Chapter 8: The Woman Who Used My Mother's Name
Denise didn't deny it immediately.
She simply stared at the document.
Then she laughed.
A short, nervous sound.
“This is ridiculous.””
Marcus remained calm.
“Then explain the account.””
“I don't know anything about it.””
“Your identification number was used to open it.””
“Anyone could have stolen my information.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Did you open an account using Claire's name?””
Denise looked at him.
“No.””
“Swear to me.””
She hesitated.
That hesitation told me more than any confession could have.
Dad picked up his phone.
“I'm calling the police.””
Denise lunged toward the coffee table.
“Daniel, don't!””
He moved the phone away.
“You've had years to explain yourself.””
“You're going to destroy this family!””
“You destroyed it when you stole from Maya.””
Brielle was crying silently.
“Mom, please tell us the truth.””
Denise turned toward her.
“You don't understand what I was dealing with.””
“Then explain it!””
Denise looked around the room.
For the first time, she seemed to realize that nobody was coming to defend her.
She sat down.
“Fine.””
Dad lowered his phone slightly.
Denise rubbed her forehead.
“Claire knew about my debts. She knew about Marcus. She knew I had been trying to keep him away from Brielle.””
Marcus interrupted.
“You weren't trying to keep me away. You were trying to keep me from discovering what you'd done.””
Denise ignored him.
“When Claire became sick, she told me she wanted to leave something for both girls.””
Dad nodded slowly.
“I know about Maya's trust.””
“There was more,” Denise said.
She looked at the documents.
“Claire had discovered that Richard had been moving money through several accounts. She suspected he was stealing from clients.””
Dad frowned.
“Why didn't she tell me?””
“She wanted proof.””
Marcus nodded.
“That's why she contacted me.””
I looked at him.
“What did you know?””
“Richard had approached Denise with a plan. He wanted to use Claire's trust documents to move money without raising suspicion.””
Dad looked horrified.
“So they worked together?””
“For a while,” Marcus answered.
“Then Denise realized Richard intended to keep most of the money.””
Denise suddenly stood.
“That's not true!””
Marcus pulled another sheet from his envelope.
“Then explain this.””
It was a copy of an email.
The subject line read:
*Final Transfer — Claire Danielson Estate.*
The message was short.
Once the account is active, the remaining balance will be divided as discussed. Marcus will receive his portion, and the rest will remain under my control.
The email was signed with Denise's name.
Dad read it twice.
“Marcus was supposed to receive money?””
“Yes,” Marcus said.
“Denise promised to pay me to disappear permanently.””
Brielle looked at him.
“You accepted money to leave?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I never received it.””
Denise's voice rose.
“Because you wouldn't cooperate!””
Marcus looked at her.
“You wanted me to sign away my parental rights in exchange for money stolen from two children.””
Brielle backed away.
“You were going to sell me?””
“No!”” Denise shouted.
“You were going to pay him to leave!””
“I was trying to protect you!””
“From my own father?””
Denise covered her face.
Dad moved toward her.
“Where is the money now?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie.””
“I don't know!””
Marcus opened the folder again.
“Then perhaps you can explain the withdrawals from the account opened in Claire's name.””
Denise looked up.
There was fear in her eyes now.
“How did you get those records?””
“Richard gave them to me.””
Dad frowned.
“Richard?””
Marcus nodded.
“He contacted me three days ago. He wanted to negotiate.””
Dad looked furious.
“He told you all this?””
“He wanted me to help him avoid prosecution.””
“And what did you tell him?””
“I told him I wasn't interested.””
Marcus placed a flash drive on the table.
“But I kept the evidence.””
Dad stared at it.
“What is that?””
“Emails. Bank transfers. Audio recordings. Everything Richard sent me.””
Denise lunged toward the flash drive.
Marcus moved it out of reach.
“Don't.””
She stopped.
Her face was wet with tears.
“You don't understand. I had no choice.””
Dad looked at her.
“You had choices. You could have asked for help. You could have told the truth. You could have returned the money.””
Denise shook her head.
“Marcus was threatening me.””
“Because you owed him money,” Dad replied.
“No!””
She looked at Brielle.
Then at Dad.
And finally, she said something that made the entire room go quiet.
“I didn't just owe Marcus money. I owed him because he helped me cover up what happened the night Claire died.””
Dad's face went blank.
I felt my heart pounding.
“What happened that night?”” I whispered.
Denise began shaking her head.
“I didn't mean for it to happen.””
Dad stepped toward her.
“What did you do?””
“I was driving. Claire was in the passenger seat. We were arguing.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Denise.””
She looked at him.
“You were there too!””
Dad turned toward Marcus.
“What?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Denise continued.
“Claire had found out about the money. She threatened to report Richard and me. She said she was going to tell Daniel everything.””
Dad's voice broke.
“So you argued with her?””
Denise nodded.
“I was upset. I was driving too fast. She grabbed the steering wheel.””
I felt sick.
“What happened next?””
Denise started crying harder.
“The car hit the guardrail.””
Dad stumbled backward.
He grabbed the edge of the table.
“Was she alive?””
Denise couldn't answer.
Marcus finally spoke.
“She was.””
Dad looked at him.
“What?””
Marcus's face was full of anger.
“Claire was alive after the crash. She was conscious. She was asking for help.””
Denise covered her mouth.
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
“Then why didn't you call an ambulance?””
Denise whispered:
“Because I was afraid.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“You weren't alone that night. I was there because Denise had asked me to meet her. When the accident happened, she begged me to help her move Claire's belongings before the police arrived.””
Dad looked as though he might collapse.
“Where was my wife?””
Marcus looked down.
“In the hospital.””
Denise shook her head.
“No. No, that's not what happened.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“Then tell him where Claire went after the crash.””
Denise stared at him.
And before she could speak, Brielle asked the question nobody had thought to ask.
“If Mom was with Claire that night, why did she tell everyone she was at home?””
Marcus looked at her.
“Because your mother wasn't the only person in that car.””
He slowly removed another photograph from his folder.
It showed three people standing beside the wrecked vehicle.
Denise.
Marcus.
And a third person whose face had been deliberately scratched out.
Dad reached for the photograph.
May you like
Then he recognized the jacket.
It was his.
