Chapter 2 - The File She Tried to Burn)
Richard crossed the landing in three strides.
Vanessa threw the flash drive.
It struck the stone edge of the fireplace instead of the flames.
Richard grabbed it before she could reach for it again.
Vanessa lunged.
Claire shouted.
"Stay away from him."
Richard stepped backward and closed his fist around the drive.
Vanessa froze.
The polished mask she had worn throughout their engagement was gone.
"What is on this?"
"Nothing."
"People don't try to burn nothing."
Vanessa's eyes filled with fury.
"You have no right to go through my property."
Richard stared at her.
"We're standing in my house while you're attempting to destroy evidence connected to my granddaughter."
Vanessa looked at Claire.
"This is because of her."
Claire held Sophie closer.
"You hit my baby."
"I barely touched her."
The sentence slipped out before Vanessa could stop herself.
Richard's face changed.
Claire's stomach twisted.
"There it is," Claire whispered.
Vanessa shook her head.
"You know what I meant."
"I know exactly what you meant."
Sophie began crying again.
Claire turned away immediately, rocking her gently.
"It's okay. Mommy's here."
Richard took out his phone.
"I've already called my attorney."
Vanessa's eyes widened.
"You called Martin?"
"No."
That answer clearly surprised her.
Richard watched the reaction.
"You expected me to call Martin."
Vanessa swallowed.
Richard's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"I didn't."
"You just asked."
"Because Martin handles your legal matters."
"Not anymore."
Vanessa said nothing.
For eighteen years Martin Shaw had handled almost every major transaction Richard Bennett made.
He had drafted property agreements, reviewed investments, managed portions of the Bennett family trust, and recently prepared Richard's prenuptial agreement with Vanessa.
Richard had trusted him completely.
Until three weeks earlier, when his accountant had quietly flagged several irregular transfers from one of his holding companies.
Richard had not told Vanessa.
He had not even told Claire.
He had begun investigating privately.
Now Vanessa's reaction had changed everything.
Richard placed the flash drive in his inside jacket pocket.
"You are leaving this house."
Vanessa's expression sharpened.
"This is my home too."
"No. It isn't."
"We're getting married in three months."
"Not anymore."
Claire looked at Richard.
Vanessa stared at him as if she had misheard.
"You don't mean that."
Richard's answer was immediate.
"I do."
Vanessa laughed nervously.
"You're ending our engagement because Claire is emotional?"
"I'm ending it because I watched you lie about hurting a baby while trying to destroy evidence."
"You haven't watched anything."
"Yet."
Vanessa's lips tightened.
That one word terrified her.
Yet.
Richard walked downstairs.
Claire followed with Sophie.
Vanessa remained on the landing for a moment before coming after them.
She seemed less like a glamorous woman in control of a mansion now and more like someone trying to calculate how many exits remained.
Richard entered his study and locked the flash drive in a desk safe.
Then he called a different attorney.
Eleanor Price.
A former federal prosecutor who now handled financial litigation and corporate investigations.
Claire had met her twice.
Eleanor was not someone people hired for polite disputes.
Richard placed the call on speaker.
"Eleanor, I need you at the house."
"How soon?"
"Now."
"What's happened?"
"Possible child abuse. Possible destruction of evidence. Possible financial fraud."
A pause.
Then Eleanor said, "Don't touch any computer you suspect may be involved."
Vanessa went rigid.
Richard noticed.
"So there is a computer involved."
Vanessa glared at him.
Eleanor continued through the phone.
"Preserve all digital devices. Don't allow anyone to leave with files. If there has been violence against the child, Claire should have Sophie medically examined."
Claire's chest tightened.
She looked down at Sophie.
The baby was quieter now, exhausted from crying.
"I'll take her."
Richard nodded.
"I'll drive."
Vanessa stepped forward.
"This is absurd."
Claire turned.
"You're not coming near her."
"Claire, use your head. If you take her to a hospital and start making accusations, everyone will know."
"Good."
Vanessa stopped.
Claire surprised even herself.
For weeks she had tried to keep peace in the mansion.
She had accepted Vanessa's cutting comments.
Ignored the sneers.
Endured being treated like a guest despite Sophie being Richard's only grandchild.
Claire had told herself that Vanessa was difficult but not dangerous.
That ended today.
"I want everyone to know exactly what happened to my daughter."
Vanessa's eyes became cold.
"You'll regret this."
Richard stepped between them.
"Was that a threat?"
Vanessa smiled.
"No."
"It sounded like one."
Richard called his house manager and asked him to have two staff members remain nearby until he returned.
Then he guided Claire toward the front door.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
"Ask Claire where she was last Friday."
Claire turned.
"What?"
Vanessa crossed her arms.
"Go ahead. Tell him."
Richard looked at Claire.
Claire frowned.
"I was at Sophie's pediatric appointment."
"After that."
"At the pharmacy."
"And then?"
Claire stared at her.
Then remembered.
She had stopped at First National Bank for twenty minutes.
Richard knew nothing about it.
Vanessa smiled.
"There."
Richard's expression did not change.
Claire felt uncomfortable for the first time.
"I went to the bank."
"Why?" Richard asked.
Claire hesitated.
Not because she had done anything wrong.
Because the reason involved his son.
Her late husband.
Richard's son, Michael, had died eleven months before Sophie was born.
A car accident on a rain-soaked highway.
Claire still dreamed about the police officer standing at her door.
Before Michael's death, he had kept certain financial documents in a safe-deposit box.
Claire had finally gathered the courage to open it last Friday.
Inside she had found letters, insurance papers, and one sealed envelope addressed to Richard.
She had not opened it.
She had brought it home.
It was still hidden inside her bedroom closet.
Claire looked at Richard.
"Michael left something for you."
Vanessa's expression changed.
Claire saw it.
Richard did too.
"What did he leave?"
"I don't know. The envelope is sealed."
Vanessa spoke too quickly.
"Probably nothing important."
Claire stared at her.
"How would you know?"
Vanessa's mouth closed.
Richard stepped toward her.
"Have you been in Claire's room?"
"No."
Claire's pulse quickened.
A memory surfaced.
Two nights earlier she had returned upstairs and found her closet door slightly open.
She had assumed she had forgotten to close it.
Richard saw realization cross her face.
"What?"
Claire whispered, "I think she was looking for the envelope."
Vanessa laughed.
"You're paranoid."
Richard looked toward the staircase.
"Where is it?"
"Behind the cedar box on the top shelf."
Richard called the house manager.
"Thomas, go to Claire's room. Don't touch anything else. Check the top shelf behind the cedar box."
They waited.
Thirty seconds.
A minute.
Thomas returned to the living room.
His expression was uneasy.
"It's not there, sir."
Claire's stomach dropped.
"That's impossible."
Vanessa said nothing.
Thomas held up one object.
A torn corner of cream-colored paper.
"I found this on the closet floor."
Richard took it.
Claire recognized the heavy stationery immediately.
Michael's envelope.
Vanessa began backing toward the door.
Richard looked at her.
"You found it."
"No."
"You took my son's letter."
"I didn't."
Claire stared at Vanessa's handbag.
The same expensive blue leather bag she had carried upstairs.
Her heart pounded.
"Open your bag."
Vanessa laughed.
"You don't get to search me."
Claire stepped closer.
"Open it."
"No."
Richard did not raise his voice.
"Vanessa."
She looked at him.
"Open the bag."
For a moment she did nothing.
Then she slowly placed it on the crystal side table.
She opened it.
Lipstick.
Wallet.
Keys.
Perfume.
A small compact.
No envelope.
Vanessa smiled.
"Happy?"
Claire looked at the contents.
Something felt wrong.
Then Sophie moved in her arms and Claire caught sight of a thin strip of cream paper sticking from beneath the bag's inner lining.
Claire pointed.
"What's that?"
Vanessa grabbed the handbag.
Richard caught her wrist.
Thomas stepped forward.
The lining inside the bag had been cut.
Richard reached into the opening.
He pulled out a folded cream envelope.
Claire stopped breathing.
Across the front, in Michael Bennett's handwriting, were four words.
For Dad. If I'm gone.
Richard stared at his dead son's handwriting.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Richard broke the seal.
Inside was a letter.
And a photograph.
He read the first sentence.
Then slowly sat down.
May you like
Claire had never seen Richard Bennett look frightened.
Until that moment.
