Chapter 5: The Woman Outside
A woman stepped into the auditorium.
She was probably in her sixties, dressed in a dark blue coat, carrying a worn leather handbag.
Michael stood immediately.
"Mrs. Bennett.""
The woman nodded.
"Michael.""
Chloe stared at her.
"Who is that?""
Michael didn't answer.
The woman walked toward us.
When she reached Row Four, her eyes landed on me.
"Denise Carter?""
I nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
She extended her hand.
"I'm Eleanor Bennett.""
I shook it.
Her palm was cold.
"I worked with your husband.""
The name made my stomach twist.
"Richard?""
"Yes.""
Michael pulled out the chair beside me.
"Please sit.""
Eleanor looked at Chloe.
Then at the papers.
"I see you've finally told your mother.""
Michael nodded.
"I had to.""
Eleanor sighed.
"I wish he'd told her himself.""
My throat tightened.
"What did Richard do?""
She looked at me for a long moment.
"Before he died, he came to my office.""
"Why?""
"He was afraid.""
I stared at her.
"Richard was never afraid of anything.""
"He was afraid of what would happen to you and Michael.""
Michael leaned forward.
"What exactly did he say?""
Eleanor opened her handbag.
She removed a small cassette recorder.
My heart skipped.
"He left this with me.""
Chloe whispered, "A recording?""
Eleanor nodded.
"He told me not to give it to anyone until Michael graduated.""
Michael looked stunned.
"Why graduation?""
"Because he believed you'd be old enough to understand what he was confessing.""
I gripped the edge of the chair.
"Confessing?""
Eleanor pressed the play button.
Static filled the space between us.
Then a man's voice.
Richard.
Older than I remembered.
Tired.
"I don't know if Michael will ever hear this.""
My breath caught.
Eleanor lowered the volume.
Richard continued.
"Denise, if you're listening, I failed you.""
I closed my eyes.
Michael reached for my hand.
"I told myself leaving was the only way.""
Richard's voice cracked.
"It wasn't.""
I opened my eyes.
Chloe looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Richard continued.
"I didn't leave because I stopped loving Denise.""
A pause.
"I left because someone was threatening us.""
Michael's grip tightened around my fingers.
"What?""
Eleanor stopped the recording.
Michael stared at her.
"Why did you stop?""
"Because I want you to understand something first.""
She looked at me.
"Richard believed the person threatening him was someone close to your family.""
My skin prickled.
"Who?""
"We don't know.""
Michael stood.
"Then why bring us here?""
Eleanor reached into her handbag again.
"I do know one thing.""
She handed him a photograph.
Michael looked at it.
His face went pale.
"What is it?""
He turned the photograph toward me.
It showed Richard standing outside a restaurant.
Beside him was another person.
Someone I recognized immediately.
My hand flew to my mouth.
"No.""
Michael whispered, "You know her?""
I couldn't answer.
Chloe leaned closer.
"Who is it?""
I looked at her.
"Your mother.""
The silence was absolute.
Chloe's mother went rigid.
"That's impossible.""
I shook my head.
"I've seen that coat.""
Eleanor looked at me.
"Then you know more than you think.""
Chloe turned toward her mother.
"Mom?""
Her mother stepped backward.
"Denise, I can explain.""
Michael stared at her.
"You knew my father?""
"No.""
"You just said you didn't.""
"I said—"
"You knew him.""
Her mother began crying.
"It wasn't what you think.""
Michael's voice hardened.
"Then tell me what it was.""
She looked around the auditorium.
Hundreds of eyes were fixed on her.
Finally, she whispered:
"Richard came to me because I was the only person who knew where the money was.""
Michael froze.
"What money?""
She looked at me.
"The money your father stole.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
Michael slowly turned toward Eleanor.
"Is that why he disappeared?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Partly.""
I stood.
"My husband stole money?""
"He was accused of it.""
"Accused by whom?""
Eleanor's eyes shifted toward Chloe's mother.
"That was the problem.""
Chloe's mother covered her face.
Michael looked like the floor had vanished beneath him.
"You're saying my father wasn't the thief?""
"No.""
"Then who was?""
Eleanor didn't answer.
Instead, she handed Michael a final envelope.
"This was delivered to my office yesterday.""
He stared at the handwriting.
His face changed.
"That's Dad's handwriting.""
"Yes.""
He opened it.
Inside was a single page.
He read it silently.
Then looked at me.
His lips trembled.
"Mom...""
"What?""
He couldn't speak.
I took the letter.
At the bottom was one sentence.
*If you want to know why I left, ask the woman who sat beside you today.*
My eyes moved slowly upward.
I looked at Chloe.
Then at her mother.
And suddenly I understood why Michael had brought the letter to graduation.
He hadn't just wanted to expose what Chloe had done.
He had wanted to uncover the secret behind why our family had fallen apart.
Chloe's mother began shaking.
"Denise, please.""
I stared at her.
"What did you do to my husband?""
She opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, every light in the auditorium went out.
A phone rang in the darkness.
Then another.
Then another.
Michael's phone vibrated in his hand.
He looked at the screen.
His expression turned to terror.
"Mom...""
"What?""
He showed me the message.
*STOP DIGGING INTO RICHARD CARTER'S DEATH.*
May you like
A second message appeared.
*OR YOUR MOTHER WILL BE NEXT.*
