Chapter 11 - THE WOMAN EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS GONE
Daniel stared at the photograph.
Natalie Vale.
Elena’s younger sister.
After Elena’s death, Natalie had accused Ethan of hiding information.
The argument had become vicious.
Then Natalie vanished.
Her emails stopped.
Her apartment was emptied.
Daniel had been told she moved to Europe and wanted nothing more to do with the Reed family.
The story had come from Owen Pierce.
Daniel turned to Margaret.
“Did you know Natalie was here?”
“No.”
“Vanessa?”
From the hallway Vanessa said nothing.
Daniel walked toward her.
“You knew.”
Vanessa looked at Lily.
Daniel immediately stepped into her line of sight.
“Look at me.”
Vanessa finally did.
“Natalie contacted me six months ago.”
“Why?”
“She had been investigating Elena’s death.”
Daniel felt anger rise again.
“And you didn’t tell me.”
“She threatened me.”
“With what?”
“Prison.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“She knew about the payments.”
“She knew I had followed Elena.”
“She knew I had lied to investigators.”
Daniel held up Lily’s memory card.
“And this?”
“I’ve never seen it.”
Lily spoke.
“Aunt Natalie put it there.”
Daniel turned.
“She came into your room?”
Lily nodded.
“Vanessa was downstairs.”
“Aunt Natalie said I had to be brave.”
“She told me Daddy would understand when he heard Mommy.”
Daniel looked at Adrian.
“Check every camera from last week.”
Adrian frowned.
“The east wing cameras were offline for maintenance.”
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
Daniel noticed.
“You shut them off.”
Vanessa whispered.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Natalie asked me to.”
Daniel stared.
Nothing about Vanessa fit neatly anymore.
She had helped Ethan.
Then hidden Margaret.
Then apparently helped Natalie enter the mansion.
Victim.
Accomplice.
Manipulator.
Perhaps all three.
Grant inserted the memory card into the secure laptop.
Three video files appeared.
The first showed Elena sitting in the mansion study.
The date was six days before her death.
Daniel’s chest tightened as she began to speak.
“My name is Elena Reed.”
“If this recording is being watched, I may not have had time to finish what I started.”
Daniel sat down.
Elena continued.
“I discovered unauthorized transfers from Lily’s trust.”
“My brother-in-law Ethan is involved.”
“Vanessa Cole helped him access my schedule and files.”
Vanessa cried silently.
Then Elena said something unexpected.
“But neither Ethan nor Vanessa is the person I fear most.”
Daniel looked at Grant.
The video continued.
“The person controlling this is Owen Pierce.”
“Owen has represented Daniel’s family for twenty-two years.”
“He knows every account.”
“Every weakness.”
“Every signature.”
“And every secret.”
Elena leaned closer to the camera.
“He has been creating shell companies using the Reed name since before Daniel’s father died.”
Daniel felt his hands go numb.
This was bigger than Lily’s trust.
Elena continued.
“I believe Daniel’s father discovered it.”
Daniel’s father had died six years earlier from what doctors called a massive stroke.
Elena’s eyes filled with fear on the screen.
“If I’m right, my death will not be the first.”
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Grant opened the second file.
It showed a spreadsheet.
Names.
Payments.
Dates.
The final row contained a name Daniel did not recognize.
NATALIE VALE.
Beside it was a payment of $500,000.
Status:
RESOLVED.
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“What does resolved mean?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel’s phone rang.
Unknown number again.
He answered.
For three seconds there was silence.
Then a woman spoke.
“Daniel?”
His heart stopped.
“Natalie?”
She whispered.
May you like
“Don’t trust anyone in that house.”
The call disconnected.
