Chapter 5 - THE WIFE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO LOOK CRAZY
By noon, Nora understood Daniel's strategy.
It had started years earlier.
Small comments.
"Nora is emotional."
"Nora gets confused."
"Nora has anxiety."
"Nora forgets things."
At parties, Daniel sometimes laughed while telling stories about things Nora supposedly misplaced.
Most had never happened.
She had assumed they were jokes.
They weren't.
They were preparation.
Rebecca found emails Daniel had sent to friends describing Nora as unstable.
There were messages to his mother.
Messages to business associates.
Even messages to Lucy's school counselor.
Nora stared at one in disbelief.
NORA HAS BEEN STRUGGLING LATELY.
PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY IF LUCY SHOWS ANY SIGNS OF DISTRESS AT HOME.
Nora looked at Rebecca.
"He was building a record."
Rebecca nodded.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"At least eighteen months."
Nora felt physically sick.
Arthur stood near the window.
"Daniel wasn't planning a divorce."
Rebecca looked at him.
"No."
"Why?"
Nora already knew.
"A divorce means financial disclosure."
Rebecca nodded.
"And if he's hiding stolen money, divorce discovery could expose it."
Nora looked at the insurance policy.
"But if something happened to me..."
"He gets money."
Rebecca finished the thought.
"And sympathy."
Arthur added.
"And fewer questions."
Nora closed her eyes.
Lucy appeared at the bottom of the staircase.
"Mommy?"
Nora immediately covered the documents.
"Hey, sweetheart."
Lucy walked slowly toward her.
Her cheek was swollen.
Seeing it made Nora's chest ache.
"Are we going home today?"
Nora knelt.
"This is home for now."
Lucy looked relieved.
That hurt too.
"Is Daddy coming?"
"No."
Lucy's shoulders relaxed.
Arthur noticed.
So did Rebecca.
Nora hugged her daughter.
"You never have to be afraid to tell me something."
Lucy nodded.
"Even if somebody says it's a secret."
"Especially then."
Lucy looked at Arthur.
"Are you Daddy's boss?"
Arthur almost smiled.
"Not exactly."
Lucy thought about it.
"He's scared of you."
Arthur glanced toward Nora.
"Apparently."
Lucy stepped closer.
"Good."
For the first time since the ballroom, Nora laughed.
Only for a second.
But she laughed.
Then the doorbell rang.
Everyone froze.
Arthur's security man checked outside.
"Police."
Rebecca stood.
Two detectives entered.
Detective Maya Brooks and Detective Thomas Grant.
They had reviewed the ballroom footage.
Celeste Laurent was being questioned.
Daniel had hired attorneys.
The detectives asked Nora about the forged documents.
Then about the Switzerland trip.
Then about Daniel's behavior.
Nora answered everything.
Finally, Detective Brooks looked at Lucy.
"We'd like to speak with your daughter later."
Nora tensed.
Rebecca intervened.
"With a child specialist present."
"Of course."
Then Detective Brooks placed a photograph on the table.
Nora stared at it.
A woman she didn't recognize.
Mid-thirties.
Blond.
Pretty.
"Who is she?"
"Emily Cross."
Nora shook her head.
"I don't know her."
Detective Brooks looked at Arthur.
Arthur's face had changed.
"You know her?"
He nodded.
"She worked for Hale Meridian."
The detective continued.
"She died eighteen months ago."
Nora's stomach tightened.
"How?"
"Car accident."
Arthur looked toward the photograph.
"She was an internal auditor."
Detective Brooks nodded.
"Three days before she died, she contacted our financial crimes division."
Nobody moved.
"About Daniel?"
The detective didn't answer directly.
"Her meeting was scheduled for Monday."
"What happened?"
"She died Saturday night."
Nora felt cold.
Detective Brooks placed another photograph on the table.
Emily standing at a company event.
Daniel was visible behind her.
So was Celeste.
Nora stared at Celeste.
"What was her relationship with Emily?"
Detective Brooks looked directly at her.
"That's what we're trying to determine."
Arthur asked the obvious question.
"Was Emily's death investigated?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"Ruled accidental."
A pause.
"At the time."
Nora's skin prickled.
"At the time?"
Detective Brooks leaned forward.
"Mrs. Hale, last night changed several things."
She slid one final photograph across the table.
It showed Emily's damaged car.
On the passenger seat was a silver envelope.
The same kind Daniel had handed Celeste.
Nora whispered.
"What was inside?"
Detective Brooks looked at her.
"We don't know."
"The envelope was empty."
Then she added.
"But somebody's fingerprints were found on it."
Nora already knew before she asked.
"Whose?"
May you like
The detective answered.
"Your husband's."
