Chapter 7: The Dead Man in Robert's Living Room
I stared at the photograph until my phone screen went dark.
Then I turned it back on and enlarged the image.
There was no mistake.
The man standing behind Robert Hayes was Edward Collins.
Older, thinner, and with silver hair replacing the dark brown hair I remembered, but unmistakably Edward.
The man whose funeral I had attended eleven years earlier.
The man whose name appeared on the mysterious bank account.
The man my father had apparently spent years trying to keep away from our family.
He was alive.
And he was standing inside Robert Hayes's house.
"Michael?"" Nia whispered.
I couldn't answer.
Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the desk, staring at the photograph.
Daniel had disappeared nearly an hour earlier, and now the house felt unnaturally quiet.
I showed Nia the image.
She covered her mouth.
"That's him.""
"You've seen him before?""
She nodded.
"Your father showed me his photograph. He said if this man ever came back, I should take Samuel somewhere safe.""
I looked at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I didn't know whether he was alive.""
Vanessa suddenly stood.
"We need to leave.""
I turned.
"What?""
"We need to get out of this house.""
"Why?""
She grabbed her handbag.
"Because if Edward is back, none of us are safe.""
I studied her face.
There was something different in her expression.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"Have you seen him recently?""
She hesitated.
"Michael, please.""
"Answer me.""
Vanessa looked toward the window.
"Yes.""
My stomach tightened.
"When?""
"Two weeks ago.""
I felt my jaw clench.
"Where?""
"At Daniel's apartment.""
"Why was he meeting your brother?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"You're standing in my father's house, surrounded by documents proving your involvement in a financial crime, and you expect me to believe you know nothing?""
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
"Edward told us he could make everything disappear.""
"Everything?""
"The money. The trust. Samuel.""
I stared at her.
"Why would he want Samuel?""
"Because your father changed the trust.""
"To give Samuel the inheritance?""
She nodded.
"And because Samuel had something Edward wanted.""
I remembered my father's letter.
The official report was incomplete.
My mother's accident.
The settlement.
Robert's signature.
"What did Samuel know?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"He knew who was driving the car that night.""
My entire body went cold.
I sat down.
For twelve years, I had believed my mother died because of a drunk driver.
I remembered the funeral.
My father's black suit.
The flowers.
The empty passenger seat in his car afterward.
I remembered asking him whether the driver had gone to prison.
He had told me the man died before the trial.
I had believed him.
"Who was driving?"" I asked.
Vanessa shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"Stop lying!""
"I'm not!""
Nia stepped forward.
"Your father said Samuel had seen something that night.""
I turned toward her.
"How?""
"Because he was in the car.""
The room became silent.
I stared at her.
"Samuel was in the car with my mother?""
Nia nodded.
"He was a child. Your father told me he was supposed to be spending the weekend with Claire. But she had an emergency, so she brought him along.""
I struggled to process it.
My mother had been with Samuel?
My father had known?
And somehow, the little boy who used to follow me around the garden had been connected to the night my mother died.
I picked up my phone and called Robert.
It rang once.
Then the call connected.
A man's voice answered.
"Michael.""
I recognized it immediately.
Edward.
"Where is Robert?""
Edward chuckled.
"Still asking the wrong questions, I see.""
I gripped the phone.
"Let him go.""
"That's not how this works.""
"What do you want?""
"Your father's documents.""
I glanced at the open cabinet.
"Which ones?""
"The original trust agreement. The guardianship papers. And the letter.""
"Why?""
"Because Richard has spent eleven years destroying people's lives with those documents.""
I felt anger rising.
"My father is sick. He's not destroying anyone's life.""
Edward laughed.
"Your father is a very clever old man. Even when his memory began to fail, he knew exactly how to protect himself.""
"What did you do to my mother?""
Silence.
Then Edward said, "Ah. So you've finally found that letter.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"Answer me.""
"Your father should have told you the truth years ago.""
"Did you kill her?""
Edward sighed.
"People die, Michael. Sometimes accidents happen. Sometimes people make decisions they regret.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was trembling.
"Was Vanessa involved?""
Edward laughed again.
"Your wife knows more than you think.""
The call ended.
I immediately called emergency services.
Then I turned to Nia.
"Get your things. We're going to find Samuel.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"Michael, don't.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
"Because Edward will expect you to go looking for him.""
"Then let him expect it.""
She grabbed my sleeve.
"Listen to me. You don't understand what this man is capable of.""
I removed her hand.
"Neither do you.""
I walked toward the hallway.
Nia followed.
But before we reached the front door, Vanessa called after me.
"Michael!""
I stopped.
She stood beside the desk, holding a document I hadn't noticed before.
Her face was wet with tears.
"There's one more thing.""
I turned.
"What?""
She held up the document.
It was an old insurance policy.
My mother's name appeared at the top.
The beneficiary was Richard Anderson.
But the date of the policy was strange.
It had been issued just nine days before my mother's accident.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Where did you get this?""
She whispered, "Edward gave it to Daniel.""
My eyes moved to the final line.
May you like
The policy had been increased to five million dollars.
And the person who had authorized the increase was my father.
