Chapter 11 - THE FLASH DRIVE
Celeste hid the flash drive inside a bank deposit box.
Not under her name.
Under Emily Cross's mother's name.
Celeste had kept it as insurance.
She claimed she never opened it.
Detective Brooks didn't believe her.
Neither did Nora.
But that no longer mattered.
The drive contained everything.
Financial records.
Recorded conversations.
Emails.
Photographs.
And one audio file recorded by Emily three days before her death.
Nora listened beside Arthur and Rebecca.
Emily's voice came through the speakers.
"If anything happens to me, Daniel Hale needs to be investigated."
Nora closed her eyes.
Emily continued.
"He knows I discovered the accounts."
Then another voice.
Daniel.
Recorded secretly during an argument.
"You have no idea who you're threatening."
Emily answered.
"I'm not threatening you."
"I'm reporting you."
Daniel laughed.
"You think you're the first person who tried?"
The recording ended.
But there was more.
A photograph of Daniel meeting a man named Victor Sloane.
Sloane owned an auto repair business.
He also had a criminal record.
And eighteen months earlier, his shop had serviced Emily's car.
Investigators reopened the vehicle.
The conclusion changed quickly.
Emily's brake line had been deliberately damaged.
Victor Sloane was arrested two days later.
He talked within twelve hours.
Daniel had paid him fifty thousand dollars.
Not to kill Emily, Sloane insisted.
Only to "scare her."
Nobody believed the distinction mattered.
Daniel was charged with conspiracy related to Emily's death.
Financial fraud charges followed.
Forgery.
Embezzlement.
Witness intimidation.
Child endangerment.
Assault.
The empire began collapsing.
But Daniel still had one weapon.
His family.
His mother, Evelyn Hale, appeared on television.
She wore black.
She cried beautifully.
"My son is being destroyed by a vindictive wife and opportunistic people."
Nora watched from the brownstone.
Lucy sat beside her.
"Grandma is lying."
Nora turned off the television.
"Yes."
"Does she know she's lying?"
Nora thought about it.
"Probably."
Lucy looked sad.
"Why?"
Nora pulled her close.
"Sometimes people protect the version of their family they want instead of the people who are actually being hurt."
Lucy thought about that.
"That's stupid."
Nora smiled.
"Yes."
The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the brownstone.
Nora refused to let her inside.
Evelyn stood on the sidewalk.
"You're keeping my granddaughter from me."
Nora stared at her.
"Lucy doesn't want to see you."
"She's a child."
"Exactly."
"Daniel loves her."
Nora laughed.
"You should hear what your son says when he thinks nobody will hold him accountable."
Evelyn's face tightened.
"Marriage is difficult."
"This isn't marriage."
"You made vows."
"So did he."
Evelyn lowered her voice.
"Think carefully."
Nora stared at her.
"Daniel's assets may be frozen."
"I know."
"Your lifestyle will disappear."
Nora almost smiled.
"You still don't understand."
"What?"
"I'd rather live in this little house with Lucy forever than spend one more night in that mansion."
Evelyn looked at the brownstone with disgust.
"You're throwing away everything."
"No."
Nora looked through the window at her daughter.
"I'm keeping the only thing that matters."
Evelyn's expression hardened.
Then she said something unexpected.
"You think Richard Bennett was innocent?"
Nora froze.
Evelyn smiled.
"Arthur didn't tell you everything."
Nora's heart started pounding.
"What are you talking about?"
Evelyn stepped closer.
"Your father didn't simply discover Robert's scheme."
She lowered her voice.
"He helped create it."
Nora stared at her.
May you like
Then Evelyn smiled.
"And Arthur Whitmore knows exactly why."
