Chapter 13 - the lawyer who was never hers)
Mara remembered Robert Keene perfectly.
Kind voice.
Gray suits.
Gentle explanations.
He had sat beside her hospital bed and told her Grant wanted to make the separation as painless as possible.
He had said he was representing her interests.
He had told her joint custody would be emotionally difficult.
He had advised her to accept a financial settlement.
He had guided her finger to signature lines when the medication made words swim across the page.
He had not been her lawyer.
The realization was almost worse than discovering Grant had been driving.
Mara turned toward him.
"You knew?"
"Not at first."
"When did you know?"
"After the divorce."
"And you said nothing."
Grant looked ashamed.
"What was I supposed to say?"
"The truth."
"I thought telling you would destroy the custody agreement."
"You mean expose it."
Grant looked away.
Arthur ordered security to hold Thomas at the greenhouse until police arrived.
Then the group hurried back toward the mansion.
Emily walked beside Mara.
"My father sent the records to Keene because he believed Keene represented you."
"So the documents may still exist."
"If Keene kept them."
Mara called the law office.
Disconnected.
She searched his name.
The website was gone.
Claire joined them halfway across the garden.
"Police are here."
Grant groaned.
Arthur said, "Good."
Mara showed Claire the postal receipt.
Claire read it.
"I know this address."
Mara looked at her.
"What?"
Claire pointed.
"Keene's office moved two years ago. But this address is still owned by the same company."
"What company?"
Claire looked at Grant.
"Mercer Legal Holdings."
Arthur stopped walking.
"I have never heard of that company."
Grant said nothing.
Claire faced him.
"You told me last month it handled family property."
"It does."
"Who owns it?"
Grant's silence answered.
Vanessa came running from the terrace.
When she saw Emily alive, she stopped.
"Oh my God."
Emily stared at her.
"You."
Vanessa looked confused.
"What?"
Emily walked straight toward her and slapped her.
The sound echoed.
Vanessa stumbled.
Nobody stopped Emily.
"You told me to come through the north gate."
Vanessa's eyes widened.
"No."
"You called me."
"I didn't."
"You knew my name. You knew about the box."
Vanessa looked toward Grant.
He looked genuinely shocked.
Mara noticed.
Emily continued.
"You said you wanted to help expose what your brother did."
"I never called you."
Emily pulled out her phone.
"The number is still here."
Claire took the phone.
She looked at the number.
Then at Grant.
"That's yours."
Grant's face went blank.
"What?"
Claire held up the phone.
"I called this number yesterday."
Grant checked his pocket.
His phone was there.
Claire dialed Emily's call log.
Grant's phone remained silent.
Instead, another phone rang.
Inside the mansion.
Everyone turned.
Arthur followed the sound.
Through the terrace.
Across the foyer.
Into the old west office.
The ringing came from a desk drawer.
Arthur opened it.
A second phone lay inside.
Grant stared.
"I've never seen that."
Mara looked at the electronic lock.
The room Grant and Vanessa had been speaking inside earlier.
"Whose office is this now?"
Arthur answered.
"Grant's."
Grant shook his head.
"People enter this room all day."
Claire walked to the computer.
"Then let's see who."
Grant moved forward.
"No."
Arthur blocked him.
Claire touched the keyboard.
The monitor woke.
A security program appeared.
One camera feed showed the north gate.
Another showed the staircase.
Another showed the greenhouse.
Mara's skin crawled.
"You were watching us."
Grant looked stunned.
"I didn't install this."
Claire clicked through archived footage.
The system showed weeks of recordings.
Someone had been monitoring the entire property.
Arthur leaned closer.
"Who has access?"
The computer asked for a password.
Claire tried Grant's birthday.
Wrong.
Mara tried Vanessa's.
Wrong.
Arthur tried Eleanor.
Wrong.
Lily walked into the doorway holding a piece of wedding cake.
"Mommy?"
Mara turned.
"Sweetheart, you're supposed to be with Mrs. Donovan."
"She said I could find you."
Lily noticed the computer.
"That's Grandpa's secret picture."
Arthur frowned.
"What?"
"The secret picture."
She pointed at the password box.
"When Miss Vanessa put the ribbon on me, she said the secret word."
Everyone stared at her.
Mara crouched.
"What word?"
Lily thought.
"The lady's name."
"What lady?"
"The one Grandpa has in his wallet."
Arthur slowly reached into his jacket.
He pulled out an old photograph.
Eleanor.
Lily shook her head.
"Not her."
Arthur flipped open another section.
A second photograph was tucked behind Eleanor's.
A younger woman stood beside Arthur outside a factory.
Mara had never seen her.
Vanessa, standing in the doorway, whispered, "No."
Arthur's hand trembled.
Claire looked at him.
"Who is she?"
Arthur did not answer.
Lily smiled proudly.
"Miss Vanessa said her name was Rose."
Claire typed ROSE.
The computer unlocked.
Dozens of hidden folders appeared.
One was labeled BELLHAVEN.
Another MARA.
Another LILY.
May you like
And the newest folder had been created that morning.
WEDDING EXIT PLAN.
