Chapter 7 - Dinner for Twelve)
The foundation dinner should have been canceled.
Daniel knew that.
But Detective Brooks changed his plan.
Brooks arrived at the Hale house shortly after eight that evening.
Daniel met him in the study while Winnie remained upstairs with Claire.
Sybil was supposedly preparing for the next day's dinner.
Brooks placed a photograph on Daniel's desk.
A black SUV.
"This vehicle was captured by a private security camera approximately three minutes before Rebecca's crash."
Daniel stared at the image.
"It was behind her?"
"We believe so."
"Why did no one find this in 2019?"
"The property owner never provided the footage. The recording was discovered recently on a server seized during a financial investigation."
"What investigation?"
Brooks did not answer directly.
"Do you recognize the vehicle?"
Daniel looked closer.
Dark SUV.
Chrome trim.
A small dent near the rear wheel.
"No."
Brooks placed another image beside it.
A license plate enlargement.
The numbers were blurry but readable.
Daniel felt cold.
He knew the plate.
At least he knew the first three characters.
"That was Sybil's old car."
Brooks watched him.
"Are you certain?"
"She sold it years ago."
"When?"
Daniel tried to remember.
"After we got married."
"When did you meet Sybil?"
"Early 2020."
Brooks leaned back.
"Then why was a vehicle registered to her company following Rebecca in November 2019?"
Daniel could not answer.
A sound came from the hallway.
Both men turned.
Sybil stood there.
She looked at the photographs.
Then at Brooks.
"You."
Brooks stood.
"Mrs. Hale."
Daniel looked between them.
"You know each other?"
Sybil recovered quickly.
"Detective Brooks interviewed me once."
"When?"
"Years ago."
Brooks said, "Two weeks after Rebecca's accident."
Daniel stared at his wife.
"You told me you never met Rebecca."
"I did not."
"Then why did police interview you?"
"Because the vehicle belonged to a company I worked for."
Brooks frowned.
"You told investigators the SUV had been stolen that week."
"It had."
"No theft report was ever filed."
"I told my supervisor."
Daniel held up a hand.
"Stop."
The room went silent.
He looked at Sybil.
"Tomorrow's dinner is happening."
She blinked.
"What?"
"I want everyone here."
Brooks understood before she did.
"You think someone on the board knows something."
Daniel nodded.
"The foundation money. Rebecca's note. Mom's research. Sybil's connection."
Sybil stepped forward.
"This is insane."
"Then tomorrow gives you a chance to prove it."
"What does dinner prove?"
Daniel looked at her.
"I want to see who is afraid."
The next evening, twelve guests arrived.
Board members.
Family friends.
Two major donors.
Daniel's uncle Martin Hale.
Foundation accountant Paul Rainer.
Attorney Celeste Morgan.
All dressed formally.
All greeted Sybil politely.
Winnie watched from the staircase.
Eleanor remained hidden above them.
Daniel had not opened the attic.
Not because he no longer believed Winnie.
Because Brooks had warned him not to make a move until officers could be nearby.
If Eleanor was being held inside the house, they needed to know who else might be involved.
Daniel agreed.
Then regretted it every minute.
At six forty, the guests took their seats.
The dark green tablecloth covered the long table.
Candles burned.
The chandelier cast warm light over silverware and crystal glasses.
Sybil wore ivory satin.
She looked calm.
Too calm.
Daniel noticed Paul Rainer watching her.
He noticed Martin avoiding her eyes.
He noticed Celeste staring repeatedly toward the ceiling.
Winnie sat beside Daniel.
She barely touched her food.
At seven twelve, a creak sounded above them.
Winnie looked up.
Sybil continued speaking about the foundation gala.
Another creak.
Winnie whispered, "She is awake."
Daniel squeezed her hand beneath the table.
"Stay here."
He stood.
"I need another bottle of wine."
He walked toward the pantry.
The ladder was gone.
Again.
Daniel returned.
"Sybil."
Conversation stopped.
"Where is the ladder?"
Her smile disappeared.
"What ladder?"
"The aluminum ladder."
Martin cleared his throat.
"Daniel, maybe this is not the time."
Daniel looked at him.
"Why?"
Martin raised both hands.
"I am just saying we have guests."
Daniel noticed something.
Martin had not asked why Daniel wanted a ladder.
He already knew.
Winnie stood.
"The ceiling creaks every night."
Sybil's chair moved sharply backward.
"Winnie, sit down."
"No."
"Winnie."
Daniel turned toward his daughter.
She had never openly defied Sybil before.
Winnie's eyes filled with tears.
"Grandma is up there."
Several guests exchanged glances.
Paul Rainer laughed nervously.
"What?"
Sybil reached for Winnie.
Daniel intercepted her hand.
"Do not."
Sybil stared at him.
Winnie ran from the dining room.
Daniel called after her.
A garage door slammed.
Thirty seconds later she returned dragging the aluminum ladder.
Daniel almost smiled despite everything.
She must have located it earlier.
"Winnie."
She pulled it beneath the attic hatch.
Sybil stood.
"This stops now."
Winnie climbed.
Daniel moved toward her.
The first crowbar strike came before he reached the ladder.
Guests shouted.
"Winnie, get down from there right now!"
"The ceiling creaks every night!"
Daniel lifted her down.
"Winnie, Grandma is in Florida."
"Without her glasses?"
Everyone looked at Daniel.
The room seemed to shrink.
"She bought new glasses down there."
Winnie stared at him.
Then she raised one hand.
"Quiet, listen."
Scratch.
Scratch.
Creak.
Sybil's face changed.
Winnie climbed again.
"Don't open that hatch!"
Then the voice came.
"Open it, Winnie."
Daniel would remember every face around that table.
Paul's shock.
Celeste's horror.
Martin's sudden decision to step backward.
Sybil's terror.
The hatch opened.
Eleanor emerged.
And before Daniel could understand what he was seeing, his mother pointed across the room.
Not at Sybil.
At Martin.
May you like
"He helped her."
Martin ran.
