Chapter 7: The Last Christmas
Kayla found us in the attic.
She stopped on the top stair.
Her eyes landed on Daniel.
Then the box.
Then me.
For the first time since she'd entered my life, Kayla looked genuinely frightened.
“Dad.””
Daniel didn't respond.
She stared at him.
“What are you doing here?””
“Looking for the truth.””
“You need to leave.””
“No.””
Her eyes moved to me.
“You don't understand what you're holding.””
“I understand enough.””
She stepped into the attic.
“Give me the box.””
I almost smiled.
“You still think you can tell me what to do.””
“I know what happens if those documents get out.””
“Then tell me.””
She said nothing.
Jordan stepped forward.
“What happened to Dad?””
Kayla looked at him.
“I didn't kill him.””
“Did you poison him?””
“No.””
“Did you know he was going to be poisoned?””
She shook her head.
“Jordan, please.””
“Answer me.””
“I didn't know.””
Daniel spoke.
“You knew about the bottle.””
Kayla's eyes snapped toward him.
“You don't get to talk about that.””
“Why?””
“Because you were there.””
“For what?””
She looked at me.
Then away.
“I never wanted him dead.””
I felt something inside me crack.
“But you knew someone wanted him gone.””
Kayla swallowed.
“I was scared.””
“Of whom?””
She remained silent.
Daniel said, “Tell her.””
Kayla glared at him.
“You're the reason all of this happened.””
“No,” he said.
“You are.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to survive.””
I stepped forward.
“You tried to steal my home.””
“I was trying to protect Emma.””
“You forged my signature.””
“I needed money.””
“You investigated me.””
“I needed to know what Jack had left.””
“You lied about my husband.””
Kayla whispered, “I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
She looked at Jordan.
Then at me.
“Of Daniel.””
Daniel stiffened.
“What?””
Kayla laughed bitterly.
“You think you were helping me?””
He stepped forward.
“I was trying to get you out.””
“You were threatening me.””
“I was trying to stop you.””
“You said if I didn't cooperate, you'd expose everything.””
“Because you were committing fraud.””
“And because you knew what Northstar would do.””
Daniel went quiet.
I looked between them.
“What is Northstar?””
Kayla whispered, “Not a company.””
My skin prickled.
“Then what?””
“A network.””
She looked toward the window.
“People who buy debt. Companies. Property. People.””
Jordan shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.””
“It will.””
Kayla turned toward me.
“Jack was going to expose them.””
I remembered the letter.
Everything leaves a record.
“Who killed him?””
Kayla's lips trembled.
“I don't know.””
Daniel said, “But you know who ordered it.””
She looked at him.
“You really want to do this?””
“Yes.””
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered a name.
“Martin Voss.””
Daniel went still.
Jordan asked, “Who is that?””
Kayla answered.
“The man who owned Northstar.””
I had never heard the name.
But Daniel had.
I saw it in his face.
“Where is he now?”” I asked.
“Prison.””
“For what?””
“Tax fraud.””
Daniel laughed without humor.
“He was convicted two years ago.””
Kayla nodded.
“And before that?””
“He disappeared.””
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
She looked at the box.
“But he knows what happened to Jack.””
I stepped closer.
“How?””
“Because Jack was going to testify.””
The room went silent.
“Testify about what?””
“Money laundering. Property fraud. Forged transfers.””
“And you?””
“I was involved.””
Jordan stared at her.
“You used my father's house to hide money.””
“I never hid money here.””
“Then what did you do?””
“I gave them information.””
“What information?””
“Your mother's finances.””
My heart dropped.
“You gave strangers access to my accounts?””
“No.””
“You just said—”
“I gave them information about the property.””
Daniel said, “Which is why Jack became a problem.””
Kayla nodded.
“He found the records.””
I looked at the trust.
“Why Emma?””
Kayla's face crumpled.
“Because Jack loved her.””
I hadn't expected that answer.
“He knew what kind of mother I was becoming,” she whispered.
“He knew I would destroy myself trying to save her.””
Jordan stepped toward her.
“You're saying Dad created the trust to protect Emma from you?””
Kayla nodded.
“He knew I'd eventually lose the house.””
“Why?””
“Because of the debt.””
I stared at her.
“How much?””
She didn't answer.
Daniel did.
“Over two million dollars.””
Jordan swore under his breath.
I sat down.
Two million.
No wonder she wanted my house.
No wonder she had become desperate.
Kayla looked at me.
“I thought if I could get your house, I could pay everything.””
“You would have lost it anyway.””
“I know.””
“Then why?””
“Because I didn't see another way.””
I looked at her.
“You always had another way.””
Her eyes filled.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“You don't know what they do to people who owe them.””
“I know what you did to me.””
She looked away.
“That isn't the same.””
“No,” I said.
“It isn't.””
Jordan suddenly picked up his phone.
“I recorded everything.””
Kayla froze.
“What?””
He held up the phone.
“Everything you just admitted.””
She lunged toward him.
Daniel caught her arm.
“Don't.””
She struggled.
“Let me go!””
Jordan backed away.
“Mom, we need to call the police.””
Kayla stopped fighting.
Then she laughed.
Not loudly.
Almost sadly.
“You still don't understand.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“The police can't protect Emma.””
My heart sank.
“Why?””
Kayla looked at me.
“Because Emma is the reason they want the trust.””
I stared at her.
“What does my granddaughter have to do with this?””
Kayla whispered,
“She's not just the beneficiary.””
Silence.
“She's the heir to something Jack discovered.””
“What?””
Kayla looked at Daniel.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then Kayla said,
“Jack found the original ownership records for Northstar.””
I felt confused.
“What does that have to do with Emma?””
Kayla pointed toward the box.
“Those records prove who really owns the network.””
Jordan stared at her.
“And?””
Kayla looked at me.
“The name on those records isn't Martin Voss.””
My pulse quickened.
“Whose name is it?””
Kayla's lips parted.
Then the lights went out.
The attic went completely black.
A second later, glass shattered downstairs.
Jordan grabbed my hand.
Daniel shouted,
“Everybody down!””
Something crashed through the dining-room window.
Then came the sound of footsteps running across the frozen porch.
May you like
And from the darkness, Kayla whispered,
“They found us.””
