Chapter 13: The Woman Who Was There Before My Wife
I read Emily's handwritten warning seventeen times.
If Vanessa ever enters Marcus's life, do not trust her.
The words were written in blue ink, with a small underline beneath the final sentence.
Emily had known.
Somehow, before she died, she had known Vanessa was dangerous.
And I had spent three years sleeping beside the woman she warned me about.
"Marcus?""
Daniel's voice brought me back to the room.
I looked up.
"Who authenticated the insurance document?""
He pointed to the verification record.
"Vanessa Whitmore. But there's something else. The record indicates she was acting as a representative of a private financial services company.""
"Which company?""
Daniel turned the page.
"Whitmore Family Consulting.""
I stared at him.
"Patricia's company?""
"Yes.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"How could Vanessa have been involved in Emily's insurance paperwork before I even knew her?""
"That's what we need to establish.""
I looked at the photographs again.
One showed Emily outside a bank.
Another showed Vanessa standing near a parked car.
The final photograph was taken inside a restaurant.
Vanessa was sitting across from Patricia and Richard Sloan.
The date was printed in the corner.
September 8.
Emily had died on October 17.
I felt my stomach tighten.
"She was already working with them.""
Daniel nodded.
"Apparently.""
I picked up my phone.
"I want to speak to Vanessa.""
"Marcus, I strongly recommend against confronting her alone.""
"I'm not going to threaten her. I want answers.""
"Then let me arrange a formal interview.""
I reluctantly agreed.
Two hours later, Vanessa arrived at Daniel's office.
She wore a black dress and carried a leather handbag.
When she saw the photographs spread across the conference table, her face changed.
"What is all this?""
I didn't answer.
Daniel invited her to sit.
She remained standing.
"Why am I here?""
I slid Emily's letter across the table.
Vanessa glanced at it.
Then she looked at me.
"Where did you get that?""
"From the locker your friends forgot existed.""
She sat down slowly.
Daniel placed the insurance authorization in front of her.
"Ms. Whitmore, did you authenticate this document?""
Vanessa studied it.
"I don't remember.""
"Your name appears on the verification record.""
"I worked with Patricia on administrative matters.""
"Before you married Marcus?""
She said nothing.
I leaned forward.
"How long did you know Emily?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"I didn't know her personally.""
"Then why were you handling her insurance documents?""
"I was helping Patricia.""
"Why?""
"Because she asked me to.""
"Why did Emily write that you shouldn't be trusted?""
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
"She misunderstood.""
I laughed bitterly.
"She misunderstood you forging her insurance documents?""
"I didn't forge anything!""
Daniel raised a hand.
"Then explain your role.""
Vanessa looked at the papers.
Finally, she began speaking.
"Patricia told me Richard needed help organizing some financial documents. I was working part-time for her company. She said Emily had signed everything already.""
"Did you see Emily sign it?"" Daniel asked.
"No.""
"Did you verify her identity?""
"I was told the verification had been completed.""
"By whom?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"Patricia.""
Daniel wrote something down.
I looked at her.
"Did you know Emily was trying to protect Lily from Richard?""
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
"Yes.""
The answer hit me harder than I expected.
"You knew?""
She nodded.
"Emily had argued with Patricia several times. She thought everyone was trying to take advantage of her.""
"Because they were.""
Vanessa looked at me.
"Marcus, I didn't understand how serious it was.""
"Then why did you marry me?""
She began crying.
"I loved you.""
"That's not what I asked.""
She covered her face.
"I was supposed to help Patricia keep track of the trust after you married. That was the arrangement.""
The room went completely silent.
I stared at her.
"What arrangement?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"Patricia said your father had money that needed to be protected. She told me you were overwhelmed with work and would eventually need someone to handle the family finances.""
"And you volunteered?""
"I thought it would be temporary.""
"Three years isn't temporary.""
"I know.""
"Did you plan to marry me?""
She didn't answer.
I felt something inside me go numb.
"Vanessa.""
She finally looked up.
"Yes.""
The word was barely audible.
I leaned back.
For three years, I had believed I was building a marriage.
She had apparently been building access.
Daniel continued questioning her.
"Who instructed you to authenticate Emily's insurance change?""
"Patricia.""
"Who paid you?""
"Richard.""
"How much?""
"Ten thousand dollars.""
I stared at her.
"Ten thousand dollars to help steal half a million from a dead woman's daughter?""
She began sobbing.
"I didn't know the insurance company would pay him!""
"Your name is on the document.""
"I was told it was a temporary assignment!""
Daniel slid another photograph across the table.
It showed Vanessa outside Emily's apartment building.
The date was October 16.
The day before Emily's fatal accident.
"Why were you there?""
Vanessa stared at the photograph.
Her face became completely white.
"I didn't go inside.""
"That wasn't the question," Daniel said.
She shook her head.
"I went to return some paperwork.""
"What paperwork?""
"Patricia's.""
"Did you speak to Emily?""
Vanessa's lips trembled.
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
"She told me to leave.""
"Did she threaten to expose the arrangement?""
Vanessa nodded.
"She said she was going to tell Marcus everything.""
I felt my hands curl into fists.
"What did you do?""
"Nothing.""
"Did you tell Richard?""
She looked down.
"Yes.""
I stood.
Daniel immediately placed a hand on my arm.
"Marcus.""
I sat back down.
Daniel turned toward Vanessa.
"Did you know Richard was following Emily?""
She shook her head.
"I didn't know about any accident.""
"Did you communicate with him that night?""
"No.""
Daniel placed a printed phone record on the table.
There were three calls between Vanessa and Richard.
The first at 8:14 p.m.
The second at 9:03 p.m.
The third at 10:27 p.m.
Emily's accident had occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m.
Vanessa stared at the paper.
"I was trying to stop him.""
"Stop him from doing what?""
She began crying harder.
"He said he was going to confront her. I told him not to.""
I stood again.
"Did you know he was going to her house?""
She shook her head.
"I swear I didn't.""
Daniel ended the interview and told her that further questions would be handled through the appropriate authorities.
When she left, I remained seated.
I couldn't process what I had heard.
My wife had admitted to planning our marriage for financial reasons.
She had participated in a fraudulent insurance transaction.
And she had been communicating with Richard on the night Emily died.
But the most important question remained unanswered.
Had Richard caused the accident?
Daniel received a call shortly after Vanessa left.
He listened for several minutes.
Then he slowly lowered his phone.
"What happened?"" I asked.
He looked at me.
"The independent investigator reviewed the original police records from Emily's accident.""
"And?""
"The vehicle involved in the collision had a damaged rear bumper. The damage was never properly documented.""
I felt my heart pound.
"Was another vehicle involved?""
"Possibly. The investigator found an eyewitness statement that was excluded from the original report.""
"Who was the witness?""
Daniel looked at the page.
"A delivery driver named Samuel Brooks.""
"Can we find him?""
Daniel nodded.
"He's alive. And he agreed to speak with us.""
I stood.
"Where is he?""
Daniel gave me an address.
Then he added something that made my blood run cold.
"Marcus, Samuel says he saw a second vehicle following Emily's car.""
"Whose vehicle?""
May you like
Daniel looked directly at me.
"Richard Sloan's.""
