Chapter 6 - THE SIGNATURE
Thomas Reed arrived with a box of documents.
Michael's trust.
Claire's will.
Property records.
Insurance policies.
Everything Daniel had tried to access.
They spent hours comparing legitimate signatures against documents recovered from Daniel's laptop.
The laptop had been found in a storage unit registered under Margaret's name.
Inside were files on Claire.
Hundreds of them.
Photographs.
Financial statements.
Medical records.
Even screenshots of private messages between Claire and Rachel.
“He was documenting you,” Thomas said.
“No.”
Claire stared at the screen.
“He was building a version of me.”
A version where Claire was unstable.
Forgetful.
Emotionally disturbed.
Unable to manage money.
One document was titled:
POST-MARRIAGE EMERGENCY PLAN.
Claire opened it.
Her hands shook.
The plan was horrifyingly simple.
Marry Claire.
Drug her that evening.
Stage a violent psychological episode.
Call Dr. Warren.
Have Claire transported to Hawthorne.
Activate forged medical power of attorney.
Petition for emergency control of assets.
Then modify insurance beneficiaries.
Claire stopped reading.
Thomas noticed.
“What?”
She pointed.
Life insurance.
Five million dollars.
Beneficiary after marriage:
Daniel Mercer.
Claire stood abruptly.
Lily had saved her life.
Literally.
Daniel hadn't needed Claire dead before the wedding.
He needed her alive long enough to become his wife.
After that?
She became worth more dead than alive.
Detective Torres arrived twenty minutes later.
“We have warrants.”
“For Daniel?”
“And Margaret.”
“Where are they?”
“Gone.”
Claire's stomach dropped.
“They left the hotel separately.”
“Dr. Warren?”
“Also missing.”
Claire looked toward Lily's room.
“Are we safe?”
Torres didn't answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
Police protection was arranged.
Claire and Lily moved to an undisclosed location.
But that night, Lily couldn't sleep.
Claire lay beside her.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Is Daniel going to hurt us?”
Claire wanted to say no.
Instead, she said, “People are protecting us.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
Claire looked at her daughter.
“No.”
She forced confidence into her voice.
“He won't get near you.”
At 3:07 a.m., Claire woke to the sound of breaking glass.
She sat up.
The bedroom door opened.
Detective Torres entered with her weapon drawn.
“Stay here.”
“What happened?”
“Someone tried to get inside.”
Lily sat up.
“Daniel?”
“We don't know.”
Torres disappeared.
Minutes later, officers found no intruder.
Only a broken kitchen window.
And something lying on the floor beneath it.
A velvet box.
Claire stared at it.
Inside was Rebecca's wedding ring.
May you like
And beneath the ring was a handwritten note.
YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID YES.
