Chapter 6: The Doctor Who Lied
Daniel locked the study door.
Marcus paced beside the desk while the two men outside continued ringing the bell.
"Who are they?"" I asked.
"One of them is named Grant," Marcus replied.
"He handles security for my mother.""
"Why would your mother send security contractors to retrieve documents?""
Marcus looked at the black document box.
"Because she knows what's inside.""
Daniel pulled out his phone.
"I'm calling the police.""
Before he could dial, a message appeared on his screen.
He read it and frowned.
"What?"" I asked.
"Your mother's estate attorney has just filed an emergency motion to suspend the trust's protective clause.""
I blinked.
"My mother?""
"No. Eleanor is claiming that your father lacked the legal capacity to make the final amendments to the trust.""
I looked at him.
"That's a lie.""
"I know. But it means she's moving quickly.""
Marcus stopped pacing.
"Can she do that?""
Daniel shook his head.
"She can try.""
Another knock came from the door.
A man's voice followed.
"Mr. Whitmore? We need to speak with you.""
Marcus walked toward it.
Daniel blocked his path.
"Don't.""
"That's my house.""
"And those men aren't here to discuss the weather.""
I looked at Marcus.
"Where is your mother?""
"I don't know.""
"Call her.""
He shook his head.
"She won't answer.""
I held up the photograph.
"Then perhaps we should call someone who knows what happened to Victoria's mother.""
I pointed to the name on Eleanor's note.
Dr. Samuel Reed.
We left through the rear entrance twenty minutes later.
Daniel had arranged for another attorney to meet us at the police station and document the attempted retrieval of the records.
Marcus came with us.
I hadn't invited him.
He simply followed.
During the drive, he sat in the back seat, staring at his hands.
Finally, he spoke.
"Nia?""
I didn't turn.
"What?""
"If I tell you something, will you at least listen?""
"Depends what it is.""
He swallowed.
"My mother told me your father had offered to buy the Whitmore family business before he died.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"She said he wanted control of everything. She said he was trying to take advantage of our financial problems.""
I looked over my shoulder.
"My father never mentioned buying your family's business.""
"I know that now.""
"Why would you believe her?""
Marcus looked down.
"Because she showed me documents.""
"What documents?""
"An agreement with your father's signature.""
Daniel turned around.
"Do you still have it?""
Marcus nodded.
"At the mansion.""
I closed my eyes.
Another forged document.
Another lie.
And another opportunity for Eleanor to make the two families distrust each other.
When we arrived at the police station, Daniel contacted Dr. Reed's office.
A receptionist informed him that the doctor was no longer practicing.
However, she gave us an address where he could be reached.
A private residence outside the city.
We arrived shortly after noon.
The house was modest, with white shutters and a narrow garden.
A gray-haired man opened the door.
He looked at Daniel first.
Then at me.
His expression changed.
"You're Thomas Carter's daughter.""
"Yes.""
He stepped aside.
"Come in.""
His living room smelled of old books and coffee.
He offered us tea, but I declined.
"I need to ask you about my father.""
Dr. Reed sat down.
"I expected this day might come.""
"Did Eleanor Whitmore visit him in the hospital?""
He looked toward the window.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"She wanted to discuss a financial matter.""
"What financial matter?""
"Your father's trust.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What did she want?""
"She wanted him to sign a document giving her temporary control over a portion of his investment assets.""
"And he refused?""
Dr. Reed nodded.
"Your father became extremely upset. He asked hospital security to remove her.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"Did you see what happened?""
"Yes.""
"Did she threaten him?""
The doctor hesitated.
Then he nodded.
"She told him that his family would regret making enemies of the Whitmores.""
I felt cold.
"Did you report it?""
"No.""
"Why not?""
He lowered his eyes.
"Because I was asked not to.""
"By whom?""
He didn't answer.
I stood.
"Doctor, my father died three days later. Eleanor has been stealing from my inheritance. She has been forging documents using my name. And now I discover that she was in my father's hospital room.""
Dr. Reed closed his eyes.
"There's something you should know.""
He walked toward a cabinet and removed a small locked box.
"I kept a copy of the hospital incident report.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Why?""
"Because I didn't trust what was happening.""
The doctor opened the box.
Inside were several medical documents and a small digital recorder.
I stared at it.
"What is that?""
"A recording from the evening Eleanor visited your father.""
Marcus stood.
"You recorded her?""
Dr. Reed shook his head.
"Your father did.""
My heart began racing.
"He recorded his own conversation?""
"He was concerned that someone might attempt to pressure him into changing his estate documents. He asked me to keep the recording if anything happened to him.""
Daniel picked up the recorder.
"Have you listened to it?""
"Once.""
"What does it contain?""
The doctor looked directly at me.
"Your father accused Eleanor of attempting to steal your inheritance. She denied it. Then she told him something that frightened him.""
I stepped closer.
"What?""
Dr. Reed's voice became quieter.
"She told him that Victoria was already under her control.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Under her control how?""
"She said Victoria had agreed to help her.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Why would Victoria help Eleanor steal from her own father?""
Dr. Reed looked at him.
"Because she believed Thomas Carter had destroyed her mother's life.""
I stared at the recorder.
"Did my father know Victoria was involved?""
"Yes. He wanted to meet her.""
"Did he?""
The doctor didn't answer.
Instead, he pressed a button.
A woman's voice filled the room.
Eleanor.
"Thomas, you should have accepted my offer.""
My father's voice followed.
"Stay away from my daughter.""
Eleanor laughed.
"Which one?""
There was a long silence.
Then my father's voice became angry.
"You leave Nia alone. You leave Victoria alone. Both girls have suffered enough.""
Eleanor replied calmly.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before making promises to both of them.""
The recording crackled.
My father's voice dropped.
"What did you do to Margaret?""
Eleanor said something so quietly that we couldn't understand it.
Then my father shouted.
"You told me she was dead!""
The recording ended.
Nobody moved.
I looked at Dr. Reed.
"What happened to Margaret?""
He removed his glasses.
"She wasn't dead.""
My heart pounded.
"Where is she?""
The doctor took a deep breath.
"She was admitted to a private rehabilitation facility under another name. Eleanor arranged the payments.""
"Why?""
"That's what I never understood.""
Daniel examined the recorder.
"Is there another copy?""
Dr. Reed nodded.
"Your father left one with someone he trusted.""
"Who?""
The doctor looked at me.
"Victoria.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I opened the message.
There was a photograph of a woman sitting on a hospital bed.
She looked older, thinner, and exhausted.
But I recognized her immediately from the picture frame.
Margaret.
Underneath the photograph was a message.
*UNKNOWN: Your father wasn't the only person Eleanor Whitmore tried to silence. If you want to know what really happened, come alone.*
A second message arrived.
*UNKNOWN: My name is Victoria. I'm your sister. And our father was murdered.*
I stared at the screen.
Marcus read the message over my shoulder.
Then he whispered something I would never forget.
"That's impossible.""
I turned toward him.
"Why?""
His face had lost every trace of color.
"Because my mother told me Victoria died five years ago.""
May you like
And suddenly, the woman we had been searching for was no longer just a missing beneficiary.
She was the only person alive who might know what really happened to our father.
