Chapter 6 - CELESTE STARTS TALKING
Celeste Laurent lasted six hours.
At first, she denied everything.
She denied deliberately bumping Lucy.
Then detectives showed her the video.
She claimed the slap had been reflexive.
Then they showed her witnesses.
She claimed Daniel had nothing to do with it.
Then investigators showed her the corridor footage.
By midnight, Celeste requested a lawyer.
By morning, she requested a deal.
Daniel didn't know.
Not yet.
Nora sat across from Detective Brooks in Rebecca's office.
"She's talking?"
"Carefully."
"About Daniel?"
"About herself first."
Detective Brooks folded her hands.
"Celeste says Daniel told her your marriage was ending."
Nora almost smiled.
"Of course he did."
"He promised to marry her."
"Of course."
"He also promised her a substantial ownership stake in Hale Meridian."
Arthur's expression hardened.
"He doesn't own enough shares to promise that."
"Apparently Celeste didn't know."
Nora looked toward the detective.
"What happened at the ballroom?"
Brooks opened her notebook.
"According to Celeste, Daniel wanted you to leave early."
"Why?"
"He had arranged a meeting upstairs."
"With whom?"
"A private banker."
Arthur swore quietly.
Brooks continued.
"Daniel intended to move approximately four million dollars through an offshore account."
Nora stared at her.
"And Celeste?"
"She was supposed to create an embarrassing incident."
"Using Lucy?"
Brooks nodded.
"Daniel told Celeste to spill something on you."
Nora's face tightened.
"But I wasn't standing there."
"No."
"Lucy was."
"According to Celeste, she improvised."
Nora's hands curled into fists.
"She used my daughter because I wasn't available."
Brooks nodded.
"And Daniel watched."
"Yes."
Nora closed her eyes.
There were levels of betrayal she hadn't known existed.
Daniel hadn't planned for Lucy to lose a tooth.
But he had agreed to humiliate his wife publicly.
Celeste had simply chosen a smaller target.
A seven-year-old target.
"Why did Celeste slap her?"
Brooks hesitated.
"She claims she panicked."
Nora laughed bitterly.
"She panicked because orange juice touched her dress?"
"There's another explanation."
Nora looked at her.
"Celeste believed Lucy recognized her."
Nora remembered Lucy seeing Celeste at Daniel's office.
"She did."
Brooks nodded.
"Celeste was afraid Lucy might say something in front of the guests."
Nora felt sick.
"So she hit her."
"Apparently."
Arthur looked toward the window.
"What about Emily Cross?"
Detective Brooks became more careful.
"Celeste denies involvement."
"Daniel?"
"She says Daniel hated Emily."
"Why?"
"Emily discovered the shell companies."
Arthur's face hardened.
Brooks continued.
"She threatened to report him."
Nora asked quietly.
"Did Daniel kill her?"
"We don't know."
"Do you think he did?"
Brooks paused.
"I think we're reopening the case."
Nora looked toward Rebecca.
Then her phone rang.
Daniel.
Again.
Rebecca nodded.
"Answer."
Nora put the phone on speaker.
"Hello?"
Daniel's voice came through softly.
"Nora."
She said nothing.
"I've been thinking."
Nora almost laughed.
"That's new."
Arthur looked down to hide a smile.
Daniel ignored it.
"I know you're angry."
"Lucy lost a tooth."
"I know."
"Do you?"
A pause.
"I want to see her."
"No."
"I'm her father."
"Then you should have behaved like one."
Daniel exhaled.
"We can't undo what happened."
"No."
"But we can stop making it worse."
Nora looked at Detective Brooks.
"How?"
"Come home."
"No."
"We'll talk privately."
"No."
"Nora, please."
The word sounded unnatural coming from him.
Then Daniel said something unexpected.
"Celeste is gone."
Nora looked at Brooks.
Celeste was very much not gone.
"Really?"
"I ended it."
Nora understood.
Daniel didn't know Celeste was cooperating.
"I realized what she is."
Nora stared at the phone.
"And what is she?"
"Dangerous."
Nora almost admired the hypocrisy.
"You watched her hit Lucy."
"I made a terrible mistake."
"Which one?"
Silence.
"Cheating?"
Nora continued.
"Forging my signature?"
Silence.
"Taking out a twenty-five-million-dollar life insurance policy?"
Daniel stopped breathing.
Nora heard it.
Then his voice changed.
"Who told you about that?"
There he was.
The real Daniel.
Nora looked at Brooks.
"Does it matter?"
"Who has been going through my files?"
"Your files?"
"Nora."
His voice sharpened.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with."
"Then explain it."
"Not on the phone."
"Why?"
Daniel was silent.
Then he said quietly.
"Because some mistakes can't be fixed once the wrong people know about them."
Nobody in the room moved.
Nora felt cold.
"Is that a threat?"
Daniel exhaled.
"No."
"It sounded like one."
"I'm trying to protect you."
Nora looked at the detective.
"From whom?"
Another long silence.
Then Daniel whispered.
"Arthur Whitmore."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
Nora almost laughed.
But Daniel continued.
"You think he's helping you?"
"Yes."
"Ask him about your father."
Nora froze.
Arthur's expression changed.
Daniel heard the silence.
His voice softened.
"See?"
Nora looked at Arthur.
"What about my father?"
Arthur said nothing.
Daniel laughed quietly through the phone.
"He never told you."
Nora's heart started pounding.
"Daniel."
"Ask Arthur why your father really died."
Then the call ended.
Nora slowly lowered the phone.
May you like
Every person in the room turned toward Arthur.
And for the first time since the ballroom, Arthur Whitmore looked afraid.
