Chapter 3 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be DeadThe photograph was old.
Not old enough.
The timestamp printed along the bottom showed a date less than two months earlier.
Vanessa stood beside a black sedan.
The man beside her was unmistakable.
Thomas Reed.
My husband's former attorney.
A man who had officially died three years ago.
Ethan looked from the photograph to me.
“Mom, who is he?”
“Thomas Reed.”
“Your father's lawyer?”
“Yes.”
The stranger closed the door.
“My name is Victor Lane.”
I knew the name.
Victor Lane had worked in corporate investigations before disappearing from public records.
“You're the investigator,” I said.
“I used to be.”
“What happened?”
“I investigated the Mitchells.”
Victor glanced at Ethan.
“That's when they tried to kill me.”
Ethan stiffened.
“What?”
Victor raised a hand.
“Not here.”
I pointed toward the floor.
“We can speak here.”
Victor shook his head.
“Your house isn't safe.”
That sentence changed everything.
Ethan locked the door.
Victor continued.
“Three years ago, Daniel Mitchell's company was about to collapse.”
He placed another envelope on the bed.
“Thomas Reed arranged emergency funding.”
I opened it.
Inside was a series of documents.
A company called Blackridge Capital had purchased Mitchell Strategic Consulting's debt.
Then, six months later, Blackridge began acquiring shares in a much larger company.
Carter Holdings.
Ethan's company.
My company.
I stared at the numbers.
“How?”
Victor pointed.
“Proxy purchases.”
“What proxies?”
“Seven shell companies.”
“And who owns them?”
Victor looked at me.
“That is the question.”
Ethan picked up the documents.
“Can you prove Vanessa knows?”
Victor hesitated.
“We have messages.”
“Where?”
“On a server.”
“Can we access it?”
Victor gave a bitter smile.
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody deleted it yesterday.”
My stomach tightened.
“Yesterday?”
“The same day your engagement party was announced.”
Ethan turned toward the door.
“I need to call security.”
Victor grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because there are two people on your security team working for them.”
Ethan froze.
I closed my eyes.
Every piece was sliding into place.
The suspicious bank transfers.
The shell companies.
Thomas Reed appearing alive.
The missing server.
The timing.
And Vanessa's sudden determination to marry Ethan.
Victor looked at me.
“There's one thing you don't know.”
I didn't like the way he said it.
“What?”
“Your husband's death wasn't natural.”
The room became silent.
Ethan whispered:
“What did you say?”
Victor looked at me.
“Your husband didn't die from a heart attack.”
I felt the air leave my lungs.
For eleven years I had believed that was the truth.
My husband, Richard Carter, had collapsed during dinner.
The doctors said heart failure.
Thomas Reed had handled the estate.
I had trusted him.
Then Ethan said quietly:
“You're saying Dad was murdered?”
Victor nodded.
“His medical records were altered.”
My hands began to shake.
“Who altered them?”
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he took out his phone.
“I have part of the original report.”
He showed me a photograph.
The report stated that traces of a rare medication had been found in Richard's blood.
A medication known to dangerously interact with his heart condition.
I stared at the screen.
“Who prescribed it?”
Victor swallowed.
“Thomas Reed.”
I looked at Ethan.
His face had gone white.
“Why would my father trust him?”
“Because Thomas worked for him.”
“No.”
Victor shook his head.
“Thomas didn't work for your father.”
He looked at me.
“He worked for someone who wanted your husband dead.”
My pulse thundered.
“Who?”
Victor leaned closer.
“We believe the person behind everything is inside your family.”
Ethan stepped back.
“What?”
Victor's eyes moved toward him.
“We don't know which family member.”
I stared at my son.
Ethan stared back.
Neither of us spoke.
Then there was a crash downstairs.
A woman's scream.
Ethan ran for the door.
I followed.
We reached the staircase.
Vanessa stood in the foyer.
One hand covered her mouth.
The other pointed toward the floor.
A man lay beside the front door.
Blood was spreading across his white shirt.
Ethan stopped.
“Who is that?”
Vanessa looked at me.
Her face was terrified.
But her eyes weren't on the body.
They were on my grocery bag.
Then she whispered:
“Where is the envelope?”
May you like
My blood turned cold.
She knew.
Related Stories
