Chapter 8: The Woman Outside
Vanessa dropped the key.
It struck the hardwood floor with a sharp metallic click.
Nobody moved.
The woman outside knocked again.
“Vanessa!””
Nia looked at the front door.
“Who is that?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Arthur picked up the key.
His eyes narrowed at the black tag.
“B-12.””
Daniel stared at him.
“You know where that is.””
Arthur nodded.
“The bank.””
Nia looked between them.
“What bank?””
“The same one where your mother had the safe deposit box.””
A chill moved through Nia.
“Then why is this key different?””
Arthur didn't answer.
The woman outside knocked again.
“I can hear you!””
Vanessa whispered, “It's Evelyn.””
Nia frowned.
“Who is Evelyn?””
“My mother's attorney,” Daniel said.
Nia's stomach dropped.
“The attorney you said was moving the money?””
Vanessa nodded.
Daniel walked toward the door.
Arthur blocked him.
“I'll handle it.””
“You've handled enough.””
Arthur stared at him.
“This isn't your house.””
Daniel gave him a cold smile.
“It belongs to your daughter.””
Nia stepped between them.
“Both of you stop.””
She walked toward the door.
Arthur grabbed her arm.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because we don't know who she brought with her.””
Nia looked through the glass.
A black sedan was parked at the curb.
Only one woman stood on the porch.
Older.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
Leather briefcase.
She looked directly through the glass.
As if she knew Nia was watching.
Then she lifted one hand.
In it was a photograph.
Nia's mother.
Nia pulled the door open.
Arthur caught her shoulder.
“Nia.””
She shrugged him off.
“What do you want?””
The woman looked at her.
“My name is Evelyn Price.””
Nia stared.
“Were you my mother's attorney?””
“Yes.””
“Did you move money out of her accounts?””
Evelyn's face remained calm.
“No.””
Vanessa appeared behind Nia.
Evelyn looked at her.
“You lied to her.””
Vanessa whispered, “I had no choice.””
“You always have a choice.””
Evelyn stepped onto the threshold.
“May I come in?””
Arthur said, “No.””
Evelyn smiled faintly.
“You really haven't changed, Arthur.””
Nia looked at her father.
“You know her.””
“Yes.””
“How well?””
Arthur didn't answer.
Evelyn entered anyway.
She placed the briefcase on the foyer table.
“I was at the second hospital.””
Nia's heart stopped.
“You knew?””
Evelyn nodded.
“I was there when your mother woke up.””
Nia looked at Daniel.
He lowered his eyes.
Evelyn opened her briefcase.
She removed a manila envelope.
“Your mother was alive for eleven hours after everyone believed she was dead.””
Nia stared at her.
“Eleven hours?””
“Yes.””
“Why wasn't I told?””
“You were twelve.””
“I keep hearing that.””
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
“Because your father made sure nobody told you.””
Arthur's voice was low.
“I was protecting her.””
“From the truth?””
“From Daniel.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“You blamed me.””
“I had reason.””
“You knew I didn't hurt her.””
“I knew you were dangerous.””
“I was trying to save her.””
Evelyn raised a hand.
“Both of you are still missing the point.””
She opened the envelope.
Inside were hospital records.
Nia scanned the first page.
*Patient: Margaret Carter.*
*Condition: Conscious.*
*Time: 2:17 A.M.*
Her fingers shook.
“She was awake.””
“Yes.””
“Then what happened?””
Evelyn's eyes lowered.
“She asked for you.””
Nia's breath caught.
“Me?””
“She kept asking where her daughter was.””
Nia looked at Arthur.
“What did you do?””
Arthur whispered, “I wasn't there.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“You were.””
Silence.
“You arrived at 3:04.””
Arthur's face tightened.
“You told me to keep her away from the hospital.””
Nia looked at Daniel.
“Why?””
Daniel looked at Arthur.
“Because your father told everyone your mother was confused.””
Arthur's jaw clenched.
“She had suffered a head injury.””
“She was lucid.””
“She wasn't.””
Evelyn pulled out another page.
“She signed this.””
She placed it in front of Nia.
A signature.
*Margaret Carter.*
Beneath it:
*I request that my daughter Nia be informed of the concealed estate upon her nineteenth birthday.*
Nia looked up.
“Why wasn't I told?””
Evelyn's eyes moved toward Vanessa.
“Because the letter disappeared.””
Nia slowly turned.
“Vanessa.””
Vanessa began crying.
“I didn't destroy it.””
“Then where did it go?””
Vanessa pointed toward the sewing room.
“I hid it.””
Nia's voice dropped.
“Why?””
“Because Evelyn told me someone was watching the house.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“I told you someone was watching your bank accounts.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You said they would hurt her.””
“I said they might.””
Nia's breathing quickened.
“Who?””
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
Arthur said nothing.
Evelyn reached into her briefcase one final time.
She pulled out a security photograph.
It showed the hospital hallway.
Margaret was being wheeled toward a private room.
Standing behind her was Arthur.
Beside him was another man.
Nia leaned closer.
The image was grainy.
But she recognized him.
The same face from the photograph in the sewing room.
Daniel.
Only there was one problem.
The timestamp read:
*3:19 A.M.*
Daniel stared at the image.
“I wasn't there.””
Evelyn nodded.
“I know.””
Nia looked at her.
“Then who is that?””
Evelyn pointed to the man standing beside Arthur.
“He's the reason your mother never made it home.””
Nia's eyes moved to the photograph.
The man's face was partially hidden.
But his hand was visible.
A distinctive gold ring.
Vanessa suddenly gasped.
“No.””
Nia turned.
“What?””
Vanessa stared at the photograph.
“That ring…”
Her voice disappeared.
Arthur looked at her.
“Whose is it?””
Vanessa backed away.
“I thought he was dead.””
Evelyn closed the briefcase.
“He isn't.””
Nia's phone suddenly buzzed.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
*Ask Vanessa who owns the ring.*
Nia looked up.
Vanessa was staring at her.
Terrified.
Then she whispered a name.
May you like
And Nia realized the person they had all been afraid of wasn't Daniel.
It was someone already inside the family.
