Chapter 7: The Second Letter
Nathan stood in the doorway with blood on his shirt and my father’s letter in his hand.
Claire’s fingers tightened around mine.
Detective Bennett moved first.
“Nathan, put the letter on the table.””
He didn’t move.
“Nathan.””
“It’s not my blood.””
“That doesn’t change what I asked.””
His eyes found mine.
“Daniel, you need to read this before they take it.””
“Put it down.””
“Mom lied about everything.””
“You’re going to have to be more specific.””
Nathan gave a broken laugh.
Then he placed the letter on the table.
One officer immediately stepped between us.
Bennett pointed toward the blood.
“Whose is it?””
“Thomas Reed’s.””
Claire gasped.
I stepped forward.
“What did you do?””
“Nothing.””
“You show up covered in his blood—”
“He was attacked again.””
Bennett’s expression hardened.
“Where?””
“Hospital parking garage.””
She pulled out her phone.
Nathan raised both hands.
“Thomas is alive. Your officer is with him.””
Bennett made the call anyway.
While she spoke, I stared at my brother.
“Why do you have the letter?””
“Thomas gave it to me.””
“Why would he trust you?””
“He doesn’t.””
Nathan looked at Claire.
“He trusts her.””
Claire’s face tightened.
“What did Thomas say?””
“He said Robert told him that if anything happened, the letter had to reach you or Daniel.””
Bennett ended her call.
“Mr. Reed is alive. He was struck while being moved between departments. Hospital security is reviewing footage.””
“Who attacked him?”” I asked.
“They don’t know yet.””
Nathan looked at me.
“I found him beside his car. That’s where the blood came from.””
“And the folder in Mom’s trunk?””
“She stole it from the warehouse.””
“How do you know?””
“I saw her.””
The room went silent.
“You saw Evelyn at the warehouse?”” Bennett asked.
Nathan nodded.
“She was leaving through the rear loading entrance when Daniel and I arrived.””
My anger rose.
“You didn’t say anything.””
“I thought she’d come for Thomas.””
“She had.””
“No.”” Nathan shook his head.
“She came for the letter.””
Bennett put on gloves and opened the folded pages.
“Before anyone reads this, I’m photographing it.””
I paced beside Claire’s bed while Bennett documented every page.
Nathan stayed against the wall.
Finally, Bennett handed the letter to me.
My father’s handwriting began neatly.
Then it became shakier.
Daniel, if this letter reaches you, then the truth has already become dangerous.
I swallowed.
Claire watched me.
I continued.
My father explained that thirty-six years earlier, before he married Evelyn, he had purchased a portfolio of distressed properties with a business partner.
Susan Parker.
Claire’s mother.
I stopped.
“Your mother wasn’t his assistant.””
Claire looked stunned.
“What?””
I handed her the page.
“She was his partner.””
Claire read quickly.
“My mother never told me.””
According to Dad, Susan had provided almost half the original capital using money inherited from her grandparents.
The properties increased dramatically in value.
Then Susan disappeared from the business.
Not voluntarily.
My father wrote that Evelyn had discovered their partnership shortly after beginning a relationship with him.
She became convinced Susan was more than a business partner.
Maybe she had been.
Dad never admitted it.
But Evelyn gave him an ultimatum.
Susan or her.
Dad chose Evelyn.
Susan accepted a private agreement: her ownership would remain protected through a holding company, and her share would eventually pass to her child.
Claire.
I lowered the letter.
“So half those properties were already yours.””
Claire looked numb.
“I didn’t know.””
Nathan whispered, “Mom did.””
I continued reading.
Years later, after Susan died, Evelyn apparently discovered the original ownership agreement.
She pressured Robert to dissolve the holding company.
He refused.
Then he discovered something worse.
Evelyn had begun forging his signature.
Loans.
Transfers.
Property documents.
And one attempted amendment that would have transferred Susan’s entire share into a trust controlled by Evelyn.
Claire covered her mouth.
“She tried to steal my mother’s inheritance.””
“Yes.””
Nathan stared at the floor.
Bennett asked, “Does the letter identify anyone who helped her?””
I turned the page.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Nathan Hayes.
He looked up.
“What?””
I read aloud.
I believe Evelyn has used Nathan’s position and signature to authorize transfers. I do not yet know whether my younger son understands the extent of the fraud.
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Jesus.””
“You signed them,” I said.
“She told me they were refinancing documents.””
“How many?””
“I don’t know.””
“How many, Nathan?””
“Dozens.””
Claire stared at him.
“And you never read them?””
“I trusted my mother.””
I nearly exploded.
“So did Dad.””
Nathan looked at me.
“And look what happened to him.””
Silence.
I returned to the final page.
My father described the night he planned to confront Evelyn.
He had asked Thomas Reed to meet him at the warehouse with copies of the fraudulent records.
But before Thomas arrived, Evelyn came.
Dad wrote one final sentence beneath the main letter, apparently added earlier that same day:
If Evelyn discovers what I know, I fear she will not merely take the company. She will make certain there is no one left who can challenge her.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone looked at me.
I answered.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
Then breathing.
“Mom?””
A woman’s voice finally spoke.
“Daniel.””
Evelyn.
Bennett immediately motioned for silence.
“Where are you?””
“That doesn’t matter.””
“You drugged Claire.””
“She forced my hand.””
Claire’s face changed.
I put the call on speaker.
“You put my pregnant wife in a coffin.””
“I was trying to stop a disaster.””
“You nearly killed her.””
“She was never supposed to wake up before I could fix this.””
Even Nathan looked horrified.
Bennett began signaling to the officer.
“Fix what?”” I asked.
“The mistake your father made thirty-six years ago.””
Claire whispered, “My mother?””
Evelyn heard her.
Her voice sharpened.
“Claire should have stayed out of this family’s business.””
“It was her family’s business too.””
A long pause.
Then Evelyn laughed softly.
“You still don’t understand.””
“What?””
“Robert didn’t leave that trust to Claire’s daughter because of Susan.””
I looked at Claire.
“Then why?””
May you like
Evelyn’s next words turned the room cold.
“Because Robert knew the baby wasn’t yours.””
