Chapter 3 - What Maria Hid)
At seven the next morning, Shawn returned to the Miller house with a detective named Elena Brooks.
The house no longer looked like Christmas.
Police tape crossed the basement entrance.
The tree lights had been turned off.
Half melted snow covered the entryway floor.
Brenda sat alone at the dining table wearing a gray blanket over her red dress.
Garrett was gone.
"When?" Shawn asked.
Detective Brooks answered.
"About four fifteen."
"You let him leave?"
"We had no legal basis to hold him."
"He imprisoned two elderly people."
"His attorney produced guardianship papers and a home care plan. We're investigating whether they're fraudulent."
Shawn stared at Brenda.
"You called the police before I got there."
She nodded.
"Why?"
She looked exhausted.
"Because Garrett said we were moving Mom and Dad tonight."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
"You were married to him."
"I was afraid of him."
Shawn's anger rose.
"So were Mom and Dad. They couldn't leave."
Brenda cried.
Shawn did not soften.
"How long?"
"Shawn."
"How long were they behind that gate?"
She lowered her head.
"Eleven months."
His face tightened.
"Eleven months."
"The basement wasn't like that at first."
"Stop."
"He had a bed down there. A television. He had a bathroom installed."
"You mean the bathroom I paid thirty thousand dollars to remodel?"
Brenda looked away.
Shawn understood.
There had been no bathroom remodel.
Detective Brooks placed a hand on the table.
"Mrs. Vale, you need to tell us where your husband went."
"I don't know."
"Does he own other property?"
"He has an apartment in the city."
"We checked it."
"A house in New Hampshire."
"Empty."
Brenda whispered, "Then he's going to the storage place."
Shawn looked at her.
"What storage place?"
Garrett had rented a private climate controlled unit under an investment company called Vale Strategic Holdings.
Detective Brooks obtained a warrant by afternoon.
Inside the unit, they found boxes containing financial statements, duplicate property records, blank medical release forms, and copies of Shawn's bank transfers.
Every month, money from Shawn had entered an account listed as Miller Family Care Trust.
Within twenty four hours, most of it moved to Vale Strategic Holdings.
Some funded Garrett's business.
Some covered Brenda's credit cards.
Some disappeared into accounts in Delaware.
Shawn turned toward his sister.
"You spent it."
Brenda stood behind him.
Her face collapsed.
"Some."
"How much?"
"I don't know."
"How much?"
"Maybe forty thousand."
Shawn laughed once.
It contained no humor.
"You stole forty thousand dollars from Mom and Dad and you don't know?"
"I thought it was Garrett's money."
"You knew where it came from."
"Not at first."
"But later."
She said nothing.
Detective Brooks opened another box.
Inside were printed emails.
Several appeared to come from Shawn.
One read:
Once the court declares Dad incapable, I want the house transferred immediately.
Another read:
Brenda doesn't need to know the full plan.
Shawn stared at them.
"These are fake."
Brooks nodded.
"We'll have digital forensics examine them."
Brenda covered her face.
"He showed me those."
"When?"
"Three years ago."
"And that was enough?"
"He said you were cutting me out."
"Out of what?"
"Everything."
Shawn stared.
Their parents were comfortable, but until the Easton property rose in value, they had never been wealthy.
Brenda sat on a storage box.
"You left, Shawn. You built this huge life. Every time Mom talked about you, it was Shawn bought this, Shawn arranged that, Shawn paid for this. Garrett told me you were buying their loyalty."
Shawn shook his head.
"So you punished them?"
"No."
"But eventually you knew."
Her voice cracked.
"Eventually I couldn't get out."
Detective Brooks found another file.
This one contained photographs.
Brenda immediately crossed the room.
"Don't."
Brooks stopped her.
"What is this?"
Brenda shook her head.
"Please."
Shawn pulled the file away.
The first photograph showed Brenda entering a hotel.
The second showed her in a restaurant with a man Shawn did not recognize.
The third showed them kissing in a parking garage.
Shawn looked at her.
"Garrett blackmailed you with an affair?"
Brenda laughed bitterly.
"I wish."
She took the photographs.
"The man is Daniel Reeves."
"Who?"
"He worked for Garrett."
"What did he do?"
"Compliance."
Detective Brooks's attention sharpened.
Brenda continued.
"Daniel realized Garrett was moving client money."
Shawn stared.
"Not just ours?"
"No."
"How many people?"
"I don't know."
"Why were you meeting him?"
"He came to me because he thought I could help."
"What happened?"
Brenda's hands shook.
"He disappeared."
Silence filled the storage unit.
Detective Brooks spoke carefully.
"Disappeared?"
"Eighteen months ago."
"You reported this?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because Garrett showed me security footage of Daniel getting into my car."
Shawn frowned.
"Your car?"
"Garrett said if I went to police, he would tell them I helped Daniel steal evidence and disappear."
"Did you?"
"No."
"Then why were you afraid?"
Brenda looked at her brother.
"Because Daniel left something in my car."
"What?"
"A flash drive."
Brooks stepped closer.
"Where is it?"
Brenda looked toward the rows of storage units.
"I gave it to Dad."
Shawn understood.
"The furnace."
She nodded.
"Dad hid it behind the loose brick."
That was what Garrett had been trying to reach.
Detective Brooks immediately called officers at the house.
Ten minutes later, they reported the space behind the furnace was empty.
Garrett had removed the flash drive before leaving.
Shawn closed his eyes.
They had lost it.
Then Brenda whispered, "No."
Brooks looked at her.
"What?"
"Dad wouldn't leave the real one there."
Shawn remembered his father's words.
Something I wanted Garrett to think was the deed.
Maybe Don had been playing a deeper game.
When Shawn returned to the hospital, he found his parents eating breakfast together.
Don looked up.
"Garrett took the drive."
Shawn nodded.
Don smiled.
"Good."
"Good?"
"The one behind the furnace was fake."
Shawn stared at him.
"Then where's the real one?"
Don looked at Maria.
Maria smiled for the first time since Shawn had found them.
"In the last place Garrett would ever look."
May you like
She pointed toward Shawn.
"With you."
