Chapter 7: The Person Beside Her
Claire’s words seemed to drain the air from the garage.
The person standing beside you right now.
Maya looked from Claire to me.
Then to Vanessa.
Then to Denise.
Nobody spoke.
The police lights outside painted the garage walls red and blue.
I tightened my grip on the fireplace poker.
“Claire,” I said, “say the name.””
She shook her head.
“I can't.””
“You just told me the person is here.””
“I said the person is beside you.””
“That's not the same thing.””
“It is.””
Maya stepped away from Vanessa.
“Dad…”
Vanessa immediately reached for her.
Maya pulled back.
“Don't touch me.””
Vanessa froze.
Denise moved toward the garage entrance.
“Everyone needs to get outside.””
Claire caught her arm.
“Not yet.””
Denise looked at her.
“Claire.””
“You know who it is.””
Denise's jaw tightened.
“I know who had access.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
The police sirens grew louder.
A patrol car stopped at the end of the driveway.
Two officers stepped out.
One shouted, “Everyone step outside!””
I raised my hands.
“Officer, we're—”
Claire suddenly shoved the folder into my chest.
“Don't let them take this.””
I caught it.
“What?””
“Whatever happens, don't give it to anyone.””
Then she turned toward the garage wall.
There was a narrow door I had never noticed before.
Claire opened it.
“Claire!””
She disappeared through it.
I ran after her.
The door led into a small storage room.
Empty.
I checked the back wall.
No window.
No second door.
Claire was gone.
I returned to the garage.
A police officer stood beside Maya.
“Sir, we received an emergency call from this address.””
Maya raised her hand.
“I made the call.””
“Are you safe?””
She looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
“I don't know.””
The officer looked around.
“Who is the woman in the black coat?””
I opened my mouth.
Before I could answer, Vanessa said, “There is no woman.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She looked at the officer.
“My husband has been under tremendous stress.””
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“Vanessa.””
She didn't look at me.
“There was nobody else here.””
The officer frowned.
“Ma'am, your husband reported someone inside the house.””
“I misunderstood him.””
“You misunderstood?””
“Yes.””
I stepped forward.
“She was here.””
Vanessa finally looked at me.
“No, Daniel.””
Her voice was almost pleading.
“You're confused.””
I stared at her.
Then at Denise.
Denise's face had become expressionless.
The officer asked, “Is there a problem between you two?””
I almost laughed.
“Yes.””
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel, please.””
I held up the folder.
“I have evidence.””
The officer looked at it.
“What kind?””
“Financial records. Trust documents. Transfers.””
Vanessa's expression changed.
She lunged toward the folder.
I stepped back.
“Don't.””
“Give me that.””
“No.””
“You don't understand what you're holding.””
“Then explain.””
She stared at me.
“I can't.””
The same words.
Again.
I opened the folder.
The first pages were the documents Denise had shown me.
But beneath them was something new.
A handwritten letter.
The handwriting was familiar.
My sister's.
I unfolded it.
> Daniel, > > If you're reading this, then Vanessa has finally lost control of the story.
I looked at Vanessa.
She closed her eyes.
I continued.
> I need you to understand one thing. The money was never the real target.
I stopped.
Maya leaned closer.
“What does it say?””
I read the next line.
> Maya was.
The sentence ended there.
Nothing after it.
The rest of the page had been torn away.
I looked at Denise.
“Where's the rest?””
She shook her head.
“I don't have it.””
Vanessa whispered, “Because it was destroyed.””
“By whom?””
She didn't answer.
The officer stepped closer.
“Sir, I need to see that document.””
I handed him the letter.
He read it.
Then looked at me.
“Where did you get this?””
“From Claire.””
“Who's Claire?””
“My sister.””
He glanced toward Vanessa.
“She said there was no other woman here.””
“She lied.””
The officer looked at Vanessa.
“Ma'am?””
Vanessa's hands shook.
“I was scared.””
“Of what?””
She looked directly at Maya.
“Of losing her.””
Maya's face hardened.
“You already did.””
Vanessa began crying.
The officer asked, “Do you know where Claire is?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Denise suddenly said, “Check the upstairs bedroom.””
The officer looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because that's where the second camera is.””
I stared at Denise.
“Second camera?””
She nodded.
“There are two cameras.””
I looked toward the hallway.
“What?””
“The one you saw was moved.””
She pointed upward.
“The other one was hidden.””
We ran upstairs.
The officer entered the bedroom first.
He searched the room.
Nothing.
Then Denise pointed toward the smoke detector.
“Take it down.””
The officer removed the detector.
Inside was a tiny camera.
My stomach dropped.
Maya whispered, “Someone's been watching us.””
Denise nodded.
“For months.””
The officer examined it.
“It's transmitting.””
“To where?””
He checked the device.
“An external server.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Did you know about this?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
The officer asked, “Who installed it?””
Denise answered.
“Richard.””
“Why?””
“To watch Vanessa.””
Vanessa looked confused.
“What?””
“He didn't trust you.””
Denise turned to me.
“Richard knew Vanessa had been keeping something from him.””
“What?””
“The location of the original trust documents.””
I looked at the folder.
“You mean these?””
“No.””
Denise shook her head.
“Those are copies.””
“Where are the originals?””
Nobody answered.
Then Maya remembered the key Claire had given her.
She reached into her pocket.
“This?””
Denise nodded.
“That key opens the safe deposit box.””
The officer said, “We can deal with that at the station.””
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
“Why not?””
“Because Claire said we had to go there first.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She turned the key over.
There was a number engraved on the back.
*417.*
I knew that number.
It was the number of my old safe deposit box.
The one I had closed after Maya's mother died.
I had forgotten about it completely.
Or so I thought.
I looked at Vanessa.
She stared at the key.
“You knew.””
She whispered, “Yes.””
“You knew the box still existed?””
“I thought it was empty.””
“Why?””
“Because your sister told me she destroyed everything inside.””
Denise's eyes narrowed.
“Claire never had the key.””
I looked down.
Then I realized something.
If Claire had never possessed the key, she couldn't have opened the box.
Which meant someone else had.
Someone with access to my records.
Someone who knew where the box was.
Someone who had been inside my house.
The police officer's radio crackled.
He listened.
Then his expression changed.
“Sir.””
“What?””
“We just got a report.””
“About what?””
He looked at Maya.
“The bank called.””
My heart stopped.
“What did they say?””
“The safe deposit box was opened this morning.””
Maya's face went pale.
“By who?””
The officer looked at his notes.
“Someone using your wife's identification.””
Vanessa whispered, “No.””
The officer continued.
“They said the person left twenty minutes ago.””
I stared at Vanessa.
She was crying.
“I didn't go there.””
Then Denise looked toward the staircase.
“You didn't.””
Her voice was quiet.
“But someone used your identity.””
And on the bottom step lay a single object.
A silver bracelet.
May you like
Not Vanessa's.
Claire's.
