Chapter 7: Her Mother’s Letter
David read the letter again.
This time, slowly.
Every word seemed heavier than the last.
Emma stood beside him.
“What did Mom know?””
David looked at her.
“I don't know yet.””
“Then read it.””
Victoria shook her head.
“David, don't.””
He turned.
“You've had three years to tell me.””
“I was trying to keep this family together.””
“You kept secrets.””
“I was terrified.””
“You should have been.””
Victoria's eyes flashed.
“You don't understand.””
“Then make me understand.””
She said nothing.
David returned to the letter.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
His wife's looping S.
The tiny heart she always drew above the letter i.
The slight slant of every sentence.
He read aloud.
“David, if you're reading this, something happened that I was afraid to tell you about.”
Emma hugged herself.
Her mother's words continued.
“I've been noticing withdrawals from the account we opened for Emma. Small amounts at first. Then larger ones.”
David's face tightened.
Emma whispered, “The college money.””
David nodded.
He kept reading.
“I asked the bank about it. They said the transfers were authorized from inside the house.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Victoria looked away.
David continued.
“I don't believe you did it. But someone has access to your financial records.”
Emma's stomach twisted.
Her father stopped reading.
“Dad?””
He continued.
“If something happens to me, make sure Emma receives everything directly. Do not let anyone else control the money.”
David lowered the letter.
The room was silent.
Emma looked at Victoria.
“You knew about this.””
Victoria whispered, “I found it after your mother died.””
“You read it.””
“Yes.””
“You knew Mom suspected someone.””
“Yes.””
“And you still told Dad I was irresponsible.””
Victoria's face crumpled.
“I didn't know the full story.””
“You knew enough.””
David's voice was ice-cold.
“What else?””
Victoria looked at him.
“What?””
“What else did you find?””
“Nothing.””
David stepped forward.
“Don't lie to me again.””
Victoria looked toward Claire.
Claire shook her head.
“Tell him.””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“There was another page.””
Emma's heart pounded.
“Where?””
Victoria didn't answer.
“Where is it?””
“In the house.””
David looked around.
“Where?””
“In your old bedroom.””
Emma froze.
“My room?””
Victoria nodded.
“I put it in the desk drawer.””
Emma immediately ran upstairs.
David followed.
Claire came behind them.
Victoria remained downstairs.
Emma pushed open the bedroom door.
Everything looked different.
Her old blue walls had been painted white.
Her posters were gone.
Her books were stacked in boxes.
But the desk was still there.
Emma pulled open the top drawer.
Nothing.
Second drawer.
Nothing.
Third.
A small envelope.
She grabbed it.
The handwriting on the front made her chest ache.
*For Emma.*
Her mother's handwriting.
Emma sat on the edge of the bed.
“Dad.””
David sat beside her.
“Open it.””
Her fingers shook as she tore the envelope.
Inside was another letter.
This one was shorter.
Emma read silently.
Then her eyes widened.
“What?””
David looked at her.
“What does it say?””
Emma handed it to him.
David read.
His face went pale.
“Your mother wrote this two days before she died.””
“What did she say?””
David looked at Emma.
“She said she had discovered who was accessing the accounts.””
Emma's voice cracked.
“Who?””
David stared at the page.
Then he whispered, “She didn't name them.””
“Why?””
“Because she said she wasn't sure.””
Emma frowned.
“What else?””
David read the next paragraph.
“I confronted her today.”
Emma's eyes widened.
“Her?””
David nodded.
“Mom knew it was a woman?””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
David read.
“She denied everything. But when I told her I was going to speak to David, she became frightened.”
Emma stared at Victoria's empty place in the doorway.
David continued.
“If I don't get the chance to tell you, look at the red notebook.”
Emma looked around.
“Red notebook?””
Claire suddenly spoke.
“Victoria had one.””
David turned.
“Where?””
“She kept it in the office.””
Emma stood.
They rushed downstairs.
David opened the office cabinet.
Nothing.
He opened another.
Nothing.
Claire pointed toward the bookshelf.
“Third shelf.””
David pulled down a stack of old magazines.
Behind them was a red notebook.
He opened it.
Pages of numbers.
Dates.
Bank transfers.
Initials.
David's eyes narrowed.
“What are these?””
Claire whispered, “That's Victoria's handwriting.””
Emma leaned closer.
There were entries going back years.
Amounts.
Account numbers.
Names.
Then she saw something that made her blood run cold.
A date.
Six weeks before her mother's death.
Beside it were the initials *E.C.*
Emma stared.
“That's me.””
David shook his head.
“No.””
“Dad.””
“Those aren't your initials.””
Emma frowned.
“E.C.””
David pointed to the next line.
There was a full name.
*Eleanor Carter.*
Emma's breath caught.
Eleanor was her mother's name.
“Why would Mom's name be in Victoria's notebook?””
Claire looked terrified.
David flipped the page.
Another entry.
Then another.
All connected to the life insurance policy.
Emma whispered, “She wasn't stealing from me.””
David looked at her.
“She was tracking Mom.””
Claire suddenly backed away.
“David…”
He looked up.
“What?””
Claire's eyes were fixed on the notebook.
“You need to look at the last page.””
David turned to it.
There was one sentence written in red ink.
*If Eleanor dies, destroy the original policy before David sees it.*
Emma's blood turned cold.
Then the front door downstairs slammed.
Someone had entered the house.
A man's voice called from the hallway.
“David?””
David's face changed.
He knew that voice.
“That's impossible.””
Emma whispered, “Who is it?””
David slowly closed the notebook.
“My wife's brother.””
May you like
Claire's eyes widened.
“He's been dead for five years.””
