Chapter 8: What My Mother Left Me
The darkness lasted three seconds.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
Daniel stood at the bottom of the stairs.
His face was white.
“Emily.””
I didn't answer.
He looked at his mother.
“What did you tell her?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Enough.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
“You promised.””
“I promised your father.””
“Dad is dead.””
“Yes.””
“And so is her mother.””
Evelyn looked at me.
“Not forgotten.””
Daniel came upstairs.
I stepped backward.
“Stay there.””
He stopped.
“I need to explain.””
“You've had years.””
“I didn't know everything.””
“But you knew enough.””
He looked at Evelyn.
She wouldn't meet his eyes.
I held up the brass key.
“What is 0816?””
Daniel's face changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“My mother.””
“No.””
“Evelyn gave it to me.””
He turned toward his mother.
“What were you thinking?””
Evelyn said, “It's over.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“It was over years ago.””
“No.””
He moved toward me.
I raised my phone.
Detective Brooks was still connected.
“Don't come closer.””
Daniel stopped.
“Who's on the phone?””
“Police.””
He swallowed.
“Emily…”
“Don't.””
His shoulders dropped.
“You released the documents.””
“Yes.””
“You don't know what you've done.””
“I keep hearing that.””
“Because it's true.””
“Then tell me.””
Daniel looked toward the window.
“My father wasn't supposed to use the account.””
“What account?””
“The Blackstone account.””
I frowned.
“What's that?””
He looked at me.
“An offshore reserve.””
“How much?””
“Enough to destroy the company if regulators seize it.””
I stared at him.
“Why would my mother have an offshore account?””
“Because it wasn't hers.””
“Whose?””
Daniel didn't answer.
Evelyn did.
“Your mother's.””
I shook my head.
“You just said it wasn't hers.””
“I said the account wasn't supposed to exist.””
“What did she use it for?””
Evelyn looked at the floor.
“People.””
I didn't understand.
“What people?””
“People your father paid.””
“For what?””
“Silence.””
The room went cold.
“Silence about what?””
Evelyn's voice broke.
“About the construction sites.””
“What construction sites?””
Daniel whispered:
“The collapse.””
I stared at him.
“What collapse?””
He looked sick.
“Twenty years ago.””
I searched my memory.
News reports.
A building collapse.
Workers killed.
My father had donated money afterward.
I'd been too young to understand.
“Six workers died,” Daniel said.
“My father was blamed?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
“Your mother.””
My chest tightened.
“Why?””
“She discovered that materials had been replaced.””
“By whom?””
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“By my father.””
I stared at them.
“So my mother found out.””
“Yes.””
“She threatened to expose him.””
“Yes.””
“And my father stopped her.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Your father tried to protect her.””
“How?””
“He created the Blackstone account.””
“Why?””
“To pay the families.””
I stared.
“That sounds like protection.””
“It was.””
“Then why hide it?””
“Because the money came from the Carter company.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Evelyn whispered:
“Your father secretly owned part of Carter Construction.””
Everything shifted.
“My father and your father were partners.””
Daniel nodded.
“And my mother discovered it.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did she die?””
Daniel looked away.
“Because she found something else.””
“What?””
“She found out the collapse wasn't an accident.””
I couldn't breathe.
“What happened?””
He swallowed.
“The materials weren't simply defective.””
“Then?””
“They were deliberately sabotaged.””
“Who did it?””
Silence.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Who?””
She whispered:
“My brother.””
The room went silent.
“Your brother?””
“Yes.””
“The man in the photograph.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Money.””
I shook my head.
“But why kill my mother?””
“She was going to testify.””
“Against him?””
“And your father.””
My stomach twisted.
“Did my father know?””
“Yes.””
“And he covered it up?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Why did you marry me?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“At first, because I loved you.””
“At first.””
“Yes.””
“And later?””
He couldn't answer.
Evelyn did.
“Later, because your father left instructions.””
“What instructions?””
“If Emily ever discovered the Blackstone account, she would inherit control of Carter Construction.””
I stared.
“So you needed me.””
“Yes.””
“And Lily?””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Lily was the succession point.””
“You wanted her inheritance.””
“No.””
“Then what?””
He looked at me.
“We needed her to unlock the account.””
I felt sick.
“Why?””
“Because your mother set it up that way.””
My mother's face appeared in my mind.
A memory.
Her voice.
*“Never trust anyone who asks you to prove you love them.””*
I'd forgotten that sentence.
Until now.
“What exactly is in the Blackstone account?””
Daniel said nothing.
Evelyn answered.
“Evidence.””
I froze.
“What kind?””
“Everything your mother collected.””
“Everything?””
“Payments. Names. recordings. photographs.””
“Then why didn't she expose them?””
“She tried.””
“When?””
“The night she died.””
I felt my knees weaken.
“Did she know she was going to die?””
“No.””
“What happened?””
Evelyn's voice broke.
“She called your father.””
“Why?””
“To tell him she had the evidence.””
“What did he do?””
“He went to the lake house.””
“Then?””
“He found her dying.””
I whispered:
“And me?””
“You were there.””
“Why don't I remember?””
“Because you saw something.””
“What?””
Evelyn looked directly into my eyes.
“You saw who attacked her.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Who did I see?””
Evelyn's lips parted.
Before she could speak, a loud crash came from downstairs.
The front door had been kicked open.
Detective Brooks shouted through my phone:
“Emily, get out of the house!””
I heard footsteps.
Multiple people.
Evelyn looked terrified.
“They found us.””
“Who?””
May you like
She grabbed my hand.
“The people who killed your mother.””
