Chapter 2 - THE HUSBAND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
“Emma, talk to me.”
Nathan walked beside the stretcher.
Emma looked away.
“Please.”
The paramedics reached the ambulance.
Nathan grabbed the rear door.
Jason blocked him.
“Sir, step back.”
“I’m her husband.”
“I understand.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“We know.”
“I’m going with her.”
Emma spoke.
“No.”
Nathan froze.
Jason looked between them.
“Ma’am?”
“I don’t want him in the ambulance.”
Nathan stared at her.
“What?”
Emma kept her eyes on the ceiling.
“Please keep him away from me.”
Nathan’s face collapsed.
“Emma, what the hell happened?”
She finally looked at him.
“Ask your sister.”
Nathan turned.
Evelyn stood near the front entrance between two officers.
His eyes widened.
He looked at the staircase.
Then Emma.
Then Evelyn again.
“No.”
Emma said nothing.
Nathan walked toward Evelyn.
“What did you do?”
Evelyn lifted both hands.
“Nothing.”
Nathan kept moving.
“What did you do?”
“She attacked me!”
Nathan stopped.
“What?”
“She went crazy.”
Evelyn pointed toward Emma.
“She started accusing Mom of stealing money, and then she came at me.”
Emma watched Nathan carefully.
Not Evelyn.
Nathan.
She wanted to see his reaction to the words stealing money.
There it was.
A flicker.
Tiny.
Fast.
But unmistakable.
Nathan knew.
Maybe not everything.
But something.
Evelyn continued.
“She slipped.”
Nathan’s face hardened.
“You’re saying Emma attacked you?”
“Yes.”
“While she’s seven months pregnant?”
Evelyn hesitated.
“She was hysterical.”
Nathan looked at Rosa.
“Rosa.”
Rosa looked terrified.
“What happened?”
Evelyn interrupted.
“She didn’t see anything.”
Nathan ignored his sister.
“Rosa.”
Rosa’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I’m sorry.”
Nathan stared at her.
Then slowly turned toward Evelyn.
Evelyn stepped backward.
“Nathan…”
He moved toward her.
One of the officers intervened.
“Sir.”
Nathan stopped.
His fists clenched.
“You pushed my wife?”
Evelyn’s voice dropped.
“She deserved—”
She stopped.
Too late.
Nathan lunged forward.
Two officers caught him.
“You touched her?”
“Nathan!”
Charles grabbed his son’s shoulder.
“Stop.”
Nathan twisted away.
“She could have killed my child!”
Evelyn shouted back.
“She was going to destroy us!”
The driveway became silent.
Hayes slowly turned toward her.
Emma closed her eyes.
There it was.
Another mistake.
Nathan stopped fighting the officers.
“What did you say?”
Evelyn’s face changed.
“I…”
Nathan stared at her.
“Destroy us how?”
“Nothing.”
“What was Emma going to destroy?”
“I said nothing.”
Nathan looked toward his mother.
Margaret stood frozen near the entrance.
“Mom?”
Margaret looked away.
Nathan turned toward his father.
“Dad?”
Charles said nothing.
Nathan’s eyes moved toward Hayes.
Then finally back to Emma.
Emma watched him carefully.
Nathan approached the ambulance.
“Emma.”
She said nothing.
“What did you find?”
The question hurt more than it should have.
Not what happened.
Not are you okay.
What did you find?
Emma stared at him.
“That’s what you want to know?”
Nathan realized his mistake.
“No.”
“You didn’t ask whether the baby was okay.”
“I know the paramedics are checking—”
“You asked what I found.”
“Because Evelyn said—”
“Did you know?”
Nathan went still.
Emma’s voice shook.
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“The transfers.”
Nathan’s eyes changed.
Emma felt something inside her break.
“You did.”
“No.”
“You did.”
“Emma, listen to me.”
“How much did you know?”
Nathan looked around.
Police.
Family.
Employees.
Everyone listening.
“Not here.”
Emma laughed once.
The sound was empty.
“Of course.”
“Emma.”
“Everything in this family is always not here.”
Nathan lowered his voice.
“Please.”
“Not in front of the staff.”
“Emma…”
“Not in front of investors.”
“Stop.”
“Not in front of your parents.”
“Please stop.”
“Not in front of your sister.”
Nathan looked shattered.
Emma continued.
“Not in public.”
Her eyes filled.
“Not ever.”
Nathan reached toward her.
Emma pulled away.
“You told me I was paranoid.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Nathan said nothing.
Emma’s heart pounded.
“From what, Nathan?”
Hayes stepped closer.
“Mr. Whitmore, I suggest you answer very carefully.”
Nathan looked at him.
“I’m speaking to my wife.”
“And your wife is part of an active investigation.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“You brought her into this?”
Hayes remained calm.
“She came to us.”
Nathan looked at Emma.
“When?”
“Four months ago.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Four months?”
Emma nodded.
“You wouldn’t listen.”
“Emma…”
“So I found someone who would.”
The ambulance monitor beeped.
Jason looked at the readings.
“We need to go.”
Emma suddenly gripped his arm.
“Wait.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
A sharp pain ripped through her abdomen.
Her face tightened.
Jason immediately checked her.
“Where?”
“Lower.”
“Cramping?”
“Yes.”
“How strong?”
Emma couldn’t answer.
Another paramedic climbed inside.
“Let’s move.”
Nathan went pale.
“Is the baby okay?”
“We need imaging.”
“I’m coming.”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
Nathan’s eyes filled with desperation.
“Emma, please.”
The doors began closing.
Emma looked at him through the narrowing gap.
“Tell Detective Hayes about the $480,000.”
Nathan’s face went completely still.
Then the doors closed.
The ambulance pulled away.
Nathan stood alone in the driveway.
Hayes watched him.
Nathan slowly turned.
“What exactly did she tell you?”
Hayes did not answer.
Nathan looked toward his mother.
Margaret was gone.
He frowned.
“Where’s Mom?”
Charles turned toward the doorway.
Margaret had disappeared.
So had Evelyn.
Hayes immediately looked at the officers.
“Where is Evelyn Whitmore?”
One officer pointed toward the foyer.
“She was right there.”
Hayes swore.
“Lock the property down.”
Charles stepped forward.
“You cannot lock down my home.”
Hayes turned toward him.
“Watch me.”
Officers rushed inside.
Nathan followed.
“Evelyn!”
No answer.
They crossed the foyer.
Rosa remained near the staircase.
She looked terrified.
Hayes approached her.
“Where did they go?”
Rosa hesitated.
Nathan looked at her.
“Rosa.”
She whispered.
“The east hallway.”
Nathan ran.
Hayes followed.
The east hallway led toward Margaret’s private office.
The door was open.
The room was empty.
But a painting behind the desk had been pulled away from the wall.
Nathan stopped.
Behind it was a safe.
Open.
Empty.
Hayes stepped beside him.
“What was kept in there?”
Nathan stared.
“I don’t know.”
Hayes looked at him.
Nathan corrected himself.
“I don’t know anymore.”
A window stood open.
Curtains moved in the night breeze.
Hayes walked toward it.
Outside was a garden path.
At the end of that path sat the estate’s detached garage.
An engine started.
Nathan ran to the window.
Headlights appeared beyond the hedges.
A white SUV accelerated toward the service gate.
“Evelyn!”
Hayes grabbed his radio.
“Vehicle leaving east service road.”
Nathan stared as the SUV disappeared.
“Who’s driving?”
Charles entered behind them.
His face went pale when he saw the empty safe.
Then he whispered.
“Margaret.”
Nathan turned.
“Mom is with her?”
Charles shook his head.
“No.”
His voice became quieter.
“That car belongs to your mother.”
Hayes looked at the empty safe.
“What was in here, Mr. Whitmore?”
Charles sat slowly in a chair.
For the first time that night, the powerful businessman looked old.
“Documents.”
“What documents?”
Charles stared at the floor.
“Things that were supposed to have been destroyed twenty-three years ago.”
Nathan frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Charles looked at his son.
Then at Hayes.
May you like
And spoke five words that changed the investigation completely.
“Emma was never the target.”
