Chapter 7: The Woman Who Was Driving
"Absolutely not.""
Richard's voice cut through the living room.
He stood beside the fireplace, holding Vanessa's message on his phone.
"Claire, you're not meeting her alone. Not after everything we've discovered.""
I looked down at Lily.
She was sitting on the sofa, carefully folding the lavender dress she had worn to the wedding.
"I know.""
Graham paced across the room.
"She's trying to manipulate you. She knows we're getting close to something.""
"Then why ask for the flash drive?""
Richard shook his head.
"Because she thinks it contains something she can use against us.""
I looked at him.
"Or because she knows the original recording is still somewhere.""
Nobody answered.
I took out my phone and reread Vanessa's message.
If she wants to know what really happened to Daniel, tell her to meet me tonight.
Four years.
Four years of birthdays without Daniel. Four years of watching Lily grow up without her father. Four years of telling my daughter that her daddy had loved her more than anything.
And now my sister was suggesting she knew something about his final moments.
"I want to hear what she has to say," I said.
Graham stopped pacing.
"Claire—"
"I'm not going alone. But I am going.""
Richard considered it.
"Then we do this properly. The police will be informed, and we won't allow her to dictate the circumstances.""
I nodded.
At seven that evening, I received another message.
*9:00 p.m. Old Riverside Hotel. Room 214. Bring the original flash drive.*
I stared at the screen.
There was no way Vanessa knew Lily had already handed the drive to the DJ at the wedding.
Unless she had been watching us.
I called Richard.
He answered immediately.
"Don't respond," he said.
"We're arranging everything.""
At 8:30, Graham arrived at my house.
He looked exhausted.
"I found something else.""
He placed a small folder on my kitchen counter.
Inside were printed emails between Vanessa and a private investigator.
The first email was dated six weeks before the wedding.
*Find out whether Claire still has Daniel's original insurance documents.*
The investigator had replied:
*She appears to have copies only. Original documents may be held by her mother.*
The next message made my stomach turn.
*Then find the mother. She has something that belongs to me.*
I looked up.
"She was looking for the original documents.""
Graham nodded.
"Yes. But there's more.""
He turned to the final page.
It contained a photograph of my mother's house.
Taken three days earlier.
Someone had photographed the back entrance.
"Why was Vanessa watching my mother?"" I whispered.
Graham lowered his voice.
"Because your mother may have the original recording.""
At 8:57, Richard called.
"We're ready. Two officers are nearby. Graham and I will be in the building.""
I took a deep breath.
"What about Lily?""
"She's with my housekeeper. She'll be safe.""
I hated leaving her.
But Lily hugged me before I walked out.
"Mom, don't let Aunt Vanessa scare you.""
I kissed her forehead.
"She won't.""
Then Lily reached into her pocket and gave me a folded piece of paper.
"What's this?""
"Something I found in Daddy's old box.""
I opened it.
It was a small drawing of our family.
Daniel, me, and Lily.
On the back, Daniel had written:
My girls. My whole world.
I slipped it into my purse.
And left.
The Old Riverside Hotel had been closed for renovations for almost a year.
Only a small reception area remained open.
The corridor smelled of dust and fresh paint.
Room 214 stood at the end.
I knocked twice.
The door opened immediately.
Vanessa stood inside.
She wasn't wearing the glamorous clothes she had worn at her wedding.
Her hair was tied back. Her face looked pale, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.
"You're late.""
I stepped inside.
"Where's the recording?""
She closed the door.
"Where's the flash drive?""
"I don't have it.""
Her expression changed.
"Lily gave it to the DJ.""
"Yes.""
Vanessa stared at me.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?""
I laughed.
"You shoved my daughter in front of three hundred people. You stole from us. You lied about Daniel. And somehow I'm the problem?""
She walked toward the window.
"You don't understand.""
"Then explain.""
She turned.
"Daniel wasn't supposed to find out.""
My heart began pounding.
"Find out what?""
She looked at me.
"That I changed the insurance beneficiary.""
I felt sick.
"You used my mother's phone.""
"She agreed to help.""
"Did Daniel know?""
Vanessa said nothing.
"Did he know you changed the policy?""
"He discovered it.""
"And then?""
She sat down.
"He threatened to report me.""
I gripped the back of a chair.
"What happened that night?""
Vanessa looked at the floor.
"We argued.""
"Where?""
"In his car.""
I couldn't breathe.
"You were in the car?""
She nodded.
"He had picked me up because I told him I wanted to talk.""
"Why would he pick you up?""
"Because I told him I was pregnant.""
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
"What?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"It wasn't true. I needed him to listen.""
I stepped backward.
"You lied about being pregnant?""
"He wouldn't have met me otherwise.""
My hands were shaking.
"What happened on the highway?""
She looked toward the door.
"Daniel wanted to take me to the police station. I panicked.""
"Vanessa.""
"He said he had evidence. He said he was going to tell you everything.""
"Tell me what?""
Her eyes filled.
"That I had been stealing from you for months.""
I swallowed.
"Did you cause the accident?""
Vanessa stood abruptly.
"I didn't mean to!""
My entire body went cold.
"What did you do?""
She began crying.
"I grabbed the steering wheel.""
The room seemed to disappear.
"You what?""
"He was going too fast. He tried to pull away. The car swerved.""
I couldn't speak.
Vanessa covered her face.
"I didn't know the other car was coming.""
I stared at her.
My husband had died because my sister had grabbed the steering wheel.
And she had allowed me to believe it was an unavoidable accident.
For four years.
I took out my phone.
"Say that again.""
Her head snapped up.
"Why?""
"Because I want to hear you say it.""
She lunged toward me.
"Turn that off!""
I stepped back.
"Did you grab the steering wheel?""
She stared at me.
Then she whispered:
"Yes.""
A knock sounded at the door.
Vanessa froze.
"Who is it?""
A man's voice answered.
"Police. Open the door.""
She looked at me with pure hatred.
"You brought them.""
I said nothing.
The door opened.
Two officers entered.
But before they could reach her, Vanessa pointed at me.
"She doesn't know the worst part!""
I turned.
"What?""
Vanessa began screaming.
"Daniel wasn't the only person in that car who wanted him dead!""
One officer moved toward her.
May you like
And then Vanessa shouted a name.
My mother's name.
