Chapter 7: The Night My Wife Died
The tape recorder clicked.
Then Emily's voice filled the little basement room again.
"Marcus, if you're hearing this, please don't stop the recording. I know what you're thinking. I know you want to believe Vanessa had nothing to do with my death. I wanted to believe that, too.""
I stood frozen beside the filing cabinet.
Maya held my hand so tightly that her fingernails pressed into my skin.
Daniel placed his phone on the table and began recording the playback.
Emily continued.
"Three weeks before I died, I discovered that Vanessa had been accessing the original trust documents. She believed she had a right to the house because of the hospital records. She also believed that if she could prove her identity had been changed illegally, she could challenge the inheritance.""
A faint rustling sound came through the speaker.
Then Emily sighed.
"But that wasn't why she came to see me.""
I leaned closer.
"Vanessa wanted Noah back. She wanted to take him away from Lucy permanently. She told me she had raised him for years and that nobody could take him from her.""
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded for me to keep listening.
"She said she had spent fourteen years protecting him. I told her protection didn't mean lying to a child about his mother.""
Emily's voice became quieter.
"That's when she threatened me.""
My stomach tightened.
"She told me that if I helped Lucy recover Noah, she would make sure Marcus lost everything. She said she knew how to make people believe I was unstable.""
A pause.
Then Emily said something that made my knees weak.
"She also said she knew about Maya's inheritance.""
The recording crackled.
"Marcus, there's something else. The night I died, Vanessa came to the house at 9:40 p.m. She wasn't alone. A man was waiting outside in a dark vehicle.""
Daniel stopped the recording.
"Wait.""
He rewound the tape slightly.
"Did she say 9:40?""
"Yes.""
Daniel opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder.
"Marcus, what time did the police report say Emily's accident happened?""
"Ten fifteen.""
He nodded.
"Then we need the original incident report.""
I stared at the recorder.
"Keep playing.""
Daniel pressed the button.
Emily's voice returned.
"I argued with Vanessa in the kitchen. She wanted the original inheritance certificate. I refused to give it to her. She told me I was making a terrible mistake.""
A faint metallic sound followed.
Then Emily spoke again.
"I heard someone enter the house. I thought it was Marcus coming home early. But it wasn't.""
My heart began pounding.
"Vanessa said, 'He's here.''"
There was a long silence.
Then Emily whispered:
"Marcus, if the man who came into this house that night is the same man I think he is, you need to be careful. He knows our family. He knows where the documents are. And he knows what happened to Noah.""
The recording ended.
I pressed PLAY again.
Nothing.
The cassette had reached its end.
Maya was crying.
"Was Mommy scared?""
I knelt and wrapped my arms around her.
"Yes, sweetheart. But she was trying to protect you.""
"Did Vanessa hurt her?""
I couldn't answer.
Not yet.
Daniel removed the cassette.
"We need to get this professionally preserved. And we need to find out who that man was.""
I looked at the red folder.
"There's more.""
Inside was a folded sheet of paper with a handwritten name.
*RICHARD COLE.*
I stared at it.
"Richard?""
Daniel took the paper.
"That's the same man who brought the sale documents.""
I remembered the gray suit, the briefcase, and the way he had looked at Vanessa before leaving.
"Emily knew him.""
Daniel nodded.
"And she was afraid of him.""
We spent the next hour examining the contents of the hidden room.
There were copies of financial records, photographs, hospital documents, and several envelopes marked with dates.
One envelope contained a photograph of Richard standing beside Vanessa outside a restaurant.
Another showed them entering a law office.
The date was two months before Emily died.
Daniel examined the back.
"Look at this.""
Emily had written:
Richard is not Vanessa's brother. He is the person who arranged the false guardianship documents.
I felt sick.
"Then why did he pretend to be a property inspector?""
"Because he wanted access to the house.""
Daniel opened another envelope.
Inside was a printed bank transfer.
A large payment had been made from Vanessa's account to Richard.
The reference line read:
*PROPERTY RECOVERY — FINAL PHASE.*
I looked toward the basement door.
"She planned this before she married me.""
Daniel nodded.
"That's becoming increasingly likely.""
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
"Marcus Reed?""
"Yes.""
"This is Detective Helen Foster. I'm investigating a report involving Vanessa Cole and a missing child identity.""
I glanced at Daniel.
"How did you get my number?""
"Lucy Hart provided it. We also received information concerning possible forged property documents.""
I looked at the hidden room.
"We found something.""
"Do not move anything else. An officer will contact you shortly.""
I swallowed.
"Detective, I need to ask you something. Are you investigating Emily Reed's death?""
There was a pause.
"Why do you ask?""
"Because I found a recording. Emily said Vanessa was at our house the night she died.""
The detective's voice changed.
"Mr. Reed, I need you to listen carefully. Has anyone else heard that recording?""
"My attorney.""
"Good. Don't confront Vanessa. Don't contact Richard. And don't allow either of them access to your home.""
I glanced at Maya.
"Why?""
The detective answered quietly.
"Because Richard Cole has been connected to another suspicious death investigation.""
Before I could ask another question, she ended the call.
That evening, Daniel took the original documents to a secure evidence facility.
I drove Maya to Rachel's house.
Before she went inside, she turned toward me.
"Dad?""
"Yes?""
"Mommy said there was another person with Vanessa.""
I nodded.
"She did.""
"Do you think it was Richard?""
I looked at her.
"I don't know.""
Maya hesitated.
Then she said, "I remember someone standing outside Mommy's bedroom that night.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
She looked frightened.
"I was little. I woke up because I heard shouting. Mommy told me to stay in bed.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Vanessa said I was dreaming.""
I crouched in front of her.
"What did the man look like?""
Maya closed her eyes.
"He had a silver watch. And he smelled like cigarettes.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Richard wore a silver watch.
But there was something else.
The smell.
I remembered it from the day he visited our house.
Maya grabbed my sleeve.
"Dad, I think he was the man who carried Mommy's coat outside.""
I stared at her.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Detective Foster appeared.
*We have identified the second person present at your property on the night Emily died. It was not Richard Cole.*
A second message followed.
*His name is Daniel Brooks.*
I slowly turned toward my attorney's car.
May you like
Daniel had just arrived outside Rachel's house.
And suddenly, I didn't know whether I could trust the man who had helped me uncover the truth.
