Chapter 14 - THE WOMAN ON THE WITNESS LIST
Ashley agreed to testify.
Before trial, she requested to meet me.
I refused twice.
The third time, Rebecca told me Ashley had information about Michael's plans after my death that had never appeared in the recordings.
I agreed.
We met inside a secure conference room.
Ashley entered wearing county-issued clothing.
No makeup.
No expensive coat.
No confident smile.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she looked at the scar near my temple.
"I'm sorry."
I laughed once.
"Don't."
Her face crumpled slightly.
"I know that doesn't mean anything."
"You're right."
She nodded.
I asked the only question that mattered.
"Why didn't you help me?"
Ashley looked down at her hands.
"I was afraid."
"You weren't afraid when you helped plan the trip."
"I didn't think he would actually push you."
"You went to an isolated mountain during a blizzard."
"I knew something bad was going to happen."
"Then you knew."
She cried silently.
I felt nothing.
"You saw me move."
"Yes."
"You could have called 911."
"Yes."
"You could have thrown down a rope."
"Yes."
"You could have screamed for help."
"Yes."
"But you took a picture."
She covered her mouth.
I leaned forward.
"My son almost died while you protected yourself."
"I know."
"No."
My voice remained calm.
"You know the sentence."
"You don't know the feeling."
Ashley nodded slowly.
Then she told me why Michael chose that specific week.
He had received preliminary information that Daniel's genealogy team was close to confirming my identity.
Michael realized Daniel might contact me.
If that happened, Daniel could reveal the earlier meeting.
I would learn Michael had lied to both of us.
The marriage could collapse.
Michael could lose access to me.
And possibly face questions about financial transfers already happening through Ashley's shell company.
"So he moved the plan forward."
Ashley nodded.
"The original plan wasn't the mountain."
My stomach tightened.
"What was it?"
"A car accident."
She explained.
Michael wanted to tamper with my brakes after James was born.
But the baby created complications.
Car seats.
Medical records.
Potential survival.
Then the storm appeared in the forecast.
Michael changed everything.
The mountain gave him isolation.
Bad visibility.
A plausible fall.
No body if the snow became severe enough.
Ashley looked at me.
"He said nature would clean up the evidence."
My hands curled beneath the table.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because there's something he never knew."
She slid a folded note across the table.
Rebecca inspected it first.
Then gave it to me.
It contained a storage facility number.
"What is this?"
"The clothes I wore that day."
I looked up.
"The police already searched your apartment."
"I moved them before they arrived."
"Why keep them?"
Ashley swallowed.
"Because Michael grabbed me after he pushed you."
She touched her upper arm.
"There might be fibers from his gloves."
"And?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered.
"There was blood on my coat."
My blood.
She had climbed lower onto the cliff than she admitted.
May you like
She had come close enough to touch me.
And left anyway.
