Chapter 18 - The Stranger
The woman waiting in the hospital corridor looked about forty, with tired eyes and rain-dark hair.
“I’m not Caroline’s sister,” she said before Richard could speak. “I said that because I needed to get past reception.”
Richard’s patience vanished.
“Then you have five seconds before security removes you.”
“My name is Rebecca Shaw. I worked for Marcus.”
Richard stopped.
“In what capacity?”
“Forensic accounting.”
Daniel stepped closer.
Rebecca lowered her voice. “Caroline hired me privately three years ago after she noticed irregularities in Sterling Global’s charitable foundation.”
Richard stared at her.
“Why didn’t I know about you?”
“Because Caroline was afraid someone inside your office was reading your emails.”
“Marcus.”
“She suspected him.”
Rebecca opened her bag slowly and handed Daniel a sealed envelope.
“I left the country after Caroline died. Marcus threatened me. I came back when I saw the kidnapping on the news.”
Richard’s face tightened. “What’s in the envelope?”
“A copy of Caroline’s evidence. Not the version Marcus had.”
Daniel opened it.
Bank records. Transfer logs. Names.
Then a signed affidavit from Caroline.
Rebecca continued. “She discovered Victoria was not just helping Marcus. Victoria was building a separate file on him. She planned to steal the stolen money after he moved it offshore.”
Richard almost smiled at the ugly symmetry.
“They were robbing each other.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca looked toward Maya’s room.
“But there’s something worse.”
Richard’s eyes narrowed.
“The guardianship plan wasn’t new. Caroline found a draft three years ago.”
“For Maya?”
Rebecca nodded.
Richard felt cold.
“They were planning this while Caroline was alive?”
“The original plan was different. If Caroline exposed Marcus, he planned to discredit her, claim she was unstable, and use a medical evaluation to challenge her custody during a manufactured divorce scandal.”
Richard’s voice cracked. “Divorce?”
“They planned to forge evidence that Caroline was having an affair.”
He closed his eyes.
Rebecca said, “She was trying to protect you from a trap that had already been built.”
Richard opened the affidavit.
At the bottom was Caroline’s signature.
And a final handwritten line.
If I fail, tell Richard the password is Maya’s first word.
Richard stared at it.
Maya’s first word had not been “Daddy.”
It had been “moon.”
May you like
Daniel looked at him.
Richard whispered, “I know what she left us.”
