Chapter 9 - The First Ten Million)
Edward did not deny it.
That frightened Claire more than Daniel's accusation.
They returned to Edward's townhouse without speaking.
Inside the study, Claire placed her mother's letter on the desk.
"Daniel says you know where the first ten million came from."
Edward removed his glasses.
"Yes."
"From where?"
"Your mother's company."
Claire frowned.
"My mother didn't own a company."
"Not publicly."
"What did she own?"
Edward looked toward the window.
"A private lending partnership."
Claire stared.
"What kind?"
"Distressed business financing."
Rachel understood first.
"Your mother lent money to companies close to collapse."
Edward nodded.
"At high interest?"
"Sometimes."
Claire felt anger rising.
"Did she lend money to the Morgans?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Ten years ago."
"Before I met Daniel."
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Ten million."
Claire sat slowly.
"And what security did she take?"
Edward looked at her.
"Shares in Morgan Development."
Claire finally understood.
"My mother owned part of their company before Daniel met me."
"Indirectly."
"So Margaret arranged Daniel's meeting with me because Mom was already their creditor."
"Yes."
Claire laughed bitterly.
"Daniel was right."
"About what?"
"Mom wasn't protecting only me."
Edward did not argue.
"No."
Claire stared at him.
"How deep does this go?"
"Deeper than I wanted you to know."
"Stop deciding what I should know."
Edward nodded.
Claire pointed at him.
"Everything. Now."
So he told her.
Claire's mother, Evelyn Vale, had spent much of her career quietly financing troubled businesses.
Morgan Development became one of them after a failed hotel project.
Margaret Morgan personally guaranteed parts of the debt.
When the company could not repay, Evelyn gained preferred shares.
Then Claire met Daniel.
At first Evelyn suspected manipulation.
Later she saw that Claire genuinely loved him.
Rather than destroy the relationship, Evelyn restructured the debt into Claire's trust.
"Why?"
Edward answered.
"Because she believed if you married Daniel, eventually the families would be financially connected anyway."
"So everyone was using my marriage as a business transaction."
"Your mother hated what Margaret had done."
"But she still used the marriage."
"Yes."
Claire looked at her mother's handwriting.
The woman she had remembered as unquestioningly wise became more human in a painful way.
Protective.
Controlling.
Strategic.
Flawed.
"Did Mom know about Rebecca?"
"Eventually."
"Did she help Harold?"
"Yes."
"Did you?"
"Yes."
Claire shook her head.
"All of you."
Edward waited.
Claire whispered.
"You all built secret rooms around me."
He looked older suddenly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we were afraid of what would happen if the truth came out."
Claire laughed.
"And look what happened because it didn't."
No one answered.
Rebecca Sloan arrived twenty minutes later with news.
"The police obtained a warrant for Margaret's private office."
Claire looked up.
"Already?"
"Rachel's recording, the sedative, and financial documents established enough probable cause for the immediate seizure of certain records."
Edward asked, "Daniel?"
"His attorney surrendered two laptops."
Claire almost smiled.
"Voluntarily?"
"After learning investigators were preparing another warrant."
Rachel entered from the hallway holding her phone.
"I found Rebecca."
Everyone turned.
Claire stood.
"What?"
"Anna North."
"Where?"
Rachel showed the screen.
"Boston."
Edward frowned.
"Rebecca lived overseas."
"Not anymore."
Rachel opened a recent property filing.
"She bought an apartment in Boston eleven months ago."
Claire's heart accelerated.
"Can we contact her?"
"I already tried the public number. Disconnected."
Rebecca Sloan said, "We need to be careful. She may be a victim and a witness."
Claire nodded.
Then Rachel opened another document.
"There's something else."
Claire almost laughed.
"Of course there is."
Rachel placed a photograph on the table.
Security camera image.
Daniel entering the Boston apartment building.
Timestamped five days earlier.
Claire stared.
"He went to see her."
Rachel nodded.
"Apparently."
"Why?"
No one knew.
Then Claire's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a woman's voice.
"Claire Morgan?"
"Yes."
"This is Rebecca."
Everyone froze.
Claire stood.
"Where are you?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Daniel came to see you five days ago."
A pause.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Rebecca inhaled shakily.
"He wanted me to disappear again."
Claire closed her eyes.
"Why now?"
"Because the loan is collapsing."
"We know."
"No."
Rebecca's voice dropped.
"You know the money is missing."
"Yes."
"You don't know where it went."
Claire looked at Rachel.
"Where?"
Rebecca began crying.
"To a private account Margaret opened twenty years ago."
"For what?"
Rebecca whispered.
"To pay people who kept the family secrets."
Claire felt cold.
"What secrets?"
May you like
Rebecca answered.
"The car crash was not the first death Margaret covered up."
