Chapter 9 - Six Months Earlier
Daniel removed his wedding ring.
He didn’t make a show of it.
That made it worse.
He simply slid it off, looked at it for a second, and placed it in his pocket.
Claire saw.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her. “Did you know about the transfer six months ago?”
“Yes, but—”
“Did you know the account belonged to Emily’s trust?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know she had not approved it?”
Claire’s voice cracked. “Yes.”
Daniel nodded once.
Emily had never seen a marriage fall apart in under thirty seconds.
But there it was.
Claire reached for him.
He stepped away.
“I need space.”
“You can’t leave me tonight.”
Daniel gave a hollow laugh. “Apparently tonight was never about us.”
He walked toward the ballroom.
Claire stood frozen in her wedding dress.
For a moment Emily remembered Claire at twelve, crying after their dog died. Claire at seventeen, teaching Emily to drive in an empty mall parking lot. Claire at twenty-one, sleeping beside Emily after a terrible breakup.
Then she remembered the forged signature.
The stolen letter.
The removed seat.
Love did not erase evidence.
Detective Grant asked Claire to step into a private conference room for a formal statement.
Patricia refused to go with them.
Emily watched her mother make a phone call near the coat check.
Low voice.
Back turned.
Then Patricia slipped through a service corridor.
Emily noticed.
So did Marcus.
“Where is she going?” Emily asked.
Marcus looked toward the corridor. “Parking garage.”
Emily followed.
“Emily,” Evelyn called.
But Emily was already moving.
Marcus came with her.
They passed trays, stacked linens, catering carts.
At the loading hallway, Patricia was gone.
A metal door swung slowly at the far end.
Emily pushed through it.
Cold air hit her face.
The underground garage smelled like concrete and rain.
Patricia was hurrying toward a silver SUV.
“Mom!”
Patricia stopped.
Emily and Marcus approached.
“You’re leaving?”
Patricia clutched her purse. “I need air.”
“You had air upstairs.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a criminal.”
“I don’t know what you are.”
Patricia’s face broke.
“You think I wanted any of this?”
“I don’t know what you wanted.”
Patricia opened the SUV door.
Marcus said, “Patricia, don’t.”
She turned on him. “You always wanted to replace Thomas.”
Marcus’s eyes flashed. “I wanted him alive.”
The sentence hit hard.
Patricia froze.
Emily noticed something inside the open SUV.
A cardboard archive box.
On top was a black binder labeled HARBOR.
Emily reached for it.
Patricia slammed the door shut.
Too late.
Emily had seen the second label beneath it.
THOMAS – INSURANCE / ACCIDENT.
She stared at her mother.
“Why do you have Dad’s accident file in your car?”
Patricia’s expression changed.
May you like
Then she hit the lock button.
And ran.
