Chapter 4 - The Woman Who Stayed Behind
The unauthorized access attempt came from a laptop registered to Daniel.
That was impossible, according to Daniel, because the laptop was inside his locked office in Boston.
When Adrian confronted him, Daniel claimed the device had been stolen.
Vanessa claimed hackers were targeting the family.
Emma believed neither of them.
By the afternoon, she no longer believed anything they said.
Lily’s body had been transferred to the funeral home. Forms had been signed. Clothing had been selected.
Emma chose Lily’s pale blue birthday dress because it had tiny embroidered stars on the sleeves.
Vanessa objected.
“Blue does not photograph well beside mahogany,” she said.
Emma looked at her mother for a long time.
Then she asked the funeral director to remove Vanessa from all planning decisions.
Vanessa left the room with her jaw clenched.
Daniel remained near the window, answering messages on his phone.
He had cried twice.
Both times, someone had been watching.
When Emma asked him to help choose a photograph for the casket, he said she knew Lily’s pictures better.
The truth was that he had missed most of them.
Emma chose the photograph from Lily’s eighth birthday.
Lily wore a paper crown and held a strawberry cupcake. Daniel had arrived after the candles were blown out. Vanessa had sent an assistant with a gift.
Emma had spent years filling empty chairs with explanations.
Work was demanding.
Flights were delayed.
Meetings ran late.
Successful people had responsibilities.
Now every excuse looked like part of the same pattern.
At six that evening, Adrian called.
“I found Celeste Ward.”
Emma stepped into a quiet corridor.
“Who is she?”
“A former financial compliance officer for Hale House Designs.”
“Former?”
“She resigned eleven months ago.”
“Why?”
“Her personnel file says personal reasons. Her attorney says she reported accounting irregularities and was pressured to withdraw the complaint.”
“By Vanessa?”
“The complaint names Vanessa and Daniel.”
Emma leaned against the wall.
“Where is Celeste now?”
“Saint Lucia.”
The woman who controlled Azure Meridian Holdings was still on the island.
The same island where Daniel and Vanessa had spent six nights.
“Was she with them?”
“I don’t know. But she made a call from the hotel two hours ago.”
“To whom?”
“To you.”
Emma checked her phone.
There were no missed calls from unknown international numbers.
“Nothing came through.”
“She called the hospital switchboard and asked for Lily’s mother. The receptionist transferred her, but the call disconnected.”
“Can we call her back?”
“I tried. The number is no longer active.”
Emma looked through the corridor window into the preparation room.
Lily’s small casket rested beneath a white cloth.
“What does she know?”
“Enough to frighten them.”
Adrian arranged for a private investigator named Maya Chen to fly to Saint Lucia that night.
Maya had previously worked in forensic accounting and corporate security. She spoke little, observed everything, and distrusted convenient explanations.
Before leaving, she met Emma in the funeral home office.
“I need to know exactly what Lily saw on Daniel’s tablet,” Maya said.
Emma repeated Lily’s description.
Ocean balcony.
Vanessa in white.
Daniel laughing.
A kiss on the cheek.
Maya wrote nothing down.
She simply listened.
“Did Lily mention another person?”
“No.”
“A woman’s voice? A shadow? Someone holding the camera?”
Emma tried to remember.
“She said the call ended suddenly.”
“Was it a live call or a recorded video?”
“I assumed live.”
“Children often call any moving image a video call.”
Emma stared at her.
“You think Lily saw a recording?”
“Possibly.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because if someone was filming Vanessa and Daniel without their knowledge, Lily may have seen evidence they did not know existed.”
Maya stood.
“Do you still have the tablet?”
“Daniel took it.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Did you give him permission?”
“No.”
Maya’s expression changed.
“Find out where it is.”
Emma returned to the hospital family room.
Daniel was gone.
His overnight bag was gone.
The tablet was gone.
Vanessa sat alone near the window.
“Where is Daniel?” Emma asked.
“He had arrangements to make.”
“What arrangements?”
“Financial ones.”
Emma approached her.
“Where is Lily’s tablet?”
Vanessa looked bored.
“Probably with her belongings.”
“No. Daniel took it.”
“Then ask Daniel.”
“He isn’t answering.”
Vanessa gathered her purse.
“You seem determined to create conflict.”
“My daughter saw you with my husband.”
“Your daughter was heavily medicated.”
Emma went cold.
“What did you say?”
“Children misunderstand things. Sick children even more so.”
“You knew she saw you.”
Vanessa’s face remained still.
That stillness was the answer.
“You spoke to her,” Emma whispered.
“No.”
“You knew exactly what she saw.”
“I am not discussing accusations based on the confused memory of a dying child.”
Emma stepped between Vanessa and the door.
“Did you talk to Lily from Saint Lucia?”
“Move.”
“Did you tell her not to tell me?”
Vanessa’s voice dropped.
“You are not strong enough for the truth, Emma.”
“Try me.”
For one moment, Vanessa’s composure slipped.
“Daniel was never supposed to marry you.”
Emma felt as if the floor vanished beneath her.
Vanessa immediately realized she had said too much.
She moved around Emma and left.
Adrian arrived several minutes later.
Emma repeated the sentence.
Daniel was never supposed to marry you.
Adrian’s expression became grave.
“Your grandmother may have been right about how far back this goes.”
Emma’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered immediately.
At first, there was only static.
Then a woman whispered, “Mrs. Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Celeste Ward.”
Emma gripped the phone.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t have much time.”
“Did you call the hospital?”
“Yes. I tried to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?”
A door slammed in the background.
Celeste began breathing faster.
“The money was never the main reason they went to Saint Lucia.”
“What was?”
“Lily.”
Emma could not speak.
Celeste continued.
May you like
“They needed her death certificate.”
The line went dead.
