Chapter 8 - Andrew’s First Confession
The two men behind Martha were security contractors.
At least that was what she claimed.
Marcus did not care.
He announced that the police were already being contacted.
Martha left before they arrived.
The two men followed.
Andrew stayed.
He looked exhausted.
Older than forty-three.
Daniel stared at him.
“What bodies?”
Andrew sat on a rusted metal chair.
“One.”
Daniel’s face collapsed.
“Rebecca?”
Andrew shook his head.
“Dad.”
Silence spread through the annex.
Andrew looked at the ledger.
“Dad found out.”
“About the stolen medication?” Emma asked.
“About all of it.”
“What was all of it?”
Andrew rubbed his eyes.
“It started legally. Dad’s company had access to expensive specialty drugs. Oncology drugs. Rare disease medications. Things that cost thousands per dose.”
Claire said, “And someone began diverting them.”
Andrew nodded.
“Mom.”
Daniel turned away.
Andrew continued.
“She created fake patient profiles. Some doses went to private clinics. Some overseas.”
“Who helped her?”
“Steven Cole. A distributor named Leonard Voss. Two clinic administrators.”
“And you?”
Andrew looked at Emma.
“I handled transport.”
Daniel whispered, “You knew?”
“I was twenty-seven and drowning in gambling debt.”
“Dad?”
“He discovered shortages.”
Andrew’s voice weakened.
“He confronted Mom.”
“What happened?”
“She convinced him to delay going to police.”
“Why?”
“She said she wanted to protect us.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Andrew continued.
“Dad developed chest pain a week later.”
Emma thought of Laura’s letter.
“The hospice shipment.”
Andrew nodded.
“Mom ordered medication under a false hospice account.”
“What medication?”
Andrew looked at Marcus.
“A sedative and potassium chloride.”
Daniel sat down hard.
Claire’s expression changed.
“You’re alleging Martha killed your father.”
Andrew stared at his hands.
“I’m saying she gave me a sealed syringe and told me Dad’s physician had prepared it.”
Daniel looked sick.
“You injected him?”
Andrew began to cry.
“I thought it was medication for pain.”
Daniel lunged.
Marcus caught him.
“You killed him!”
“I didn’t know!”
“You never know anything!”
Andrew shouted back.
“Neither did you!”
The words struck the room silent.
Andrew stood.
“You think you’re innocent because you didn’t hold the syringe?”
Daniel’s fists clenched.
Andrew pointed at him.
“Laura begged you to believe her. Rebecca begged you. You ran to Mom every single time.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
Emma listened.
Not forgiving.
Not condemning yet.
Just collecting truth.
“What happened after Thomas died?”
Andrew wiped his face.
“Laura knew the hospice order was fake. She copied records.”
“And Rebecca?”
“She helped.”
“The night Rebecca died?”
Andrew’s face changed.
“She came here.”
“To the warehouse?”
“Yes.”
“With Laura?”
“Not at first.”
“Where was Ethan?”
“With Rebecca.”
Emma frowned.
“Daniel said Rebecca brought Ethan to him.”
“She did. Earlier.”
“What happened after?”
Andrew looked at Daniel.
“Mom ordered me to bring Rebecca back.”
Daniel whispered, “You said you were helping her.”
“I thought I was.”
“What happened?”
“She told me Laura had the ledger.”
Andrew gestured toward the case.
“Rebecca said Laura planned to meet a federal investigator.”
“Did she?”
“I don’t know.”
“And Rebecca?”
“She got out of my car.”
“Where?”
“A gas station on Route 6.”
Daniel stared.
“That’s thirty miles from where they found her.”
“I know.”
“Then how did her car get there?”
Andrew shook his head.
“She wasn’t driving her car.”
Everyone went still.
Claire asked, “Whose car was she in?”
“Mine.”
Emma felt a sudden chill.
“Then the body found inside Rebecca’s car…”
Andrew looked at them.
“I never saw it.”
Daniel whispered, “Mom identified her.”
Andrew nodded.
Marcus leaned against the wall.
“So no brother saw the body.”
“No.”
“No independent DNA test?”
“Not that I know of.”
Emma’s mind raced.
“Could Rebecca still be alive?”
Andrew closed his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
Emma pointed toward Laura’s letter.
“Then who put that photograph inside my apartment months later?”
Andrew opened his eyes.
“I always assumed Laura did.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Laura came back?”
May you like
Andrew nodded slowly.
“For at least one night.”
