Chapter 11 - The Blue Flash Drive
They reached Claire and Ethan’s apartment at 1:06 a.m.
Two police officers came with them.
The storage unit was in the basement garage.
Claire had not opened the Christmas box in years because the last package from her mother hurt too much.
It sat behind camping gear and old suitcases.
Brown cardboard.
Anna’s handwriting.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HONEY.
Claire cut the tape.
Inside were ornaments, a knitted scarf, a cookbook, and a small wooden angel.
No flash drive.
Claire’s hope collapsed.
Then Ethan picked up the angel.
“It’s heavy.”
He turned it over.
The felt base peeled back.
A blue flash drive dropped into his palm.
Claire sat on the concrete floor.
For nine years, the answer had been six feet from her car.
Back upstairs, police used an offline laptop to open the drive.
Folders.
Scanned bank records.
Emails.
Audio.
One video.
Dated five days before Anna died.
Claire clicked it.
Her mother appeared on screen.
Tired.
Nervous.
Alive.
Claire covered her mouth.
Anna looked directly into the camera.
“Claire, if you ever see this, I am sorry.”
Claire began to cry.
Ethan put an arm around her.
Anna continued.
“I have spent years hoping I was wrong about Margaret Hale. I am not.”
She described the money.
The trust.
The altered documents.
Then she said something none of them expected.
“Peter Merritt is helping her.”
Lauren whispered, “Merritt. His middle name.”
That was the company.
Anna continued.
“But Peter is not the person I fear most.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“Margaret thinks she is controlling Peter. She isn’t.”
Anna looked off camera at a sound.
Then back.
“Daniel Hale is alive.”
Daniel stood at the back of the room.
His face changed.
Anna’s recorded voice continued.
“He contacted me. He says he wants to expose the truth. I don’t know if I trust him.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
Then came the sentence that split the room open.
“If I die, do not assume Margaret did it.”
Claire looked at Daniel.
Anna leaned closer to the camera.
“Follow the money from the Christmas account to Peter. Then from Peter to Daniel.”
The video ended.
Ethan moved first.
He stepped between Claire and Daniel.
Police raised their attention.
Daniel did not run.
He only sighed.
“I wondered if she had figured that out.”
Claire stood.
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“About what?”
Daniel looked at her.
“About why I came back.”
Then his phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His face drained of color.
“Peter has Susan.”
“How do you know?” an officer asked.
May you like
Daniel looked up.
“Because he just sent me a live location.”
