Chapter 4: The Video From My Dead Wife
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Rachel's number was still on my phone.
The same number I had called hundreds of times when she was alive. The same number I had deleted from my favorites because seeing her name made the house feel emptier.
And now it was sending me a video.
I stared at the attachment.
The timestamp showed 11:48 p.m. on the night Rachel died.
My hands began trembling.
I pressed play.
The screen went dark for two seconds.
Then Rachel appeared.
She was sitting in our bedroom, wearing the gray sweater I had given her for Christmas. Her hair was tied loosely behind her head. Her eyes were red, and there was a small bruise near her left wrist.
I stopped breathing.
"Daniel, if you're watching this, something has happened to me.""
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I looked toward the hospital corridor.
Vanessa and Gregory were approaching the nurses' station.
I stepped into an empty consultation room and locked the door.
Then I continued watching.
"I don't know how much time I have. Vanessa has been asking me to sign documents concerning Mom's inheritance. She says it's just paperwork, but I found out she's been transferring money from the family trust.""
Rachel glanced toward the bedroom door.
"She told me Gregory would make everything disappear if I cooperated.""
My stomach tightened.
Rachel continued.
"I refused. I told her the money belongs to Maya. It was left for her education and her future. Vanessa says Maya is too young to understand, but that's not the point.""
Rachel wiped her eyes.
"Daniel, there's something else. Vanessa has been using your signature.""
I paused the video.
My signature?
I opened my banking application.
I had not noticed anything unusual in our accounts. The mortgage was paid automatically. My salary went into our joint account, and I rarely checked the individual transactions.
I returned to the video.
"She has copies of your old documents. She knows your passwords. I think she's been preparing something that could make it look like you approved the transfers.""
Rachel leaned closer to the camera.
"If anything happens to me, don't trust Gregory. And don't let Vanessa take Maya anywhere without you.""
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
"Daniel, I think she's planning to make my death look like an accident.""
The video ended.
I watched the final seconds again.
Then again.
My wife had known.
She had been frightened in our own home, and I hadn't seen it.
I remembered that night.
Rachel had told me she was going downstairs to get a glass of water. I had been working late on my laptop.
Twenty minutes later, I heard a crash.
I found her at the bottom of the basement stairs.
Vanessa was standing beside her, screaming for someone to call an ambulance.
I had held Rachel's hand until the paramedics arrived.
I had kissed her forehead.
I had begged her to wake up.
And all that time, I had believed it was simply a terrible accident.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Daniel?""
Gregory's voice.
I quickly locked my phone.
"Open the door.""
I didn't answer.
"Daniel, I know you're in there.""
Then Vanessa spoke.
"Please. We need to talk about Maya.""
I moved closer to the door but didn't open it.
"Talk from there.""
Gregory sighed.
"This isn't the place for family disagreements.""
"Then why are you here?""
"Because Rachel left some matters unresolved.""
I looked at my phone again.
"Rachel left a video.""
Silence.
A long, uncomfortable silence.
Then Vanessa laughed softly.
"What video?""
"The one where she explains what you did.""
Her voice changed immediately.
"Daniel, don't be stupid.""
I had never heard her speak to me that way.
Not once in twelve years.
Gregory stepped closer to the door.
"Listen carefully. Whatever Rachel recorded, it was made while she was under considerable emotional stress. It has no legal value by itself.""
"Interesting. You haven't even seen it.""
Another silence.
Then Vanessa said, "Give us the key.""
I felt the silver key inside my pocket.
"No.""
"Daniel, you're making a terrible mistake.""
"Get away from the door.""
Gregory lowered his voice.
"Your daughter is the one who will suffer if you keep this going.""
That was enough.
I opened the door.
Gregory stood directly in front of me, holding a leather folder.
Vanessa was beside him.
I looked straight into her eyes.
"Did you just threaten my daughter?""
She looked offended.
"Don't twist my words.""
"You told me to give you the key. You tried to arrange her discharge. Someone is sending me threatening messages.""
"Because you're behaving irrationally!""
A nurse appeared at the end of the corridor.
"Is everything all right here?""
I didn't look away from Vanessa.
"No. I'd like security to escort these two people out.""
Vanessa's face flushed.
"You can't do that!""
The nurse called for Lewis.
Gregory opened his folder.
"Daniel, before you embarrass yourself any further, perhaps you should look at this.""
He pulled out a document.
It was a temporary guardianship authorization.
My name appeared at the bottom.
My signature was underneath.
But I had never signed it.
And the document claimed I had voluntarily granted Vanessa authority over Maya's medical and educational decisions.
I looked at the date.
Three days before Rachel died.
My mouth went dry.
Vanessa stepped closer.
"You see? Rachel wanted me involved. She knew you were overwhelmed.""
I examined the signature.
It looked almost perfect.
Almost.
But there was one detail that made my stomach turn.
The signature contained a small mark I had stopped using five years earlier.
Someone had copied an old document.
Someone had planned this long before Maya collapsed at school.
Lewis arrived with another security officer.
"Sir, we're going to need you to step away from the patient area.""
Gregory folded the paper.
Vanessa looked at me one last time.
"You have no idea what Rachel left behind.""
Then she walked away.
I returned to Maya's room.
My daughter was sitting upright.
"Did they leave?""
"Yes, sweetheart.""
She looked at my face.
"Did you watch it?""
I nodded.
Maya swallowed.
"Then you know why Mom hid the other one.""
I sat beside her.
"The other video?""
She nodded.
"Mom said the first video was for you. The second one was for everyone.""
I felt my heart pound.
"Where is it?""
Maya looked at the silver key in my hand.
"In the blue box.""
May you like
Then she whispered:
"But Aunt Vanessa knows where it is.""
