Chapter 9 - Vanessa Came Back
Daniel grabbed a fireplace poker.
Margaret called security.
I stayed near the blue room doorway.
Footsteps thundered up the service stairs.
Then Vanessa appeared.
Her hair was messy.
Her black dress was torn at the shoulder.
Blood ran from a cut above her eyebrow.
Daniel lowered the poker slightly.
“What happened?”
“My father.”
Margaret stared at her.
“You said he was dead.”
“I lied.”
“No kidding.”
Vanessa slammed the door behind her.
“He knows Emily found Michael.”
I crossed my arms.
“You helped him?”
“At first.”
Of course she had.
She looked at me.
“I thought the ledger would destroy my family.”
“So you planted a necklace in my bag.”
“Yes.”
“You slapped me.”
Her expression flickered.
“Yes.”
“You tried to get me arrested.”
“Yes.”
I stepped closer.
“And now you want help.”
“No.”
She looked directly into my eyes.
“I want to help you kill everything he built.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What changed?”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“He tried to kill me.”
That would do it.
She explained quickly.
After leaving police questioning, she had contacted Robert.
He blamed her for failing to get the key.
She told him she was done.
He sent two men to her apartment.
“They weren’t there to talk.”
She showed bruises on her wrists.
“I got out through the service elevator.”
I didn’t trust her.
Not remotely.
But fear in her eyes was real.
“You know where the ledger is?” she asked.
Daniel folded the address paper before she could see it.
“Maybe.”
Vanessa nodded.
“Then you need to know something.”
“What?”
“My father has a source inside the police department.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“That’s how Michael disappeared?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Vanessa looked at me.
“But I know what Robert plans to do if the ledger comes out.”
“What?”
“He has documents prepared that make Emily look like the person behind the current theft.”
I laughed.
“Another frame job?”
“Much bigger.”
“How much?”
“Fourteen million dollars.”
Margaret whispered, “My God.”
Vanessa continued.
“Accounts were opened under Emily Carter’s name eight months ago.”
My blood froze.
“How?”
“Your employment records gave him everything he needed.”
I stared at Margaret.
The mansion had my Social Security number.
Copies of my driver’s license.
Bank information.
Robert had access through Vanessa.
“He’s preparing to claim Emily discovered the old scheme and recreated it.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That’s insane.”
“It doesn’t need to hold forever.”
Vanessa’s voice became grim.
“It only needs to hold long enough for Robert to destroy the original evidence.”
My phone buzzed.
Bank alert.
I opened it.
A deposit.
$250,000.
Into my checking account.
I stared at the screen.
“I didn’t do this.”
Daniel looked.
Another alert appeared.
Then another.
Transfers.
Large transfers.
Someone was moving money into my name in real time.
Vanessa whispered, “It started.”
Then police sirens sounded outside.
A moment later, the intercom crackled.
“Mr. Whitmore?”
Daniel pressed the button.
“Yes?”
“Detectives are requesting access.”
“For what?”
The guard hesitated.
“They have a warrant.”
My stomach dropped.
“A warrant for whom?”
May you like
The answer came through the speaker.
“Emily Carter.”
