Chapter 9 - Vanessa's Price

The call lasted eleven seconds.

Police traced it to a prepaid phone near an industrial strip on the south side.

Daniel paced the living room.

"We have to go."

Officer Bell blocked the doorway. "You are not going anywhere."

"She sounded terrified."

Rachel watched him.

"You still care about her."

Daniel looked at Rachel as if the words hurt.

"I don't want her dead. That's not the same thing."

Rachel knew he was right.

She also hated how much she needed him to say it.

An hour later, police found the prepaid phone in a trash can. No Vanessa.

Then Vanessa sent Rachel a voice message.

"You think Daniel saved you? Ask him what he signed the night our marriage ended. Ask him about the immunity letter."

Daniel closed his eyes.

Rachel held up the phone.

"The what?"

Melissa, who had arrived after the police call, stared at Daniel.

"You told me there was no side agreement."

"There wasn't a settlement side agreement."

"That's a lawyer's answer," Rachel said. "Give me a husband's answer."

Daniel sat down.

"The night before the divorce became final, federal investigators questioned me about Westbridge. They suspected money laundering."

Rachel felt anger rise behind her ribs.

"And?"

"I signed a cooperation letter. I agreed to provide records if they opened a case. In return, they said they would consider my cooperation if charges ever involved transactions I didn't know about."

Melissa stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the inquiry went nowhere. Peter said the books had been cleaned up. Then my marriage ended. I wanted it gone."

Rachel stood.

"So my father was investigating Vanessa, your accountant was investigating Vanessa, federal investigators were looking at your company, and you decided none of that mattered enough to mention?"

"I was ashamed."

"That doesn't make secrets disappear."

Daniel looked at her.

"I know."

Rachel's phone buzzed again.

A new photo from Vanessa.

Vanessa was sitting on a concrete floor, wrists bound with plastic ties.

Beside her lay the same black handbag she had carried into Rachel's house.

The caption read:

BRING THE ORIGINAL B-17 FILE OR SHE TALKS.

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A second message followed.

AND IF SHE TALKS, RACHEL LEARNS WHY DANIEL CHOSE HER.