Chapter 4 - The Man on the Phone
Officer Nolan lifted one finger, warning everyone to stay quiet.
"Who is this?" she asked.
The line went dead.
Ethan swore under his breath.
Claire heard it.
"You know him."
"No."
"You recognized the voice."
"I said no."
Vivian looked toward the front windows as if measuring the distance to the driveway.
Nolan noticed.
"Mrs. Cole, please stay where you are."
"I am not under arrest."
"No one said you were."
"Then move."
Claire had seen Vivian dominate charity boards, contractors, attorneys, and entire dining rooms. The woman never raised her voice unless she was certain the other person had less power.
Tonight, she kept getting louder.
Which meant she was scared.
The prepaid phone contained almost nothing. No contacts. No saved messages. But the call history showed eleven incoming calls over the previous nine days.
All from blocked numbers.
The most recent outgoing call had been placed at 7:42 p.m.
Six minutes before Vivian picked up the golf club.
Officer Nolan asked, "Who made this call?"
No one answered.
The technician checked the hidden feed.
At 7:41, Vivian had entered the foyer alone.
She walked directly to the emergency button, removed the panel with a tiny key, took out the phone, and made the call.
Claire looked at her mother-in-law.
"Who did you call?"
Vivian's chin lifted.
"My attorney."
"On a burner phone hidden in my wall?"
"Our wall," Ethan corrected automatically.
Claire turned on him.
"That habit is going to cost you."
A strange sound escaped Nolan's partner. Almost a laugh, quickly buried.
Vivian stepped toward Claire.
"You have no idea what you're doing."
"I pressed one button. So far, it seems to be going well."
"You think because you inherited your father's money, you're untouchable?"
"No. I think because you attacked me on camera, you're finally visible."
Vivian's eyes hardened.
For a second Claire saw what had probably been there for years - not annoyance, not social contempt, but fury at being unable to control her.
Nolan instructed another officer to escort Ethan to a patrol car while the forged documents were secured. Ethan resisted only with words.
"Claire, listen to me. If they take me out of this house, you need to leave too."
"Why?"
"Because this isn't just about the trust."
Vivian snapped, "Ethan."
He ignored her.
"There's someone else involved."
"Who?"
"Someone your father was afraid of."
Claire stared at him.
"My father wasn't afraid of anyone."
Ethan gave a tired, bitter smile.
"That's what he wanted you to believe."
The officer pulled him toward the door.
Ethan twisted back one last time.
"Ask your father's lawyer why he changed your trust three days before he died."
The front door closed behind him.
Claire stood very still.
Because she knew exactly who her father's lawyer was.
May you like
And that man was upstairs.
He had been a guest at the party all night.
