Chapter 4: My Brother's Secret
For several seconds, nobody in the interview room moved.
Detective Brooks stood beside the laptop, one hand resting on the back of his chair. Vanessa sat with her face buried in her palms, her shoulders shaking beneath her gray coat.
I couldn't stop staring at the message on the screen.
*SHE'S ALREADY IN THE HOSPITAL. HE WON'T NOTICE IF SHE STOPS CALLING.*
My brother had received those words while my daughter was fighting for her life.
And someone had known exactly how to make her father disappear.
I looked at Vanessa.
“What did Daniel mean by that?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
“Stop saying that!””
My palm struck the table hard enough to rattle the water glasses.
“Your device was connected to my account. You admitted you accessed my messages. You knew Lily was in the hospital, and now my brother's name is on a message about her. Tell me what happened!””
Vanessa flinched.
Detective Brooks stepped between us.
“Mr. Bennett, sit down.””
“That's my daughter we're talking about!””
“I understand. But if you want answers, you need to let us establish the facts.””
I lowered myself into the chair, trembling with anger.
Brooks turned to Vanessa.
“You said Mr. Daniel Bennett was in Savannah that weekend. When did you see him?””
“Friday afternoon.””
“Where?””
“At the hotel.””
I stared at her.
“You told me you didn't know anyone in Savannah.””
“I lied.””
“Of course you did.””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks with a tissue.
“Daniel contacted me a few weeks ago. He said he knew about our relationship and wanted to talk.””
“Why would my brother contact my mistress?””
“Because he hated you.””
The words landed with brutal simplicity.
Daniel and I had never been close as adults. After our father died, we fought over the family business, the house, and the money we'd inherited. I accused him of taking advantage of our father's illness. He accused me of manipulating our father into changing his will.
Eventually, Daniel stopped answering my calls.
I told everyone he was bitter.
I never asked whether I had given him a reason to be.
“What did he want from you?”” I asked.
Vanessa looked down at her hands.
“He wanted proof that you were cheating. He said Danielle deserved to know.””
“So you two were working together?””
“No. Not exactly.””
“What does that mean?””
“He said he'd help me get you to leave your wife. He thought if Danielle discovered the affair, she'd throw you out. Then you'd have nowhere to go but to me.””
I stared at her in disbelief.
“You planned to destroy my marriage so I would choose you?””
“I thought I was forcing you to make a decision!””
“By involving my brother?””
“He approached me first!””
Brooks raised a hand.
“Ms. Cole, did you give Daniel access to your tablet?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Why?””
“He said he wanted to see the messages between Mark and Danielle. He wanted proof that Mark was lying about the state of his marriage.””
“And you allowed him to access your device?””
“I gave him the tablet. I thought he was going to look at the messages between Mark and his wife.””
“What happened after that?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“He asked about Lily.””
My stomach tightened.
“What about her?””
“He asked whether she was really in the hospital. I told him what Mark had told me.””
“What exactly did you tell him?””
“That she was sick, that Danielle was staying with her, and that Mark was supposed to be in Savannah with me.””
Brooks wrote something down.
“Did you tell him Lily was calling her father?””
“I showed him the notifications.””
I closed my eyes.
My brother had seen my daughter's name on the screen. He had known she was frightened enough to keep calling.
And he had decided she was an inconvenience.
“Did Daniel send the messages?”” Brooks asked.
Vanessa hesitated.
“I didn't see him type them.””
“Did you see him use your tablet?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“After he read the messages from Danielle. He took the tablet into the hotel bathroom. When he came out, he said he'd handled something.””
“What did he mean by that?””
“I thought he'd sent Danielle the evidence of the affair.””
“But he hadn't?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“He told me not to worry about it. He said Mark would be forced to choose between his wife and his girlfriend by Monday.””
I could barely breathe.
“Did you know he had contacted Lily?””
“No.””
“Did you know he'd told her not to call me?””
“No!””
Her voice broke.
“I swear, Mark. I knew he was angry with you, but I never thought he'd involve a child.””
I stood so abruptly my chair scraped backward.
“You gave him access to a device that could reach my daughter.””
“I didn't know he would do that!””
“You knew what kind of man he was!””
Vanessa began crying harder.
Brooks's voice cut through the room.
“Both of you, stop.””
He turned toward Vanessa.
“Did you preserve the tablet?””
“Yes.””
“Where is it now?””
“At my apartment.””
“Is it still in your possession?””
“Yes.””
“Has anyone else handled it since Friday?””
She hesitated.
“Daniel came to my apartment Saturday morning.””
My blood ran cold.
“Saturday?””
“He wanted the tablet again.””
“Why?””
“He said he needed to make sure there was nothing left that could be traced to him.””
Brooks's expression changed.
“What did you do?””
“I gave it to him.””
I stared at her.
“You handed him the device after you knew Lily had received those messages?””
“I didn't know about the messages until Mark called me last night!””
“You knew he was hiding something!””
“I was scared!””
“So was my daughter!””
The room fell silent.
Vanessa pressed a tissue to her mouth.
Brooks took out his phone and made a call. He spoke quietly, requesting that officers verify the tablet's current location and determine whether Daniel could be contacted.
When he finished, he sat down again.
“Ms. Cole, you need to understand that your decisions may have compromised evidence. You need to tell us everything you remember, even if you believe it makes you look bad.””
Vanessa nodded.
Then she reached into her purse and removed a folded piece of paper.
“I kept this.””
Brooks accepted it carefully.
“What is it?””
“A note Daniel left at my apartment on Saturday.””
He unfolded it.
The handwriting was hurried, pressed hard enough to leave indentations on the paper.
I watched Brooks read it.
His expression grew increasingly severe.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he placed the paper on the table between us.
The message was short.
*If Mark asks about Friday, tell him I never touched the tablet. If the police ask about Lily, tell them the messages came from his phone. He deserves to lose everything.*
I read it twice.
My brother hadn't simply wanted me to lose my marriage.
He had anticipated an investigation.
He had considered what would happen if someone discovered the messages.
And he had prepared Vanessa to lie.
I looked at her.
“Why didn't you give this to the police before?””
“Because I thought he'd come after me.””
“Why would he come after you?””
Vanessa stared at the note.
“Because I wasn't the only person he threatened.””
Brooks leaned forward.
“Who else?””
She slowly lifted her eyes to mine.
“Danielle.””
My heart stopped.
“What did he do to my wife?””
Vanessa shook her head, tears falling onto her coat.
“He told me he had proof Danielle was hiding something from you. He said if I helped him expose your affair, he'd expose her secret, too.””
“What secret?””
“I don't know.””
“Vanessa!””
“He never told me!””
Brooks stood and collected the note.
“We're going to need the complete history of your communications with Daniel. Every message, every call, every conversation you remember.””
He looked at me.
“And Mr. Bennett, I need you to contact your wife. Ask her whether Daniel has been in touch with her recently.
Don't accuse her of anything. Just ask.””
I left the station feeling as though the ground beneath my life had been replaced with broken glass.
When I reached my car, my phone rang.
Danielle.
I answered immediately.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
“At my sister's.””
“Have you spoken to Daniel?””
Silence.
Then she said, “Why are you asking me that?””
“Because he's involved in the investigation.””
Her breathing changed.
“Mark, there's something I should have told you before Lily died.””
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
“What?””
“I received an envelope from your brother on Thursday morning. He said it was about you.””
“What was in it?””
“A photograph. And a letter.””
“What photograph?””
Danielle's voice trembled.
“A picture of you with Vanessa.””
I shut my eyes.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because the letter said if I exposed your affair before Monday, someone would make sure Lily never got to speak to you again.””
The world seemed to stop.
I heard my own breathing, harsh and uneven.
“Danielle, what exactly did the letter say?””
She began to cry.
May you like
And then she whispered something that made me realize my brother might have known far more about my daughter's final days than anyone had imagined.
“He said Lily was the only person who could make you tell the truth.””
