where?””
A pause.
“Is she alone?””
Another pause.
“Keep her there. We'll send a unit.””
She ended the call.
“Mia is at Logan Airport. She appears to be preparing to leave the country.””
Daniel stood.
“I'm going there.””
“No,” Bennett said firmly.
“You're not going to confront her. My officers will speak with her.””
“But she may know what happened to Mom.””
“Then we'll ask her.””
Bennett grabbed her coat.
As she reached the door, her phone rang again.
This time, she answered on speaker.
An officer's voice filled the room.
“Detective, we've got a problem. Mia says she received a threat from Gregory. She claims he told her to take the blame for the staged assault.””
Bennett looked at Daniel.
“Has she agreed to speak with us?””
“Yes, but she wants to make a deal.””
“Tell her we'll discuss cooperation after she gives a complete statement. Don't promise immunity.””
The officer hesitated.
“There's something else. She says Gregory told her that Daniel is in danger.””
Daniel went cold.
Richard stepped forward.
“What exactly did he say?””
The officer checked his notes.
“He reportedly told her, 'I know where Daniel is.''”
Bennett's face hardened.
“Get her into a secure interview room. We'll be there shortly.””
She ended the call.
Daniel looked at his father.
For seven years, they had lived with the belief that Eleanor's death was a terrible accident.
Now a man who had once been their trusted financial officer was threatening Daniel while trying to move nearly a million dollars out of the company.
And Mia, the woman who had tried to frame Richard, was suddenly asking the police to protect her.
The question was no longer whether the family had been betrayed.
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It was how far the betrayal went.
And whether Gregory Price was prepared to hurt someone else to keep his secrets buried.
