Chapter 4: The Name Emily Feared
“Your mother.””
Arthur stared at Emily through the hospital doorway, unable to understand the words he had just heard.
Emily's fingers trembled around Noah's hand.
“Arthur, listen to me,” she whispered.
“Your mother was involved.””
“No.”” Arthur shook his head.
“No, that's impossible.””
Detective Renee Carter stepped between Arthur and the bed.
“Emily, I need you to be certain. Are you saying Arthur's mother, Margaret Jackson, helped arrange your death?””
Emily nodded weakly.
Arthur let out a bitter laugh.
“My mother organized the funeral. She cried beside the coffin. She held Noah when he couldn't sleep. She spent the last six days telling me that everything would eventually be okay.””
His voice cracked.
“You're accusing the woman who raised me?””
Emily looked at him with exhausted eyes.
“I'm telling you what I heard.””
Arthur entered the room slowly.
“Then explain it to me. Please. Tell me what happened.””
Emily swallowed. The doctor had warned Renee that Emily's condition required rest, but the fear in her face made it clear that keeping the information to herself was hurting her more than speaking.
“Three weeks ago, I found a series of transfers from Westbridge Capital,” she began.
“Millions of dollars were disappearing through accounts that appeared to belong to legitimate charities. The accounts were connected to a private investment company.””
“Victor Hale?”” Renee asked.
“Yes. But he wasn't working alone.””
Emily looked at Arthur.
“The account receiving the money was registered under your name. Someone had copied your identification and forged your signature. I thought it was identity theft until I found a second account.””
“Whose?”” Arthur asked.
“Your mother's.””
Arthur gripped the bed rail.
“That doesn't mean she knew anything about it.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you saying she helped them?””
“Because I found messages between her and Victor Hale.””
Arthur went still.
Emily continued.
“Margaret had access to your financial records. She helped establish the accounts and supplied information about our family. In return, she received regular payments.””
“No,” Arthur whispered.
“She knew when you were home. She knew when I was working late. She knew when Noah would be alone with a babysitter.””
Arthur backed away from the bed.
“Stop.””
“Arthur—”
“Stop!””
Noah flinched at his father's shout.
Emily immediately reached for him.
“It's okay, baby.””
“No, it isn't!”” Arthur cried.
“My mother would never do this!””
Renee raised a hand.
“Arthur, lower your voice.””
He looked at the detective, his eyes wet with disbelief.
“You don't understand. My father died when I was twelve. My mother worked two jobs to keep us afloat. She sold her wedding ring to pay for my college applications.””
He turned back toward Emily.
“She helped us buy this house. She babysat Noah every Friday. She was the person you called when you needed advice.””
Emily's expression softened.
“I know what she meant to you.””
“Then why would she want you dead?””
“Because I found the records.””
Arthur pressed both hands against his face.
For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the steady beep of the heart monitor.
Then Renee asked the question Emily had been avoiding.
“What happened on the night of the accident?””
Emily closed her eyes.
“I was driving home from work when another car forced me off the road. I remember the impact. I remember waking up in a hospital room.””
“Which hospital?””
“I don't know. I couldn't see the name. My wrists were restrained, and there was a man standing beside the bed.””
“Victor Hale?””
“I never saw his face clearly. But I heard his voice.””
“What did he say?””
Emily began to shake.
“He told someone that I had been given too much time to think. Then he said the documents needed to be recovered before the police found them.””
Renee leaned closer.
“Did you see Martin Bennett?””
“Yes. He came into the room carrying a folder. He told the other man that the funeral arrangements were already being made.””
Arthur stared at her.
“They put you in a coffin while you were still alive?””
Emily began to cry.
“I couldn't move properly. I could hear them talking, but I couldn't make my body respond. I tried to scream. Nothing came out.””
She paused to catch her breath.
“When they lifted me into the coffin, I knew what they were doing. I tried to fight, but my arms barely moved. I remember Martin saying that nobody would open a sealed casket once the service began.””
Renee felt anger settle coldly in her stomach.
“Did he know you were alive?””
Emily nodded.
“He checked my breathing. He said the sedative would keep me quiet long enough.””
“And Victor?””
“He told Martin to make sure I never reached a hospital again.””
Arthur gripped the wall.
“How did you survive?””
Emily looked at Noah.
“My son.””
Noah lifted his head.
“Me?””
“I could hear you outside the coffin,” she whispered.
“I heard you crying. I heard you telling everyone I wasn't dead.””
Her voice broke.
“I wanted to answer you so badly, baby. I tried to scratch the lid. I tried to knock. I thought I was going to die before you heard me.””
Noah buried his face against her arm.
“But you didn't,” he sobbed.
“I got you out.””
“You saved me.””
Renee gave them a moment before returning to the investigation.
“Emily, where are the original financial records?””
Emily's expression changed.
“Hidden.””
“Where?””
“Somewhere Victor would never look.””
“Can you tell me?””
“Not here.””
Renee frowned.
“Why not?””
Emily glanced toward the open doorway.
“Because if Margaret really did help them, she may already know that I'm alive.””
A sharp knock interrupted them.
Officer Miller stepped into the room.
“Detective, we've got a problem.””
Renee turned.
“What happened?””
“Margaret Jackson is downstairs. She says she's here to see her daughter-in-law.””
Arthur's face went white.
Emily clutched Noah's hand.
“No.””
Renee moved toward the doorway.
“Did you tell her Emily was awake?””
“No, ma'am. She said she received a call from Arthur.””
Arthur shook his head.
“I didn't call her.””
Miller frowned.
“Then somebody else did.””
Renee drew a slow breath.
“Keep her in the lobby. Don't let her upstairs.””
But before Miller could leave, a nurse hurried into the room carrying a folded piece of paper.
“This was delivered to the front desk for Mrs. Jackson,” she said.
“The person who brought it left immediately.””
Renee took the paper.
There were only seven words written in black ink.
*THE BOY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BURIED TOO.*
Noah stared at the message.
Arthur wrapped both arms around his son.
Emily began trembling so violently that the monitor sounded an alarm.
Renee looked toward the corridor.
Someone knew Emily had survived.
And whoever had sent that message was no longer trying to hide what they were willing to do.
They were threatening a nine-year-old child.
Renee turned to Miller.
“Lock down this floor. Nobody enters or leaves without being identified.””
Then she looked at Arthur.
“Your mother is downstairs.””
Arthur's jaw tightened.
For the first time since the coffin had opened, his expression held something other than grief.
It held rage.
“I'm going to ask her one question,” he said.
Renee stepped in front of him.
“You're not going anywhere alone.””
Arthur glanced at Emily, then at Noah.
“Fine.””
He looked back toward the corridor.
“But I'm done protecting people who hurt my family.””
At that moment, Renee's phone vibrated.
A message had arrived from the digital forensics team examining Martin Bennett's phone.
They had recovered a deleted audio recording.
Its timestamp matched the night Emily had supposedly died.
And the first voice Renee heard when she pressed play belonged to Margaret Jackson.
“Make sure the boy never learns what happened to his mother.””
Arthur stopped breathing.
Then a second voice answered.
May you like
A voice he recognized immediately.
His own.
