Chapter 6: What She Left Behind
Nia stared at the notebook.
It was smaller than she'd imagined.
Red leather.
Corners worn smooth.
A thin brass clasp hung broken from the front.
Arthur came up behind her.
“Don't touch it.””
Nia turned.
“Why?””
“Because whoever left it wants you to find it.””
Marcus appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Then maybe they made one mistake.””
Arthur looked at him.
“What?””
“They left it before realizing we found the room.””
Nia stepped inside.
Her mother's bedroom smelled faintly of cedar.
She remembered that smell.
She remembered climbing onto the bed when she was little, burying herself beneath the blankets while her mother pretended to search for her.
Now the room was untouched.
Almost.
A drawer near the nightstand was open.
Nia approached it.
Inside were old photographs.
A silver necklace.
A dried flower.
And an empty space where something had recently been removed.
“Someone searched this.””
Arthur nodded.
“Recently.””
Nia picked up a photograph.
Her mother stood on the porch, smiling.
Arthur stood beside her.
And Vanessa stood several feet away.
Nia stared at the picture.
“Mom looks happy.””
Arthur's voice was quiet.
“She was.””
“Were you?””
Arthur looked at the photograph.
“Yes.””
Nia put it down.
“Then why did everything fall apart?””
Arthur didn't answer.
Marcus walked toward the red notebook.
“Your mother wrote this for you.””
Arthur shook his head.
“She wrote it for protection.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Same thing.””
Nia reached for the notebook.
Arthur caught her wrist.
“Wait.””
She looked at him.
“What?””
“Promise me you won't believe everything you read.””
Nia slowly pulled her hand away.
“I don't believe you anymore.””
Arthur flinched.
Nia opened the clasp.
The first pages were filled with dates.
Names.
Amounts of money.
Phone numbers.
Short notes.
She turned a page.
*March 7 — Vanessa withdrew $18,400. Said it was for household repairs. No repairs were made.*
Nia looked up.
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
Her eyes were closed.
“Keep reading,” she whispered.
Nia turned another page.
*March 19 — Arthur says Vanessa is under financial pressure. He refuses to confront her.*
Another.
*April 2 — I found a second account. Money is being moved without my knowledge.*
Nia's breathing changed.
She looked at Arthur.
“You knew.””
Arthur stared at the floor.
“I suspected.””
“You suspected she was stealing?””
“Yes.””
“And you did nothing?””
“I confronted her.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You didn't.””
Arthur looked at her.
“You begged me not to tell Nia.””
“Because I was ashamed!””
Nia turned another page.
Then froze.
There was a photograph taped inside.
A man stood beside Vanessa.
Nia didn't recognize him.
But Arthur did.
His face changed instantly.
“Who is that?””
Arthur said nothing.
Nia pointed at the photograph.
“Dad.””
Arthur's voice was barely audible.
“His name is Calvin.””
“Who?””
“Vanessa's brother.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“My half-brother.””
Nia stared at her.
“Why was he involved?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“He needed money.””
Nia looked at the notebook.
A handwritten note appeared beneath the photograph.
*Calvin knows about the trust.*
Nia turned the page.
*He believes Nia's inheritance can solve his debts.*
Another page.
*Arthur promised me he would keep Calvin away from the house.*
Nia looked at her father.
“Did you?””
Arthur nodded.
“I tried.””
“Where is he now?””
Arthur hesitated.
“I don't know.””
Marcus looked toward the window.
“He does.””
Everyone turned.
Marcus pointed to the photograph.
“That's the man who came here.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“No.””
Marcus nodded.
“I saw him once that night.””
Arthur stared at him.
“You told me Calvin wasn't there.””
“I said I didn't see him arrive.””
“You knew he was there.””
“I suspected.””
Nia felt dizzy.
“My mother knew him.””
“Yes,” Arthur said.
“Why would she be afraid of him?””
Arthur looked at the notebook.
“She found out he was involved in the money.””
Nia flipped pages faster.
Then she found something that made her stop.
*October 11 — Calvin threatened me. He said if I didn't sign the property transfer, he would make sure Nia was left with nothing.*
Nia whispered, “He tried to take the house before she died.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I told him to stop.””
Nia looked at her.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“And you still tried to transfer the house yourself.””
Vanessa began crying.
“I was trying to pay him.””
Arthur stared at her.
“You gave him money?””
“Not enough.””
“How much?””
Vanessa wiped her face.
“Everything I had.””
Nia turned another page.
The next entry was dated three days before her mother's death.
*October 14 — Calvin came back. This time he said Arthur had already agreed to the transfer.*
Arthur shook his head.
“I never agreed.””
Nia's eyes moved to the final paragraph.
*If anything happens to me, don't trust anyone who says your father betrayed me. He didn't. But he made one terrible mistake.*
Nia stopped.
“What mistake?””
Arthur's face had gone pale.
Nia looked at him.
“What did you do?””
Arthur took a slow breath.
“I believed Calvin had left town.””
Nia stared.
“When?””
“The night your mother died.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“And that's not the whole truth.””
Arthur looked at him.
“Don't.””
Nia's voice sharpened.
“What isn't the whole truth?””
Arthur closed his eyes.
“I followed your mother that night.””
“Why?””
“She told me she was meeting someone.””
“Who?””
“Calvin.””
Nia's fingers tightened around the notebook.
“Did you see them?””
Arthur nodded.
“Yes.””
“Did you see my mother alive?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
Arthur looked at the floor.
“Eleven minutes before the crash.””
Nia's face went numb.
“What crash?””
Arthur stared at her.
“The car accident.””
Nia's eyes widened.
“You said Mom lost control.””
“I thought she did.””
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“And you saw her.””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
Arthur's voice cracked.
“Because when I reached the car…”
He stopped.
Nia waited.
Marcus stepped closer.
Arthur finally looked at her.
“Your mother wasn't alone.””
Nia's breath caught.
“Who was with her?””
Arthur's phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face went completely still.
Nia watched him answer.
“Hello?””
No one spoke.
Then Arthur's expression changed.
“What?””
He turned away.
Nia heard a faint voice through the phone.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Close.
Arthur whispered, “That's impossible.””
Nia stepped toward him.
“Who is it?””
Arthur lowered the phone.
He looked at Nia.
Then at Vanessa.
Then at Marcus.
The voice came through the speaker again.
“Arthur…”
Everyone froze.
The caller said:
“You should have told her who was driving your wife's car.””
The line went dead.
Nia looked at the red notebook.
Then at her father.
“Who was driving?””
May you like
Arthur couldn't answer.
And downstairs, the front door slowly began to open.
