Chapter 8: The Man Who Had Been Protecting Vanessa
I didn't move.
Daniel stepped out of his car and waved.
"Marcus? Everything okay?""
I looked down at the detective's message.
*His name is Daniel Brooks.*
My attorney.
My friend of twelve years.
The man who had helped me open Emily's hidden room.
The man who had been sitting beside me while we listened to her final recording.
I slipped my phone into my pocket.
"Daniel, we need to talk.""
He glanced toward Rachel's house.
"Is Maya inside?""
"Yes.""
"Good. What happened?""
I held up my phone.
"Detective Foster says you were at my house the night Emily died.""
His face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes moved briefly toward the street.
Then he sighed.
"I was wondering when this would come up.""
My stomach tightened.
"You knew?""
"Marcus, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
He looked toward the house.
"Not here.""
"Why not?""
"Because this is bigger than you think.""
I laughed bitterly.
"That's what everyone keeps telling me.""
Daniel opened his car door.
"Get in.""
I didn't move.
He stared at me.
"Marcus, if I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have spent the last twenty-four hours helping you find evidence against Vanessa.""
"Maybe you were helping yourself.""
His jaw tightened.
"Get in the car.""
I stepped closer.
"Did you go into my house the night Emily died?""
Daniel looked down.
Then he nodded.
"Yes.""
The answer hit harder than I expected.
"Why?""
"Emily called me.""
"At what time?""
"Shortly before ten.""
"What did she say?""
"She told me Vanessa had returned and that she needed help.""
I stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because she asked me not to.""
"She's dead, Daniel.""
"I know.""
"She's been dead for four years!""
His voice broke.
"Do you think I don't know that?""
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he took a breath.
"Emily was afraid. She believed Vanessa and Richard were planning to remove the original trust documents. She had discovered that the property records were being altered.""
"Did you see Richard?""
"Yes.""
"Was he there?""
Daniel nodded.
"He was outside when I arrived.""
I felt my hands begin to shake.
"Did you see him enter?""
"No.""
"Did you see Vanessa?""
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
Daniel looked toward the ground.
"Emily was alive when I left.""
I stepped backward.
"You left her there?""
"She insisted she was safe.""
"And you believed her?""
"I wanted to.""
I stared at him.
"Did you call the police?""
"No.""
"Why?""
He swallowed.
"Because Vanessa told me she had evidence that could destroy Emily's reputation. She claimed Emily had falsified the inheritance documents and was trying to steal Noah from her.""
I shook my head.
"So you believed Vanessa?""
"I believed there was something I didn't understand.""
"That isn't an answer.""
Daniel looked directly at me.
"I was wrong.""
We sat in his car.
Daniel explained that Emily had called him at 9:37 p.m.
She had discovered that someone had entered the basement and removed several original documents.
When he arrived, Vanessa was standing in the kitchen.
Richard's car was parked outside.
Emily was upstairs.
"She looked terrified," Daniel said.
"She told me that Richard had threatened her.""
"Did you confront him?""
"Yes.""
"What did he say?""
"That he was there to collect something Vanessa owned.""
I clenched my jaw.
"What?""
"The original hospital registration file.""
I remembered the documents in the red folder.
The hidden trust.
The photographs.
"Did you take anything?""
Daniel hesitated.
Then he reached into the glove compartment and removed a small envelope.
"I kept this.""
I stared at it.
"What's that?""
"Something Emily gave me that night.""
He handed it over.
Inside was a photograph of a hospital bracelet.
The name printed on it was Emily Reed.
But beneath it, in faint handwriting, was another name.
*VANESSA REED.*
I looked up.
"What does this mean?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"Emily discovered that the original hospital records had been altered when she and Vanessa were infants.""
"Then Vanessa really was part of the Reed family?""
"Not exactly.""
He leaned back.
"The hospital had two newborn girls. One belonged to Emily's grandmother's family. The other belonged to the Cole family. During an emergency evacuation, the identification bracelets were switched.""
I stared at him.
"So Vanessa was raised under the wrong identity?""
"Yes. But here's the part Emily discovered.""
He pointed to the photograph.
"Vanessa wasn't the baby who had been switched.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Emily was.""
The car seemed to tilt.
Daniel continued.
"The original records showed that Emily had been born to a different family. Her biological parents were the ones connected to the old inheritance.""
I stared at him.
"Then why did Vanessa claim the inheritance?""
"Because she believed Emily had stolen her identity. But the evidence Emily found suggested Vanessa had manipulated the hospital records to make it appear that way.""
I shook my head.
"Why?""
"Because the trust only protected children born into the original family line.""
I looked at the envelope.
"And Maya?""
Daniel nodded.
"Emily's biological lineage passed to Maya.""
I closed my eyes.
Everything was beginning to make sense.
Vanessa hadn't simply wanted the house.
She wanted to rewrite the family history.
My phone rang.
Detective Foster.
I answered.
"Mr. Reed, are you with Daniel Brooks?""
I looked at him.
"Yes.""
"Please tell him not to leave.""
Daniel went pale.
"Why?""
"We have obtained additional evidence linking him to the night of Emily's death.""
I stared at the detective.
"What evidence?""
"Security footage from a neighboring property. It shows Daniel leaving your house at 10:06 p.m.""
I looked at him.
"You told me Emily was alive when you left.""
"She was.""
The detective continued.
"At 10:22 p.m., an emergency call was made from your property.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Who made it?""
"We're still verifying the caller's identity.""
Then she added:
"But the footage shows Daniel returning to the property at 10:18 p.m.""
I slowly lowered the phone.
Daniel stared through the windshield.
"Marcus...""
I turned toward him.
"Why did you go back?""
He covered his face.
"I was trying to save her.""
"What happened?""
He didn't answer.
"Daniel!""
He finally looked at me.
"Richard had returned.""
My heart pounded.
"And?""
Daniel whispered:
"When I got upstairs, Emily was lying on the floor. Vanessa was standing beside her.""
I felt sick.
"Was she dead?""
Daniel shook his head.
"No.""
His voice broke.
"She was still breathing.""
I stared at him.
"Then why didn't you tell the police?""
Daniel looked away.
"Because Vanessa was holding something in her hand.""
"What?""
"A bottle of medication.""
I couldn't breathe.
He continued.
"She told me Emily had taken too much. She said it was an accident.""
"And you believed her?""
"No.""
"Then why did you leave?""
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
"Because Richard was standing behind me with a gun.""
The car fell silent.
Then he reached into the glove compartment again.
This time, he pulled out a second envelope.
"Emily gave me this before I left the house.""
He handed it to me.
Inside was a small note.
Daniel, if anything happens to me, tell Marcus the truth about the first child.
I looked up.
"What first child?""
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know.""
But before I could ask another question, my phone buzzed.
A message from Maya.
*Dad, Vanessa is at Aunt Rachel's house. She says she has something Mommy left for me.*
May you like
Then another message appeared.
*She says I have to go with her because she's my real mother.*
