Chapter 6: The Night My Husband Died
I don't remember leaving my mother's house.
I remember the front door closing.
I remember Lily asking whether we were going home.
I remember sitting in the driver's seat with both hands gripping the steering wheel, unable to turn the key.
My mother had said Vanessa was in Daniel's car.
For four years, I had believed my husband died alone on a dark highway.
Now I was being told that my sister had been with him.
And my mother had known.
"Mom?""
Lily's voice was soft.
I turned toward her.
"Yes, baby?""
"Are you going to cry?""
I touched my cheek.
I hadn't realized the tears were falling.
"A little.""
She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward as far as she could.
"Do you want a hug?""
I reached back and held her hand.
"Always.""
I drove to a small café near the town center and called Richard.
He answered immediately.
"Claire?""
"I need to see you.""
"What's happened?""
"My mother says Vanessa was in Daniel's car the night he died.""
There was a long silence.
Then Richard said, "Where are you?""
I gave him the address.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes.""
He arrived seventeen minutes later, carrying a leather briefcase.
He ordered coffee but didn't touch it.
"Tell me everything," he said.
I explained the conversation with my mother, the stolen storage device, and Daniel's note.
Richard listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he opened his briefcase.
"There's something you should know.""
He removed a document.
"Before Daniel died, he contacted our legal department about an unauthorized transfer involving your estate.""
I stared at him.
"Daniel contacted your company?""
"Yes. He was a consultant on one of our property projects. He discovered that a shell company had been receiving payments through accounts connected to Vanessa.""
"Did he tell you?""
"He told one of our senior accountants. Unfortunately, the accountant retired shortly afterward, and the matter was never fully investigated.""
Richard placed another document on the table.
"This is a copy of Daniel's original complaint.""
I read it.
The words blurred.
Daniel had written that he suspected someone was using my identity to authorize financial transactions.
He had requested an audit.
At the bottom was a handwritten note.
I believe my wife's sister is involved.
I covered my mouth.
Richard lowered his voice.
"Claire, I don't want to frighten you, but I think Daniel was trying to protect you.""
"From Vanessa?""
"Possibly. But we need evidence before drawing conclusions.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I opened the message.
*You need to stop asking questions. Daniel made the same mistake.*
I showed Richard.
His expression changed.
"Don't reply.""
He took a photograph of the message with his phone.
"Has anyone else contacted you?""
"No.""
"Then we need to preserve everything.""
He looked toward Lily, who was quietly coloring at the other end of the table.
"Claire, did your daughter say where she found the flash drive?""
"In Vanessa's office.""
"Was it connected to anything else?""
I thought about the photograph.
The folder.
The documents.
Then I remembered something Lily had said the previous night.
I think Aunt Vanessa knows I heard her.
I turned toward my daughter.
"Sweetheart, can I ask you something?""
She looked up.
"Yes.""
"When you went into Aunt Vanessa's office, did you find anything else?""
Lily nodded.
"A little silver box.""
Richard leaned forward.
"What was inside?""
"Pictures. Papers. And a phone.""
I felt my pulse quicken.
"Did you touch the phone?""
"No. It was already on.""
"What did you see?""
Lily looked down at her coloring book.
"There was a video of Daddy.""
I stopped breathing.
Richard's face went pale.
"A video of Daniel?""
Lily nodded.
"He was talking to Aunt Vanessa.""
"Did you watch it?""
"Only a little.""
"What did he say?""
She thought carefully.
"He said, 'You need to tell Claire the truth before someone gets hurt.''"
My fingers went numb.
Richard closed his briefcase.
"Where is the phone now?""
Lily shook her head.
"I don't know. Aunt Vanessa took it away when she saw me.""
I looked at Richard.
"We need that phone.""
He nodded.
"Yes. But we need to be careful.""
That afternoon, I received a call from Graham.
His voice sounded exhausted.
"Claire, I'm sorry.""
"For what?""
"For bringing Vanessa into your life. For not seeing what she was doing.""
"You didn't know.""
"I should have asked more questions.""
I sat at the kitchen table.
"Did you find anything else?""
"Yes. My father and I reviewed the company records. There are payments going back almost a year.""
"How much?""
"More than we thought.""
He paused.
"And there's something else. Vanessa had access to a private storage unit under my name.""
"What was in it?""
"I don't know yet. The facility manager says she removed several boxes last night.""
My stomach tightened.
"Last night?""
"After the wedding.""
"Do you know where she went?""
"No. But she left something behind.""
I heard papers moving.
Then Graham said, "Claire, I think you should come over.""
Graham's house was a large modern property overlooking a private lake.
I had visited twice before.
Both times, Vanessa had been eager to show me the expensive furniture, the designer kitchen, and the enormous walk-in closet she was already calling hers.
Today, the house felt different.
The wedding flowers were still arranged in the entrance hall.
But the photographs had been removed.
Graham met me at the door.
"I found this in my office.""
He handed me a white envelope.
My name was written across the front.
I opened it.
Inside was a photocopy of an insurance policy.
Daniel's name appeared at the top.
I frowned.
"This isn't mine.""
Graham nodded.
"Look at the beneficiary.""
I lowered my eyes.
My name wasn't there.
Neither was Lily's.
The beneficiary was Vanessa Carter.
I stared at the page.
"Why would Vanessa be listed on Daniel's insurance policy?""
Graham rubbed his forehead.
"That's what I want to know.""
I read the policy date.
It had been issued three months before Daniel's death.
The amount was $750,000.
My hands began to shake.
"Daniel never told me about this.""
Graham pointed toward the bottom.
"There's a signature.""
I looked.
It appeared to be Daniel's.
But the date made no sense.
Daniel had never mentioned changing his policy.
"Where did you find this?""
"Inside a locked drawer. Vanessa had the key.""
I stared at him.
"Why would she keep it?""
"Maybe she was planning to use it.""
Before I could answer, Richard entered the room.
He was holding his phone.
"Claire, we have a problem.""
"What happened?""
"Brooke contacted me.""
"What did she say?""
Richard hesitated.
"She says Vanessa is trying to leave the country.""
Graham stood.
"What?""
"She booked a flight under another name. Tonight.""
My stomach dropped.
"Where is she going?""
"London, according to the booking.""
I looked at the insurance document again.
Then I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
A small handwritten note beside the policy number.
Original beneficiary changed at request of policyholder.
I pointed to it.
"Richard, can you check whether this policy is genuine?""
He examined the document.
"I'll have someone verify it.""
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
"Yes?""
His expression changed almost immediately.
"Are you certain?""
He listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
Graham stepped forward.
"What?""
Richard looked at me.
"The insurance company has confirmed the policy.""
My mouth went dry.
"And the beneficiary?""
Richard swallowed.
"Vanessa.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did Daniel change it?""
Richard shook his head.
"No. According to their records, the beneficiary was changed using a request submitted electronically.""
"By whom?""
He looked at the document again.
"That's the problem.""
He turned the page toward me.
The request had been submitted using my personal email address.
And the confirmation had been sent to a phone number I recognized.
My mother's.
I felt as though the air had vanished from the room.
Before I could speak, Graham's phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
It was from Vanessa.
*I know Claire has the photograph. If she wants to know what really happened to Daniel, tell her to meet me tonight. Alone.*
A second message followed.
*And tell her to bring Lily's flash drive. Because what's on the original recording will destroy all three of us.*
I looked at my daughter.
She was standing in the doorway, holding her lavender dress.
Her voice was barely audible.
"Mom, I think Aunt Vanessa is scared of the last video.""
I knelt beside her.
"What last video, sweetheart?""
Lily looked at me.
"The one where Daddy says who was driving.""
And suddenly, the wedding, the stolen money, the mysterious insurance policy, and my mother's lies seemed like pieces of a puzzle that had been waiting four years to be put together.
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Somewhere, Vanessa had the original recording.
And she was desperate to make sure we never saw it.
