Chapter 9: The Man Who Knew
Daniel reacted before anyone else.
“Don't move.””
Marcus froze.
His hand remained inside his jacket.
Gloria stepped backward.
Tasha pulled two bridesmaids away from the doorway.
Jessica stared at Marcus.
“You.””
Marcus slowly removed his hand.
He wasn't holding a weapon.
He was holding an old leather wallet.
He dropped it onto the vanity.
“I didn't kill your father.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Then why were you in Room 214?””
Marcus looked at the tablet.
“Because your father asked me to go there.””
Gloria's voice shook.
“That's impossible.””
Marcus looked at her.
“He called me that night.””
“You told me you never heard from him.””
“I lied.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why?””
“Because he told me to.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“My father died that night.””
“I know.””
“And you kept this secret for years?””
Marcus looked at Gloria.
“Your husband was trying to protect his family.””
Gloria's eyes filled.
“From whom?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Daniel grabbed the tablet.
“Start talking.””
Marcus took a slow breath.
“Your father discovered someone inside the company was moving money through fake accounts.””
Daniel frowned.
“Who?””
“He didn't know.””
“Then what did he know?””
“That the money was being moved through a company owned by someone close to him.””
Gloria whispered, “Who?””
Marcus looked directly at Jessica.
Jessica shook her head.
“No.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
Jessica backed away.
“I don't know anything about that.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“You know more than you told him.””
Daniel stared at Jessica.
Marcus continued.
“Three months ago, Jessica came to me.””
Daniel's expression changed.
“You knew she was investigating?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because she asked me not to.””
Daniel looked at Jessica.
“Why?””
Jessica's voice cracked.
“Because I found out your father had been keeping records.””
“What records?””
“Payments.””
“To whom?””
“I didn't know.””
Marcus stepped toward the vanity.
“He left a ledger.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Where?””
Marcus looked at the brass key.
“In Room 214.””
Gloria covered her mouth.
“The key.””
Marcus nodded.
“Your father gave me the spare.””
Daniel held it up.
“Then why did Jessica have it?””
Marcus looked at Jessica.
“Because she stole it from my office.””
Daniel turned toward her.
Jessica's eyes filled.
“I didn't steal it.””
“You took it.””
“I needed answers.””
“You broke into my office.””
“I thought you were hiding something.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I was protecting your fiancé.””
Daniel stared at Jessica.
“You broke into his office?””
She couldn't answer.
Marcus picked up the tablet.
“The person in the video wasn't Gloria.””
Daniel looked at him.
“Who was it?””
Marcus's face became grim.
“Someone who wanted your father to believe Gloria was cheating.””
Gloria's eyes widened.
“What?””
“He was being manipulated.””
Daniel shook his head.
“By whom?””
Marcus looked at the old wallet.
“Your father suspected someone was trying to destroy your parents' marriage before they destroyed him.””
Gloria's voice trembled.
“Who?””
Marcus hesitated.
Then the dressing-room door opened.
Everyone turned.
A Black woman stood outside.
Long coat.
Dark glasses.
Calm expression.
Jessica gasped.
“Camille.””
Daniel stepped forward.
Camille looked directly at him.
“Daniel.””
Gloria stared.
“You're alive.””
Camille removed her glasses.
“I've been alive this whole time.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“Why did you hide?””
“Because the person who killed your father thought I was dead.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
Jessica whispered, “You told me you'd left town.””
“I did.””
“Why come back now?””
Camille looked at Daniel.
“Because you were about to marry the wrong person.””
Jessica's face crumbled.
Daniel stared.
“What does that mean?””
Camille reached into her coat.
She pulled out a folded document.
“I found this in your father's safe.””
Daniel took it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
Gloria stepped closer.
“What is it?””
Daniel couldn't speak.
Camille answered for him.
“It's a life insurance amendment.””
Daniel looked up.
“Whose name is on it?””
Camille's expression was unreadable.
“Your father's.””
Daniel looked at the signature.
Then at the beneficiary.
His face went pale.
The beneficiary wasn't Gloria.
It wasn't Daniel.
It wasn't another relative.
It was Jessica.
Jessica shook her head violently.
“No.””
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
Camille said quietly, “Your bride wasn't investigating your father's death.””
Jessica began backing toward the mirror.
“She was investigating how much she could inherit.””
Daniel stared at her.
Jessica's breathing became frantic.
“That isn't true.””
Camille held up another document.
“Then explain why your name appears on a second policy.””
Jessica's face went completely white.
Daniel looked at the paper.
His hands began to tremble.
The document was dated *three months before their wedding*.
And beneath Jessica's name was one additional line.
*Beneficiary: Daniel.*
Marcus whispered, “That's the part your father was trying to warn you about.””
Daniel looked up.
“What warning?””
Camille's eyes moved toward Jessica.
May you like
Then she said:
“Your father knew someone planned to make sure Daniel never lived long enough to collect it.””
