Chapter 5: The Night My Father Died
My father died on a rainy Thursday evening.
At least, that was the story I'd believed for twenty years.
He'd suffered a heart attack in his office. An ambulance had arrived too late. By the time my mother reached the hospital, he was gone.
I remembered the funeral.
The black suits.
The white flowers.
Daniel crying against my shoulder.
My mother holding my hand so tightly that her fingernails left marks in my skin.
I'd been eighteen.
Daniel had been fourteen.
I'd promised my father at his graveside that I'd look after everyone.
And I'd spent twenty years doing exactly that.
Now someone was telling me that the night he died wasn't what I'd been told.
"Who sent you that message?"" my mother asked.
"I don't know.""
She looked at Richard.
"Please, we need to go home.""
I stepped closer.
"Not until you tell me what happened that night.""
Her lips trembled.
"Marcus, this isn't the place.""
"Then tell me somewhere else.""
She looked down at the photograph.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she finally whispered, "Your father didn't die at the office.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"What?""
"He was brought home first.""
Richard stopped arranging the papers.
My mother continued.
"That evening, your father called me. He said he was feeling unwell and asked me to come to his office. When I arrived, he was sitting at his desk, sweating and struggling to breathe.""
"Why wasn't he taken to the hospital immediately?""
"He refused.""
"Why?""
"He said he needed to speak to someone first.""
I stared at her.
"Who?""
She looked toward the photograph.
"Elaine.""
My jaw tightened.
"She was there?""
My mother nodded.
"Daniel was with her.""
I couldn't believe it.
"Daniel was fourteen. Why was he there?""
"Because Elaine had threatened to tell him the truth about his father.""
Richard leaned forward.
"Mrs. Bennett, are you saying Mr. Bennett was having a confrontation with Elaine when he became ill?""
"Yes.""
"What happened next?""
My mother rubbed her hands together.
"Your father asked me to take Daniel home. He said he wanted to settle things with Elaine privately.""
"And you left?""
"Yes.""
I stood completely still.
"Then what?""
She began crying.
"An hour later, Elaine called. She said your father had collapsed and that an ambulance was coming.""
"Where?""
"At his office.""
I stared at her.
"You just said he was at the office when you arrived.""
"Yes.""
"Then why did you take Daniel home?""
"Because your father asked me to.""
I looked at Richard.
He was already writing something down.
"Did the police investigate?"" he asked.
My mother nodded.
"They said it was a heart attack. The doctor confirmed it.""
"Was there an autopsy?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
I felt a chill.
"Why not?""
My mother looked at me.
"Because your father had a known heart condition. The doctor said there was no reason to suspect anything else.""
I sat down.
For twenty years, I'd believed my father had died naturally.
Now I was learning that his mistress had been the last person with him.
And she'd later become my wife's mother-in-law.
"Did you ever tell the police about Elaine being there?""
My mother lowered her eyes.
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because Elaine came to me the following morning.""
"What did she say?""
My mother looked directly at me.
"She said if I told anyone about the argument, she'd destroy everything your father had built.""
Richard frowned.
"Did she threaten you physically?""
"No. She threatened to expose the affair. She said she'd make sure everyone knew I had raised another woman's child.""
I stared at her.
"So you stayed silent to protect the family reputation?""
She began sobbing.
"I was trying to protect you boys.""
I stood up.
"Mom, you protected the wrong people.""
The words came out harder than I intended.
She covered her face.
I immediately regretted the pain in her expression, but I couldn't take the words back.
Richard closed his notebook.
"We need the original medical records. And we need to establish whether any financial documents were altered after Mr. Bennett's death.""
My mother nodded.
"There may be something else.""
She walked to the kitchen cabinet and retrieved an old photograph album.
Inside the back cover was a small folded piece of paper.
"I found this after your father died," she said.
"I never understood it.""
I unfolded it.
It was a handwritten note.
If Elaine returns, do not give her the blue folder. Robert knows where the original is.
At the bottom was a date.
The day before my father died.
I looked at Richard.
"What's the blue folder?""
He shook his head.
"I don't know.""
My mother sat down.
"Your father used to keep a blue folder in his office safe.""
"Where is it now?""
She looked at me.
"Elaine took it.""
I stared at her.
"How do you know?""
"Because I saw her leaving your father's office with it the morning after he died.""
Richard immediately picked up his phone.
"Do you have any record of what was in that folder?""
My mother shook her head.
"No.""
I looked toward the window.
Outside, a delivery truck was reversing into the driveway.
Then the doorbell rang.
My mother flinched.
"I wasn't expecting anyone.""
I walked toward the front door.
A man in a dark suit stood outside.
He was in his late sixties, with silver hair and a leather folder under his arm.
"Marcus Bennett?""
"Yes.""
He extended his hand.
"My name is Robert Hayes. I was your father's business partner.""
I stared at him.
Richard appeared behind me.
"Robert Hayes?""
The man nodded.
"I understand you've been looking through some old records.""
I felt my pulse quicken.
"How do you know?""
He glanced toward the hallway.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Because someone has been looking for the same records for twenty years.""
He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
My mother stood up.
When she saw him, her face went pale.
"Robert?""
He nodded solemnly.
"Hello, Margaret.""
I looked between them.
"You know each other?""
Robert placed his leather folder on the kitchen table.
"Very well.""
He opened it and removed a photograph.
It showed my father standing beside a young Elaine Carter.
Behind them was a man I didn't recognize.
Robert pointed to him.
"That's the reason your father was afraid.""
"Who is he?""
Robert looked at me.
"His name was Thomas Reed. He was the original owner of the company before your father bought him out.""
I frowned.
"What does that have to do with Elaine?""
Robert took a deep breath.
"Thomas never accepted the sale. He believed your father had stolen his business.""
"And?""
Robert's eyes moved toward my mother.
"Elaine was his daughter.""
The room fell silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
Then at the documents on the table.
My father's affair had been real.
Daniel's parentage had been hidden.
But now another family secret was emerging.
"Why are you telling me this?"" I asked.
Robert opened his folder.
"Because Thomas Reed didn't disappear after the company was sold.""
He slid a document toward me.
"He became the majority shareholder of Northbridge Capital.""
I felt my blood run cold.
The same company named in the forged transfer agreement.
May you like
Robert looked me straight in the eyes.
"And he's still alive.""
