Chapter 11 - The VideoI stared at the USB drive.
“Where is the laptop?”
Megan shook her head.
“Dad destroyed it.”
“But you copied the video.”
“Yes.”
“Have you watched it?”
She swallowed.
“Once.”
“What did you see?”
“I saw Grandfather.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“And Dad?”
Megan nodded.
“What happened?”
She looked away.
“They were arguing.”
“About what?”
“The company.”
I waited.
“Then Grandfather said something.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘If you hurt Emily, you lose everything.’”
My chest tightened.
“What did Dad say?”
Megan's eyes filled with tears.
“He said, ‘She won't survive long enough to inherit anything.’”
I felt cold.
I held out my hand.
“Give me the drive.”
Megan hesitated.
Then handed it over.
We opened the file.
The video quality was poor.
A security camera.
Date stamp.
Fifteen years ago.
My grandfather stood in his office.
Thomas stood across from him.
They were arguing.
Richard slammed a document onto the desk.
“You stole from the company.”
Thomas shouted:
“I borrowed.”
“You forged signatures.”
“I protected this family.”
“You protected yourself.”
Then Richard said:
“Emily will inherit everything.”
Thomas laughed.
“She doesn't even know what she's inheriting.”
“She doesn't need to.”
Thomas stepped closer.
“What happens when she finds out?”
Richard's expression hardened.
“Then you will answer to her.”
Thomas said something that made my blood freeze.
“She'll never know.”
Richard looked toward the camera.
“That's what you're afraid of.”
The video ended.
Megan covered her mouth.
I stared at the blank screen.
Then the laptop clock in the footage caught my attention.
11:06 p.m.
That was after the argument.
The official time of Richard's death was 11:40 p.m.
There were thirty-four minutes unaccounted for.
“We need to know what happened after this.”
Megan nodded.
We searched.
There was another video.
A hallway camera.
Richard left the office.
Thomas followed.
Then someone else appeared.
A woman.
Dark hair.
White coat.
I paused the footage.
“Who is that?”
Megan stared.
“I don't know.”
I zoomed in.
My stomach dropped.
I knew her.
Dr. Eleanor Vale.
The name from the ledger.
The missing beneficiary administrator.
“She was there the night Grandfather died.”
Megan looked at me.
“Who is she?”
“I don't know yet.”
The third camera showed the parking lot.
Richard's car left.
Thomas's car left.
The woman's car left six minutes later.
Then Daniel Reeves appeared.
He was standing near the entrance.
Watching.
I remembered the missing witness.
Daniel had seen everything.
And he had disappeared.
Megan whispered:
“Do you think he saw her?”
“Yes.”
My phone rang.
Unknown.
I answered.
The same voice.
“You watched the video.”
I stood.
“Where are you?”
“You don't understand what you've started.”
“Who is Eleanor Vale?”
Silence.
“Who is she?”
Finally:
“She was your grandfather's most trusted employee.”
“And?”
“She was also your father's mistress.”
I froze.
Megan stared at me.
“What?”
The caller continued.
“They planned to take the company together.”
“Then why did she disappear?”
“Because Richard found out.”
“And Daniel?”
“He saw them.”
I felt sick.
“What happened to Daniel?”
The caller laughed.
“You're asking the wrong question.”
“What should I ask?”
“Ask why your mother lied about May 17.”
The line went dead.
I turned to Megan.
“What happened on May 17?”
She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Then her phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression changed.
She looked at me.
“It's Mom.”
“Put it on speaker.”
Megan did.
Karen's voice came through.
“You both need to leave that house.”
“Why?”
“Because your father knows you're there.”
I looked toward the window.
A car was parked across the street.
Karen's voice became frantic.
“Emily, listen to me.”
“What?”
“The person who called you is not your enemy.”
I frowned.
“Then who is?”
She whispered:
May you like
“I am.”
The call ended.
