Chapter 4: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
“Get inside. Now.””
Eleanor grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the house.
Behind us, the headlights at the end of the driveway grew brighter. The approaching vehicle moved slowly, almost deliberately, as if whoever was driving wanted us to know they were coming.
Olivia reached for my hand.
“Nia, who is Thomas Carter?””
“My father's brother.””
“The uncle you told me disappeared?””
I nodded.
Eleanor unlocked the back door with a key from her handbag.
“There's no time to explain everything. Get inside and lock the doors.””
We hurried into the kitchen.
The house smelled faintly of cedar and old furniture polish. Someone had recently cleaned it, but the rooms still felt frozen in another time. My father's favorite coffee mug sat on a shelf near the window.
I hadn't realized how much I missed this place until I was afraid of losing it again.
Olivia locked the back door.
“Should we call the police?””
Eleanor shook her head.
“Not yet.””
“Why not?”” Olivia demanded.
“Someone is threatening Nia.””
“Because the last time I trusted the wrong police officer, Richard ended up dead.””
The room fell silent.
I turned toward her.
“You knew my father was murdered, and you never told me?””
Eleanor removed her coat and placed it over a chair.
“I spent three years trying to find enough evidence to prove it.””
“And you thought letting me believe he died in a car accident was better?””
“I thought keeping you alive was more important.””
I stared at her.
“My father is dead. My fiancé tried to steal my inheritance. My uncle apparently survived a crash he was supposed to have died in. What exactly are you protecting me from?””
Before Eleanor could answer, Olivia pointed toward the front window.
“Someone's getting out of the car.””
I moved toward the curtains.
A man stood beside a black SUV.
He wore a dark coat and had his hands in his pockets. Even from a distance, I recognized the shape of his face.
My heart began hammering.
Thomas.
He looked older than the man in the photograph, with gray hair and deeper lines around his mouth.
But it was unmistakably him.
My father's younger brother.
The man who had stood beside me at the funeral and told me that everything would be all right.
“He's here,” I whispered.
Eleanor pulled me away from the window.
“Don't let him see you.””
A knock sounded at the front door.
Then another.
“Nia?”” a man's voice called.
I froze.
It was him.
“Sweetheart, I know you're in there.””
Olivia grabbed my hand.
Thomas knocked again.
“It's Uncle Thomas. Open the door.””
I felt sick.
Eleanor moved toward the hallway and lowered her voice.
“Don't answer him.””
But I was already walking toward the door.
“Nia,” Olivia whispered.
I stopped with my hand inches from the lock.
“Why is he calling me sweetheart?””
Eleanor looked at me.
“Because he knows you remember him as the uncle who loved you.””
I swallowed.
“And he doesn't?””
She didn't answer.
The knocking stopped.
A few seconds passed.
Then Thomas spoke again.
“I know Eleanor is with you. She has been lying to you for years.””
Eleanor's face hardened.
“Stay away from the door.””
Thomas continued.
“Your father would never have wanted you involved in this.””
I finally found my voice.
“Then why did he leave me the key?””
Silence.
For the first time, Thomas seemed to have no immediate answer.
Then he laughed softly.
“Because your father was a paranoid man near the end. He thought everyone was trying to take something from him.””
I looked at Eleanor.
She shook her head.
Thomas leaned closer to the door.
“Listen to me, Nia. Marcus made some mistakes, but he's not the enemy. You need to stop listening to people who want to turn you against your family.””
I opened the door.
Eleanor whispered my name, but I ignored her.
I didn't open it all the way. The security chain remained in place.
Thomas stood on the porch.
His eyes moved over my wedding dress.
For a moment, he looked almost amused.
“Beautiful dress,” he said.
“I heard the ceremony didn't go as planned.””
“You've been keeping track of my wedding?””
“I've been keeping track of you.””
The words made my skin crawl.
“Why?””
“Because your father left you something that belongs to the family.””
I tightened my grip on the door.
“My father left me his estate.””
“He left you a business that took three generations to build.””
“And apparently, he left you a reason to kill him.””
Thomas's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
“Careful, Nia.””
“Did you murder my father?””
He sighed.
“You always were too much like Richard.””
“Answer me.””
Thomas glanced past me into the hallway.
“Eleanor has filled your head with nonsense. Give me the box, and we can discuss everything properly.””
“No.””
His jaw tightened.
“Don't make this difficult.””
“Get off the property.””
For several seconds, he stared at me.
Then he stepped backward.
“Your father made the same mistake,” he said quietly.
“He thought blood meant nothing could hurt him.””
He turned toward his SUV.
Before getting inside, he looked over his shoulder.
“One more thing, Nia. Marcus isn't the only person who signed those documents.””
My stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?””
Thomas smiled without warmth.
“It means someone you trust helped him.””
Then he drove away.
I closed the door and locked it.
My legs nearly gave out.
Olivia caught me.
Eleanor stood in the hallway, looking as though she had just watched a ghost walk through the house.
“Who else signed the documents?”” I asked.
She looked toward the kitchen table.
“The person who submitted the original power of attorney wasn't Marcus.””
“Then who?””
Eleanor reached into her handbag and pulled out a thin folder.
She opened it and placed a printed document in front of me.
At the bottom was a witness signature.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
My best friend had been holding my hand all evening.
My wedding maid of honor.
My childhood friend.
The woman who had helped me choose my wedding dress.
Olivia's name was printed beneath the forged authorization.
I slowly turned toward her.
She stared at the paper.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Nia, I can explain.””
