Chapter 3
I stared at the bracelet.
My mother touched her wrist.
Her face drained of color.
“That isn’t mine.”
Everyone looked at her.
I picked it up.
It had three tiny sapphire stones.
Dad had given it to her on their thirtieth wedding anniversary.
I remembered because I helped him choose it.
“Mom.”
“I lost mine weeks ago.”
“You were wearing it ten minutes ago.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Yes, you were.”
Her eyes darted toward the stairs.
The police officer stepped between her and the exit.
“Mrs. Parker, I need you to remain here.”
“This is ridiculous.”
Daniel entered the concealed room.
He examined the empty cabinet.
“Who knew about this room?”
“Your father,” Rosa said. “Me. Mr. Mercer.”
Mom laughed nervously.
“And apparently all of you decided to keep secrets from the rest of the family.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You knew too.”
“I did not.”
“Then why did your bracelet end up inside?”
Mom said nothing.
My chest tightened.
“Where is the ledger?”
“What ledger?”
“The red one.”
Her expression confirmed everything before she spoke.
Mom knew exactly what I meant.
Daniel took a step toward her.
“Margaret, this is serious.”
She snapped.
“Don’t call me Margaret like we’re friends.”
“We have known each other thirty years.”
“You worked for my husband. That doesn’t make you family.”
“No,” Daniel said quietly. “But it did make me responsible for protecting his estate.”
Mom folded her arms.
“Then maybe you should have protected his marriage.”
Silence.
Something shifted.
This was no longer only about money.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Mom’s anger turned toward me.
“You always thought your father was perfect.”
“I never said that.”
“He treated Melissa like garbage.”
“Because she stole from him?”
“He accused her.”
“He had proof.”
“He had papers!”
Daniel interrupted.
“Bank records. Forged signatures. Company transfers.”
Mom looked away.
I understood.
“You knew.”
“She was desperate.”
“Desperate enough to steal two million dollars?”
“She made mistakes.”
“She nearly killed Caitlyn today.”
“Stop saying that!”
Mom’s scream echoed through the basement.
“She would never hurt a child!”
Caitlyn appeared at the top of the stairs.
Rosa stood behind her.
“Grandma?”
Mom immediately softened.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
She moved toward Caitlyn.
I stepped between them.
Mom stopped.
The hurt on her face became rage.
“You’re keeping my granddaughter from me now?”
“I’m keeping her away from anyone defending Melissa.”
“She’s my family.”
“So am I.”
Mom stared at me.
Then she looked at Caitlyn.
“Your mommy is confused.”
“Don’t.”
“She doesn’t understand what Grandpa did.”
“Mom, stop.”
Caitlyn gripped the stair rail.
“What did Grandpa do?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said.
Mom laughed bitterly.
“Still protecting him.”
Daniel turned toward the officer.
“I believe Mrs. Parker should be questioned about missing property.”
Mom spun.
“You cannot be serious.”
The officer held out his hand.
“Ma’am, come upstairs.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Then my mother did something I never expected.
She ran.
Not toward the stairs.
Toward the back storage room.
She slammed the door.
The officer followed.
“Mrs. Parker!”
A second later came the sound of breaking wood.
I rushed after him.
The storage room had an exterior cellar entrance.
Mom had thrown open the doors.
By the time we reached the yard, she was running toward her car.
“Mom!”
She didn’t look back.
The officer caught her beside the driver’s door.
She fought him.
Actually fought him.
“Let me go!”
“Stop resisting.”
“I need to leave!”
“Where is the ledger?”
I shouted.
She froze.
Then she looked at me.
And I saw tears.
Real tears.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Where is it?”
“Melissa knows.”
The officer secured her hands.
My stomach dropped.
“Knows what?”
Mom’s voice cracked.
“Where your father really got the money.”
Daniel stepped outside behind me.
“Margaret, don’t.”
Mom laughed through her tears.
“Still protecting him?”
“Protecting Emma.”
“From what?”
I demanded.
Mom looked at me.
“Ask him about Harbor Point.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“What is Harbor Point?”
Mom smiled.
“See?”
“Mom.”
“Your father didn’t earn forty-eight million dollars building houses, Emma.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“That isn’t what happened.”
“Then tell her.”
He didn’t.
That silence frightened me more than my mother’s accusations.
The officer placed Mom in the patrol car.
She twisted around before the door closed.
“Melissa wasn’t looking for money!”
I stepped closer.
“What was she looking for?”
“The names!”
“What names?”
“The people your father paid!”
The door slammed.
The patrol car pulled away.
I turned to Daniel.
“Start talking.”
He looked suddenly older.
“Inside.”
“No.”
“Emma—”
“My daughter was almost suffocated today. My sister is in jail. My mother just tried to escape with something hidden in my father’s basement. You’re going to tell me everything right here.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Harbor Point was a development project.”
“What kind?”
“Waterfront property. Hotels, apartments, commercial buildings.”
“So?”
“Your father’s company was one of twelve contractors involved.”
“And?”
“Fourteen years ago, part of the project collapsed during construction.”
I remembered.
Everyone in the city remembered.
A parking structure had collapsed before opening.
Three workers died.
Dozens were injured.
The scandal dominated the news for months.
“Dad worked on Harbor Point?”
“Yes.”
“I never knew.”
“He wasn’t responsible for the collapse.”
“What was he responsible for?”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Finding the documents that proved who was.”
My anger shifted into confusion.
“What documents?”
“Inspection reports had been falsified. Inferior steel had been substituted. Safety warnings were ignored.”
“And Dad knew?”
“After the collapse.”
“Then why didn’t he go to police?”
“He tried.”
Daniel looked toward Caitlyn, who was now inside with Rosa.
“The people involved were powerful.”
“How powerful?”
“Developers. City officials. Inspectors. A state senator.”
I stared at him.
“That sounds insane.”
“It sounded insane to your father too.”
“What does any of this have to do with Melissa?”
“Your father kept copies of everything.”
“In the red ledger?”
“Some of it.”
“What else?”
“Names. Payments. Dates.”
Mom’s words returned.
The people your father paid.
“Dad bribed people?”
“No.”
“Then why did Mom say he paid people?”
“Because your father paid witnesses to disappear.”
I stepped back.
“What?”
“Not to harm them.”
Daniel spoke quickly.
“To relocate them. Protect them.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“It kept two of them alive.”
“Alive from whom?”
Daniel looked at me.
“From the same people who threatened your father.”
My skin went cold.
“Was Dad killed?”
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
Dad had died after his car left a mountain road.
Police called it an accident.
Rain.
Poor visibility.
Nothing suspicious.
At least that was what I had believed.
“Daniel.”
“We never proved anything.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
He closed his eyes.
“Your father believed someone was following him during the final month of his life.”
My knees weakened.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because of Caitlyn.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead I whispered.
“What does Melissa know?”
“Enough to be dangerous.”
“Dangerous to whom?”
“Everyone.”
My phone rang.
The number was blocked.
I almost ignored it.
Then something told me to answer.
“Hello?”
A man spoke.
Calm.
Polite.
“Emma Bennett?”
My entire body stiffened.
“Who is this?”
“You have something that belongs to us.”
Daniel’s face changed when he saw mine.
“What?”
I mouthed, Call police.
He immediately reached for his phone.
The man continued.
“Your sister made a mistake today.”
My blood went cold.
“You know about Caitlyn?”
“She was never supposed to be harmed.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who are you?”
“That isn’t important.”
“If you come near my daughter—”
“I don’t intend to.”
“Then what do you want?”
“The red ledger.”
“I don’t have it.”
“I believe you.”
That surprised me.
“Then why are you calling?”
“Because Melissa does.”
I looked toward the road.
“Melissa is in jail.”
The man laughed softly.
“Not for long.”
The call ended.
Daniel stared at me.
“What did he say?”
Before I could answer, another police cruiser turned into the driveway.
An officer stepped out.
He walked quickly toward us.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
“Yes?”
“We have a problem.”
“What happened?”
“Your sister never made it to county jail.”
The world tilted.
“What?”
“The transport vehicle was struck at an intersection.”
“Is she hurt?”
The officer hesitated.
“When responding units arrived, the rear door was open.”
My heartbeat thundered.
May you like
“And Melissa?”
“Gone.”
