Chapter 9 - The Woman Harold Feared
Chelsea held the knife against Evelyn's throat.
For one long second, no one moved.
Then Chelsea laughed.
It was a small laugh.
Broken.
Nothing like the cheerful sound I remembered from my kitchen.
“Don't look so surprised.”
Rachel stared at her sister.
“Chelsea.”
“You should have stayed gone.”
Rachel's jaw tightened.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I wanted you to.”
Evelyn slowly raised her hands.
“Chelsea, don't.”
“Don't tell me what to do.”
Daniel moved toward me.
Rachel stopped him.
“Wait.”
Chelsea's eyes shifted to me.
“Linda.”
I stared at her.
“You recorded me.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to Brooke.”
“Yes.”
“You worked for Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Chelsea looked at Rachel.
Then at me.
“Because Harold asked me to.”
The room went silent.
Rachel whispered:
“What?”
Chelsea lowered the knife slightly.
“He knew Evelyn was coming.”
She swallowed.
“He knew somebody close to the family was involved.”
I stared.
“And you?”
“I was supposed to protect him.”
“Then why did he die?”
Her eyes filled.
“Because I failed.”
I didn't understand.
“Explain.”
Chelsea glanced at Evelyn.
“She wasn't supposed to come that night.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Chelsea continued.
“Harold had arranged a meeting with me.”
“To tell me the truth.”
“But somebody intercepted the message.”
“Who?”
Chelsea looked at Daniel.
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“You?”
“No.”
She looked toward Brooke.
“Her.”
Brooke's face went white.
“I didn't know what Evelyn planned.”
Chelsea's voice cracked.
“You knew enough.”
I stepped toward Brooke.
“Did you?”
Brooke looked at me.
Tears appeared.
But I had learned the hard way that tears did not prove innocence.
“I only wanted the house.”
I stared.
“That isn't an excuse.”
“I never thought she'd kill him.”
Evelyn finally spoke.
“Stop lying.”
Brooke turned.
Evelyn continued:
“You knew exactly what you were doing.”
Daniel stepped toward Brooke.
“You told me it was just the medication.”
Brooke looked at him.
“I didn't inject him.”
“Then who did?”
Silence.
Evelyn smiled.
“I did.”
Rachel lunged.
Daniel blocked her.
“Mom!”
Chaos exploded.
Chelsea threw the knife away.
Rachel grabbed Evelyn.
Evelyn fought back.
Brooke screamed.
I backed toward the kitchen.
Then I saw it.
The pearl earrings.
Harold's pearl earrings.
One was slightly open.
A tiny red light blinked inside it.
I stared.
Brooke noticed.
Her eyes widened.
“Don't.”
I reached toward her ear.
She slapped my hand away.
“You don't want to know.”
I touched the earring anyway.
A tiny compartment opened.
Inside was a microSD card.
I stared at Brooke.
“What is this?”
Her lips trembled.
“Insurance.”
“Against whom?”
“Everyone.”
I removed the card.
Rachel stopped fighting long enough to look.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
I held it tightly.
“This belongs to me.”
Brooke laughed bitterly.
“You think you're safe now?”
I looked at her.
“Why wouldn't I be?”
“Because the recording on that card is from the night Harold died.”
My stomach dropped.
“And it proves what?”
Brooke whispered:
“That Daniel was there when he died.”
Daniel froze.
I looked at my son.
He didn't deny it.
“Daniel?”
He closed his eyes.
“Mom.”
“What did you do?”
“I didn't hurt Dad.”
“Then why are you afraid?”
He whispered:
“Because I was holding him when he stopped breathing.”
I couldn't move.
Brooke smiled through her tears.
“And now you finally understand.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“Play the recording.”
I inserted the card into a laptop.
The screen filled with static.
Then Harold appeared.
Alive.
Sitting in his office.
Daniel stood across from him.
Harold was shouting.
“You stole from me.”
Daniel cried.
“Dad, I can fix it.”
“You can't fix fraud.”
Then Brooke appeared.
Harold looked at her.
“Get out of my house.”
Brooke froze.
“I said get out.”
Evelyn entered behind her.
Harold stared.
“What are you doing here?”
Evelyn smiled.
“You should have sold.”
Harold whispered:
“You.”
The recording crackled.
Then the screen showed Chelsea entering.
“Harold, we need to go.”
Evelyn turned.
Something flashed in her hand.
The recording shook.
Harold collapsed.
Daniel screamed.
And then another person entered the room.
Someone I hadn't expected.
Someone who walked directly toward the dying Harold.
Someone who looked down at him and said:
“You should have listened to me.”
The face appeared clearly.
I stopped breathing.
It wasn't Evelyn.
It wasn't Brooke.
It wasn't Chelsea.
It was the one person I had never suspected.
May you like
Pierce.
:::
