Chapter 8 - Derek Chooses a Side
Derek Brooks had spent most of his life choosing whichever position required the least sacrifice.
When Margaret wanted loyalty, he gave loyalty.
When Natalie paid his debts, he gave gratitude.
When Thomas asked for patience, Derek gave patience.
None of it lasted longer than necessary.
Three days after Richard disappeared, he appeared at Natalie’s apartment carrying two banker boxes.
"I want protection."
Natalie did not invite him inside.
"From what?"
"Mom."
Natalie almost laughed.
"You spent thirty-eight years acting like her bodyguard."
"Things changed."
"They changed for me."
"They changed for everyone."
He looked exhausted.
His usual smugness was gone.
Natalie noticed he had not shaved.
"What is in the boxes?"
"Records from my company."
"Why would I care?"
"Because Mom invested in it."
"With whose money?"
Derek looked away.
Natalie understood.
"More trust money?"
"I didn't know."
"How much?"
"At least three hundred thousand."
Natalie went very still.
"Daniel's accounting didn't show that."
"It was routed through a company."
"What company?"
"Hale Residential Holdings."
Natalie took the boxes.
Inside were payment records dating back six years.
Some linked to Derek's development projects.
Others went to shell entities.
One recipient appeared repeatedly.
R.H. Consulting.
Richard Hall.
Natalie looked up.
"Derek."
"I know."
"Did you ever meet him?"
"No."
"Did Mom?"
Derek hesitated.
"Once."
"When?"
"Two years ago."
Natalie stared.
"She told us he was dead."
"I thought he was some investor."
"Where did they meet?"
"At the house."
"Why didn't I see him?"
"You were in Singapore."
Natalie closed her eyes.
Margaret had not merely hidden a secret from twenty-nine years ago.
She had maintained contact.
Possibly payments.
Recently.
Derek sat.
"I screwed up."
"That's not news."
He winced.
"I thought you always wanted to control us."
Natalie looked at him.
"Because I paid the bills?"
"Because every time something went wrong, you fixed it."
"Someone had to."
"I hated you for making me feel incompetent."
Natalie said nothing.
Derek laughed bitterly.
"So I sided with Mom whenever she cut you down."
"The plastic plate?"
He looked ashamed.
"Especially that."
Natalie leaned against the desk.
"What do you want?"
"I want to help."
"Why?"
"Because if Richard killed Evelyn and Mom knew..."
His voice broke.
Natalie had never seen Derek cry.
"Then I spent my whole life defending someone I don't know."
Natalie understood that more than she wanted to.
She gave the boxes to Daniel.
By evening, forensic accountants identified a pattern.
Richard had received more than nine hundred thousand dollars from entities controlled by Margaret over twenty years.
Some payments came directly from refinanced loans on Worthington Avenue.
Others came from Derek's failed company.
Daniel said:
"It looks like hush money."
Natalie stared at the spreadsheet.
"For what?"
"That's what we need Richard to explain."
Claire arrived that night.
She carried no boxes.
Only a small jewelry case.
Inside was a gold key.
"I found this in Mom's sewing room."
Natalie turned it over.
A number was engraved on one side.
317.
Claire said:
"She used to wear it around her neck when we were little."
Derek frowned.
"I remember that."
Natalie did too.
Margaret had called it her lucky key.
Daniel looked at the engraving.
"Safe-deposit box?"
Claire nodded.
"I called three banks before I found one with old numbering records."
Natalie looked at her.
"You called banks?"
Claire managed a weak smile.
"I thought I should try using my voice."
Natalie almost smiled back.
"Which bank?"
"First Heritage."
Daniel stood.
"That bank merged fifteen years ago."
Claire nodded.
"The original branch still exists."
The next morning they arrived with a court order.
Box 317 had been inactive since 2004.
Registered jointly to Margaret Brooks and Franklin Voss.
The bank officer opened it.
Inside were no jewels.
No cash.
Only documents.
A videotape.
And one sealed envelope.
Written across the front:
May you like
FOR NATALIE, IF MARGARET FAILS.
The handwriting belonged to Evelyn Hale.
