Chapter 5: The Warning
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Emma standing in that kitchen.
Her bent paper crown.
Her trembling lip.
Her question.
Did Uncle Ryan throw my cake away because I'm bad?
Now I understood something that frightened me more than the insurance policy.
Ryan knew exactly how to hurt me.
And he knew Emma was the easiest way.
At 6:30 the next morning, someone knocked on my front door.
I froze.
Emma was asleep upstairs.
Another knock.
I walked quietly to the window.
Ryan stood on my porch.
He was wearing the same expensive watch as yesterday, but his shirt was wrinkled and his hair looked like he hadn't slept.
I opened the door but kept the chain latched.
“What are you doing here?””
“Let me in.””
“No.””
“Claire, we need to talk.””
“We've talked enough.””
He looked past me.
“Where's Emma?””
“Sleeping.””
“Good.””
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.
“What do you want?””
“The wedding.””
I almost laughed.
“You forged my signature.””
“I didn't forge anything.””
“You added pages to a document I signed.””
“You signed it.””
“You transferred money from my business account.””
“I was going to put it back.””
“You listed me as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.””
For the first time, Ryan's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
His eyes narrowed.
“Who told you about that?””
“Vanessa.””
His jaw tightened.
“Where is she?””
“Not your concern.””
“She is my fiancée.””
“Not for much longer, apparently.””
He stepped closer to the door.
“Listen to me, Claire. You don't understand what's happening.””
“Then explain it.””
“I was trying to protect the family.””
“By stealing from me?””
“I borrowed money.””
“Without permission.””
“I was going to repay you after the wedding.””
“And the insurance?””
He didn't answer.
I stared at him.
“Ryan?””
He rubbed his face.
“It's not what you think.””
“That is exactly what people say when it is what I think.””
His voice dropped.
“You need to stop talking to Vanessa.””
“No.””
“I'm serious.””
“So am I.””
He looked toward the upstairs windows.
“You have no idea what you're doing.””
I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.
“Don't bring Emma into this.””
“I didn't.””
“You threatened her.””
“I warned you.””
“You mentioned her after I refused to help you.””
“I said I wouldn't want anything happening to her.””
I felt a chill.
“Anything happening to her?””
Ryan stared at me.
Then he seemed to realize what he'd said.
His expression changed.
“That's not what I meant.””
I pulled out my phone.
“Say it again.””
He went silent.
“Go home, Ryan.””
“You're making a huge mistake.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You made the mistake.””
He looked at me with something I had never seen in his eyes before.
Fear.
Not anger.
Fear.
Then his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
“Who is it?”” I asked.
He ignored me.
The call ended.
A second later, another call came through.
Ryan answered.
“Hello?””
His face went pale.
“What?””
I watched him listen.
“No, that's impossible.””
He turned away from me.
“I didn't authorize that.””
A pause.
“Who reported it?””
Another pause.
Then Ryan looked directly at me.
His lips moved.
“Claire.””
The call ended.
“What happened?”” I asked.
He didn't answer.
“Ryan.””
He shoved his phone into his pocket.
“I have to go.””
“Where?””
“Bank.””
“Why?””
He walked down the porch steps.
“Someone froze the wedding accounts.””
I followed him with my eyes.
“Good.””
He turned.
“You think this is funny?””
“No.””
“You have no idea what you've started.””
I looked at him.
“You should've thought about that before you threw my daughter's cake away.””
He stared at me for several seconds.
Then he got into his car.
I watched him drive away.
Only after he disappeared did I notice the black SUV parked across the street.
A man was sitting inside.
He got out.
“Ms. Bennett?””
“Yes?””
He showed me a badge.
“Detective Harris.””
My heart sank.
“Why is a detective at my house?””
“We need to talk about your brother.””
I looked toward Emma's bedroom window.
“Is she in danger?””
“We don't know.””
That answer terrified me more than anything else.
“What did Ryan do?””
Detective Harris took out a folder.
“We're investigating financial fraud.””
I nodded.
“I already know about the money.””
“No,” he said.
“You don't.””
He opened the folder.
Inside were copies of bank transfers, insurance documents, and a photograph.
The photograph showed Ryan standing outside a pharmacy.
Beside him was a man I didn't recognize.
“Who's that?””
“We don't know yet.””
“What does he have to do with Ryan?””
Detective Harris pointed to the date.
Three days before Ryan applied for the insurance policy.
Then he turned the photograph over.
Written on the back was a single sentence:
*Payment confirmed. She signs tomorrow.*
My stomach dropped.
“She?””
Detective Harris looked at me.
“We believe that's you.””
I couldn't breathe.
“Why?””
“We don't know yet.””
“Then find out.””
“We're trying.””
He closed the folder.
“But there's something you need to understand.””
“What?””
“Your brother wasn't just trying to save his wedding.””
I waited.
“He may have been setting you up to take the fall for something much bigger.””
Before I could answer, my phone rang.
It was my mother.
I almost didn't pick up.
Then I heard her crying.
“Claire, please come to the house.””
“Why?””
“Your father found something.””
“What?””
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Ryan's been keeping documents here.””
I gripped the phone.
“Which documents?””
“The ones he used to get your signature.””
I glanced at Detective Harris.
“What happened to them?””
May you like
Mom began sobbing.
“Somebody broke into the house last night.””
