Chapter 6: What Happened the Night My Father Died
I couldn't hear anything except my own heartbeat.
Marcus had been there?
Six years ago?
He had told me he was in Chicago when my father died.
He had even sent flowers to the funeral.
I remembered him standing beside me afterward, holding my shoulders while I cried.
He had said, "I wish I could have met him properly.""
Now I was looking at a man who might have known exactly how my father died.
"Marcus," I whispered.
"Were you there?""
He stared at his mother.
His father.
Then me.
"Yes.""
The word was so quiet I almost missed it.
My knees weakened.
"Why did you lie?""
He rubbed his face.
"Because I was trying to protect you.""
I laughed.
The sound came out sharp and unfamiliar.
"Everyone in my life has apparently been protecting me by lying to me.""
Daniel placed a hand on the table.
"Let's establish exactly what happened before anyone makes assumptions.""
Richard scoffed.
"This is becoming absurd.""
Daniel turned toward him.
"Then you'll have no objection to explaining your presence at the meeting.""
Richard looked at my mother.
She was trembling.
Finally, she began speaking.
"Robert had discovered that money was being transferred from Carter Development into several accounts controlled by Richard. He had copies of the transactions. He planned to take everything to the authorities.""
"Why didn't he?"" I asked.
"Because Richard threatened to implicate me.""
My mother looked down.
"I had signed some documents without understanding their purpose. Richard told me that if Robert went to the police, I could be charged with helping him.""
I stared at her.
"Did you actually know about the money?""
She nodded.
"Some of it. Not all of it.""
Richard interrupted.
"Patricia, don't be dramatic. Nobody forced you to sign anything.""
My mother flinched.
I turned toward him.
"Stop talking to her.""
He gave me a cold smile.
"You have no idea what your father was involved in.""
"Then explain it.""
Richard leaned on his cane.
"Robert was a proud man. He built a business he couldn't manage. He borrowed money he couldn't repay. I offered him a way out.""
"You wanted his property.""
"I wanted to protect my investment.""
"And my father refused.""
"Your father was stubborn.""
Daniel opened the black ledger.
"These records suggest that Reed Holdings transferred more than two million dollars from accounts associated with Carter Development.""
Richard's expression hardened.
"Those records are incomplete.""
"Then perhaps you can provide the missing documentation.""
Richard said nothing.
My mother continued.
"That night, Robert asked me to meet him at the office. He wanted me to bring the original documents I'd signed.""
I swallowed.
"What happened when you arrived?""
She closed her eyes.
"Richard was already there. Marcus came a few minutes later.""
I looked at Marcus.
"Why were you there?""
He answered quietly.
"My father called me.""
"To do what?""
"He wanted me to convince Robert to sign the agreement.""
"And did you?""
Marcus stared at the floor.
"No.""
I waited.
He looked up.
"I told your father he could keep the property. I said I'd find another way to settle the company's debts.""
Richard laughed bitterly.
"That's not what happened.""
Marcus turned toward him.
"You told me to leave.""
"Because you were being sentimental.""
"You threatened to ruin her family.""
"I was trying to protect ours!""
Daniel raised his voice.
"Both of you, stop.""
But I was no longer listening to the argument.
I was thinking about my father's final evening.
My mother was still speaking.
"Robert became angry. He told Richard he would expose everything. Richard grabbed the folder from his desk.""
"What happened next?""
"Robert tried to get it back. They struggled.""
She covered her mouth.
"Then Robert fell.""
My chest tightened.
"Did he hit his head?""
She nodded.
"His head struck the corner of the desk. He was conscious, but he couldn't stand.""
"Did anyone call an ambulance?""
My mother began sobbing.
"I wanted to.""
I looked at Marcus.
"What did you do?""
He looked as though he might collapse.
"My father told me not to call.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"He said the argument would look like an assault. He said Robert had threatened him. He told me to get the documents and leave.""
I stepped backward.
"Your father left my father on the floor?""
Marcus's eyes filled.
"Yes.""
"And you went with him?""
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
I turned away.
For six years, I had believed my father died because of an unexpected heart attack.
The official report had stated that he suffered a cardiac event after falling at his office.
I remembered the funeral.
The black dresses.
The white lilies.
The way Marcus had held my hand.
And now I was learning that he had been standing in the same room when my father collapsed.
"Why didn't you call for help?"" I whispered.
Marcus began crying.
"I was twenty-six. My father told me he would destroy everyone if I spoke. He said your mother would go to prison. He said the company would be investigated, and you'd lose everything.""
"So you let my father die?""
"I didn't know if he was going to die!""
"Then why didn't you call an ambulance?""
He lowered his head.
"I was scared.""
The simplicity of the answer made me feel colder than any explanation could have.
My mother reached for me.
I stepped away.
"Did you know he didn't call for help?""
She nodded through her tears.
"I found out afterward.""
"And you said nothing?""
"I was afraid. Richard told me the police would investigate the financial records. He said I would lose you and your brother.""
I stared at her.
"You let me believe my father died alone.""
She covered her face.
"I'm sorry.""
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I looked at Daniel.
"Can this be investigated?""
He nodded.
"The records, the correspondence, and the witness statements can be provided to the appropriate authorities. We need to preserve everything.""
Richard suddenly laughed.
"You people are making a terrible mistake.""
He reached into his jacket and removed his phone.
"Do you think I would have attended this meeting without knowing what was in that box?""
Daniel looked at him.
"What are you talking about?""
Richard tapped his screen.
A moment later, my mother's phone rang.
She looked at it.
Her face went completely white.
"Who is it?"" I asked.
She turned the screen toward me.
The caller's name was Lauren.
My cousin.
My mother answered on speaker.
"Lauren?""
A breathless voice came through.
"Aunt Patricia, where are you?""
"At First National.""
There was a pause.
Then Lauren whispered:
"You need to leave immediately.""
My stomach tightened.
"Lauren, it's me.""
Silence.
Then she spoke.
"Nia?""
"Yes. Why are you calling?""
Her voice began shaking.
"Because I just found out what Richard did.""
I glanced at the older man.
His expression had changed.
Lauren continued.
"He didn't just steal the property. He changed the original trust documents after Uncle Robert died.""
Daniel leaned toward the phone.
"Do you have evidence?""
"Yes.""
"Where are you?""
Lauren hesitated.
Then she said something that made Richard's face lose its color.
"I'm at the hospital.""
My mother grabbed the table.
"Why are you at the hospital?""
Lauren began crying.
"Because someone tried to run me off the road.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Lauren, who?""
She took a shaky breath.
"I don't know. But before the car hit me, I saw the driver.""
A long silence followed.
Then she whispered:
"It was Vanessa.""
Everyone turned toward the woman standing beside the safe deposit box.
Vanessa went completely still.
"What?""
Lauren's voice cracked.
"She was driving the car.""
I stared at Vanessa.
The woman who had exposed Marcus.
The woman who had brought my father's letter.
The woman who had supposedly been helping me uncover the truth.
Vanessa slowly shook her head.
"That's impossible.""
Richard smiled.
It was the first genuine smile I had seen on his face all day.
Then Vanessa reached into her coat pocket and placed another photograph on the table.
It showed her standing outside the hospital emergency entrance.
Beside her was Lauren.
And behind them, partially visible through the glass doors, stood a police officer holding a photograph of the person who had attacked her.
Vanessa looked at me.
"I didn't run her off the road, Nia.""
She pointed toward the photograph.
"I was the one who pulled her out of the wreckage.""
Then she turned toward Richard.
"And I know who gave the driver the order.""
Richard's smile disappeared.
Vanessa took one final step toward him.
"Your son didn't know about the second set of trust documents.""
She paused.
May you like
"But you did.""
And for the first time that evening, Richard Reed looked genuinely afraid.
