Chapter 9 - The First Crack
Vanessa demanded to see the documents.
Emily refused.
Richard told her to leave.
Vanessa laughed.
“You still think you're in control?”
Richard stepped forward.
“Leave.”
“You've spent years pretending to be powerful.”
Vanessa looked at Emily.
“But your daughter is about to discover what happens when the truth belongs to someone else.”
Emily said nothing.
Vanessa walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she whispered,
“Ask your mother what happened the night Daniel disappeared.”
Susan went completely pale.
Emily turned toward her.
“Mom?”
Susan closed her eyes.
“I didn't know how to tell you.”
“Tell me now.”
Susan looked at Richard.
Richard shook his head.
But Susan finally spoke.
“The night Daniel disappeared, he came to our house.”
Emily's heart raced.
“What happened?”
“He told us someone had been following him.”
“Who?”
“He wouldn't say.”
Susan's voice trembled.
“He gave me a package.”
“What package?”
“A copy of his evidence.”
Emily stared.
“Where is it?”
Susan looked toward Richard.
Richard whispered,
“Susan.”
She ignored him.
“I hid it.”
“Where?”
“In the house.”
Emily looked confused.
“Which house?”
Susan swallowed.
“Your father's old house.”
Richard suddenly stood.
“No.”
Emily looked at him.
“Why not?”
“Because that house was searched.”
“By whom?”
Richard said nothing.
Susan answered.
“Vanessa.”
Emily understood.
Vanessa had not been looking for money.
She had been looking for evidence.
And if the evidence still existed, then everything could collapse.
That night, Emily returned to her father's old house.
The building had been empty for years.
She entered with Marcus.
They searched the basement.
Nothing.
Then Emily noticed a loose brick behind the fireplace.
She pulled it free.
Inside was a metal box.
The box contained dozens of documents.
Bank transfers.
Company records.
Photographs.
And one handwritten list of names.
At the top was Vanessa Brooks.
At the bottom was Richard Coleman.
Between them were twelve other names.
Emily recognized several.
Judges.
Executives.
Lawyers.
Politicians.
Her hands shook.
Marcus looked over her shoulder.
“This is bigger than we thought.”
Emily looked at him.
“How big?”
Marcus pointed to the final page.
There was a single sentence.
THE PERSON AT THE TOP IS NOT RICHARD.
Emily stared.
“Then who is?”
May you like
Marcus looked toward the basement stairs.
“I think we're about to find out.”
