Chapter 8 - The Insurance Policy)
Vanessa had not known about the insurance policy.
That was the first thing she said when Daniel confronted her at the police station.
He did not believe her.
Not immediately.
She sat in a small interview room with both hands wrapped around a paper cup of water.
Daniel stood across from her.
Laura waited outside with Noah and Michael.
A detective had already taken copies of the documents.
Martin Shaw had not arrived.
His phone was off.
His home was empty.
Vanessa looked exhausted.
For the first time all evening, she no longer looked elegant.
She looked frightened.
Daniel placed the insurance document on the table.
"Explain."
Vanessa stared at her own name.
Her mouth opened.
"I've never seen this."
"Try again."
"I swear."
Daniel leaned forward.
"You've lied about Laura being alive."
"Yes."
"You lied about the trust."
Vanessa looked down.
"Yes."
"You lied to my son."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Yes."
"So why should I believe you now?"
She had no answer.
Daniel sat down.
"Three months before Laura's crash, a two-million-dollar life insurance policy changed beneficiaries."
Vanessa shook her head repeatedly.
"No."
"From me to you."
"I didn't do that."
"Who did?"
"I don't know."
"Martin?"
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Daniel saw the answer before she spoke.
"Maybe."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Stop saying that."
"I don't know."
Her voice rose.
A detective opened the door.
"Everything okay?"
Daniel nodded.
The detective remained nearby.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
"Martin handled insurance reviews for the family."
Daniel stared.
"He had access."
"Yes."
"Did Laura know?"
"I don't know."
Daniel almost stood.
Vanessa slammed her hands onto the table.
"I really don't know."
Her voice broke.
"I lied about terrible things. I took money. I helped keep Laura away. But I did not try to kill her."
The room became still.
Daniel had not used the word kill.
Vanessa realized it.
Her eyes widened.
Daniel whispered, "Why would you think that's what I'm asking?"
"Because of the policy."
"Or because there's something else?"
Vanessa looked toward the door.
Daniel waited.
Finally she said, "Three weeks before the crash, Laura and Martin had a fight."
Daniel's skin went cold.
"About what?"
"I never knew."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I heard part of it."
"Where?"
"At your house."
Daniel remembered.
Three weeks before Laura disappeared, Vanessa had attended Noah's third birthday.
Martin had stopped by late in the afternoon.
Daniel had been outside assembling a playhouse.
Laura had gone inside.
"What did you hear?"
Vanessa stared at the paper cup.
"Laura said, 'If Daniel finds out, he'll destroy you.'"
Daniel's heartbeat slowed.
"What did Martin say?"
"I couldn't hear."
"What else?"
"She said she had copies."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Copies.
The blue cabinet.
The files.
Laura had suspected Martin before the accident.
Vanessa continued.
"I asked her later."
"What did she tell you?"
"That it was business."
"You believed her?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
Vanessa gave him a hollow look.
"Because I thought she was having an affair."
Daniel stared.
"With Martin?"
"At first."
The idea was absurd.
Then Daniel remembered his own grief.
How easily uncertainty had eaten him alive.
Vanessa continued.
"I found messages between them."
"What messages?"
"Meetings. Calls. Hotel lobby. Coffee shop."
"Did you read the content?"
"No."
"So you assumed."
"Yes."
Daniel rubbed his face.
"And after Laura disappeared?"
"Martin told me she had discovered financial irregularities in several client accounts."
Daniel's hands dropped.
"What kind?"
"He said she was confused."
"Laura wasn't an accountant."
"No, but she was helping redesign offices for one of Martin's investment partners. She saw documents she wasn't supposed to see."
Daniel looked through the interview-room window.
Laura sat outside with Noah.
She had not told him this.
Why?
He returned to the hallway.
Laura stood.
"What happened?"
Daniel held up the insurance document.
"Did you know about this?"
She looked at it.
Her face went blank.
"No."
"Vanessa says you were investigating Martin before your crash."
Laura closed her eyes.
Daniel waited.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She looked toward Noah.
Daniel understood.
Michael took the boy to a vending machine.
When they were far enough away, Laura spoke.
"Because I still don't remember everything from before the crash."
Daniel's anger softened.
"I remember pieces."
"Tell me."
She leaned against the wall.
"Martin managed investments for several families. I discovered he was moving money between client accounts to cover losses."
"Like a Ponzi scheme?"
"Not exactly. More like temporary borrowing. He expected investments to recover."
"But they didn't."
"No."
"And you found out."
"I think so."
"You think?"
Laura pressed two fingers against her temple.
"The week before the crash is still damaged in my memory."
Daniel looked at the insurance policy.
"Did you change the beneficiary?"
"No."
"Would you ever have named Vanessa?"
Laura almost laughed.
"Not over you."
Daniel nodded.
"So the signature is fake."
"Probably."
Daniel looked toward the interview room.
"Why put Vanessa's name on it?"
Laura's expression sharpened.
"Because Martin couldn't make himself beneficiary without raising questions."
Daniel felt the logic settle into place.
"If you died, Vanessa received two million."
"And Martin expected her to cooperate."
Daniel looked at her.
"Did she know before the crash?"
"I don't know."
Vanessa had done terrible things.
But attempted murder was different.
Daniel refused to accuse without proof.
A detective approached.
"We found Mr. Shaw's car."
Daniel turned.
"Where?"
"Airport long-term parking."
Laura frowned.
"He wasn't flying."
"We know."
"How?"
The detective held up a printout.
"His passport was scanned at a private charter terminal forty minutes ago."
Daniel's stomach dropped.
"Destination?"
"Canada."
"Did he leave?"
The detective shook his head.
"Flight never departed."
"Why?"
"Because the passenger never boarded."
Daniel looked at Laura.
"Then where is he?"
The detective's expression remained serious.
"That's what we're trying to determine."
Laura's phone buzzed.
She looked down.
Unknown number.
One message.
YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE FLIGHT.
Daniel read it over her shoulder.
A second message arrived.
THE PAPERS MICHAEL TOOK WILL NOT SAVE YOU.
Laura looked up.
Daniel said, "He's watching."
A third message appeared.
Daniel recognized the attached photograph immediately.
It had been taken less than one minute earlier.
Through the glass wall of the police station.
Laura standing beside Daniel.
May you like
Noah visible in the background.
Someone was outside.
