Nobody spoke for several seconds after Dad said twenty years.<\/p>\n
The number was too large.<\/p>\n
Patrick and I had been married six.<\/p>\n
We had dated two before that.<\/p>\n
Twenty years reached back into my childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad leaned forward, elbows on his knees.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus Cole\u2019s father was named Victor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen immediately opened her laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor Cole?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a minority partner in a manufacturing company I owned before Bennett Industrial became what it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had heard stories about Dad\u2019s early business years.<\/p>\n
Tiny warehouses.<\/p>\n
Bad loans.<\/p>\n
Machines repaired with borrowed parts.<\/p>\n
I had never heard Victor\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe discovered he was stealing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason sat beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA great deal for us at the time. Enough to nearly destroy the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI confronted him. He denied it. We audited everything. Eventually there was proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he go to prison?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s mouth tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe disappeared before charges could move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen typed quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisappeared?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLeft the country, according to what we were told.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to Marcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was young. Maybe eighteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about the timeline.<\/p>\n
Patrick was roughly my age.<\/p>\n
Marcus was older by nearly a decade.<\/p>\n
Dad continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictor blamed me for everything before he vanished. Said I had stolen the company from him, ruined his family, destroyed his son\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas any of that true?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I believed him.<\/p>\n
But after the last two days, belief no longer felt enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you prove it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not sound offended.<\/p>\n
That mattered.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecords still exist. Audits. Legal correspondence. Settlement documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen asked, \u201cDid Marcus ever contact you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout twelve years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said his father\u2019s share had been stolen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe partnership had been dissolved legally after Victor\u2019s fraud was discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Marcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe threatened to expose me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever story he could create.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this started as revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of Patrick\u2019s recorded confession.<\/p>\n
Marcus had been watching Richard\u2019s family for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know he was watching us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know he knew Patrick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever investigate him after the threat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much. He drifted through small businesses, consulting firms, investment groups. Nothing directly connected to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat kind of movement can hide ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood and paced toward the window.<\/p>\n
Every memory of meeting Patrick began rearranging itself.<\/p>\n
We had first spoken at a charity event Dad sponsored.<\/p>\n
Patrick told me later he almost had not attended.<\/p>\n
He said a business friend gave him the ticket.<\/p>\n
Marcus?<\/p>\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick met me at the Camden Foundation gala.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad remembered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho sponsored his table?\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen was already searching public records and archived event material.<\/p>\n
\u201cYear?\u201d<\/p>\n
I told her.<\/p>\n
A minute later she found an old sponsor list.<\/p>\n
Several names.<\/p>\n
One company meant nothing to me.<\/p>\n
Cole Strategic Partners.<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen highlighted it.<\/p>\n
Marcus\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
Patrick had not wandered into my life.<\/p>\n
He had been placed in the same room.<\/p>\n
Jason whispered, \u201cJesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked like he had been struck.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have known.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I surprised myself by saying it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get to take responsibility for every bad decision Patrick made.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m learning that lesson too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patrick had made choices.<\/p>\n
Marcus might have opened a door.<\/p>\n
Patrick walked through it.<\/p>\n
Still, the idea that our first meeting had been arranged hollowed something inside me.<\/p>\n
I remembered Patrick bringing me champagne.<\/p>\n
His joke about how neither of us knew anyone.<\/p>\n
His surprise when I mentioned Dad.<\/p>\n
Was that surprise rehearsed?<\/p>\n
Maybe.<\/p>\n
I hated that I would never be able to revisit the memory innocently again.<\/p>\n
Detective Chen continued searching.<\/p>\n
\u201cCole Strategic Partners no longer exists. Dissolved nine years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Patrick and I started dating,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat replaced it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She traced filings.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral entities. One leads to the company that financed Patrick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Marcus funded him from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t just use Patrick after his business failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe built the failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was still speculation.<\/p>\n
But it fit too well.<\/p>\n
Marcus encouraged Patrick to pursue me.<\/p>\n
Marcus financed Patrick.<\/p>\n
Patrick became indebted.<\/p>\n
Debt became leverage.<\/p>\n
Leverage became access to my money.<\/p>\n
My money became access to Dad.<\/p>\n
The plan had patience.<\/p>\n
Years of it.<\/p>\n
Jason asked, \u201cWhy go through Jenna? Why not attack Dad directly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad answered slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I would recognize Marcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because you\u2019d never trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you trusted my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not fully.<\/p>\n
But enough.<\/p>\n
Patrick had attended holidays.<\/p>\n
He knew which executives Dad respected.<\/p>\n
He heard conversations.<\/p>\n
He understood family relationships.<\/p>\n
He knew when Dad traveled.<\/p>\n
He knew which affiliated companies mattered.<\/p>\n
He had access Marcus never could have earned openly.<\/p>\n
I felt suddenly contaminated by association.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey used me as the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad came toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Marcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd none of us saw it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
She answered, listened, then stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
She ended the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey found Patrick.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart jumped despite everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relief that went through me made me angry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn urgent-care clinic forty miles south of Briarwood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has a head injury and fractured wrist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says Marcus attacked him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad asked, \u201cDo you believe him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen answered, \u201cI believe he\u2019s injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he under arrest?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s being detained while treated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he have the missing folder?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
My brief relief disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Marcus has it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrol located Marcus\u2019s vehicle abandoned near a service road.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny sign of him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBlood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot according to the first report.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did Patrick say Marcus went?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claims he doesn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe asked to speak with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came easily.<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
Detective Chen did not push.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t need me to get information?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can question him ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
For once, someone told me I was not responsible for fixing the situation.<\/p>\n
It felt unfamiliar.<\/p>\n
An hour later, Chen received a transcript of Patrick\u2019s first interview.<\/p>\n
She summarized rather than reading it word for word.<\/p>\n
Patrick claimed Marcus demanded the evidence file at Briarwood.<\/p>\n
Patrick refused.<\/p>\n
They argued.<\/p>\n
Marcus struck him with something heavy.<\/p>\n
Patrick woke beside his SUV.<\/p>\n
The red folder was gone.<\/p>\n
He drove until dizziness forced him to stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t he call police immediately?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he was afraid Marcus would retaliate against you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat excuse is getting old.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he admit anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe admitted the marriage began because Marcus encouraged him to approach you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became completely still.<\/p>\n
I had known.<\/p>\n
Still, hearing confirmation hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claims Marcus told him you were Richard Bennett\u2019s daughter and suggested knowing you could be useful for business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Patrick thought that was acceptable?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he intended only to make a professional connection at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough dating me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe claims that changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter he got to know you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hated how badly part of me wanted that to be true.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you believe him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen remained neutral.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe emotions can become real inside dishonest circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked away.<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
Patrick might genuinely have loved me.<\/p>\n
And still used me.<\/p>\n
People preferred simple villains because they were easier to leave behind.<\/p>\n
Patrick was becoming something worse.<\/p>\n
A man who may have loved me and repeatedly chose himself anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Marcus\u2019s plan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick says revenge against Richard was only part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe believed your father had deprived his family of wealth. Over time that grievance became an obsession. Patrick says Marcus wanted to take something substantial enough to feel like repayment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad\u2019s company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCollateral.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word hit harder than I expected.<\/p>\n
I looked at the insurance policy again.<\/p>\n
Collateral.<\/p>\n
Patrick had used nearly the same language.<\/p>\n
Dad sat beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sounded as though he was trying to believe it.<\/p>\n
Reyes\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
He stepped aside.<\/p>\n
Detective Chen continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick claims Marcus became more dangerous after learning your father planned to reorganize ownership of several affiliated companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat hasn\u2019t been announced.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree executives. My attorney. Jason.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe succession meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason thought.<\/p>\n
Then nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight. But I didn\u2019t know details.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered Patrick asking casual questions about Dad\u2019s retirement months earlier.<\/p>\n
Was Dad stepping back?<\/p>\n
Would Jason take over?<\/p>\n
Would I receive equity?<\/p>\n
At the time, I thought he was making conversation.<\/p>\n
Nothing felt casual anymore.<\/p>\n
Chen said, \u201cMarcus may have believed he was running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat explains moving the plan forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officer Reyes returned.<\/p>\n
His expression was grim.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus just contacted us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmergency line.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants to negotiate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cImmunity is his first request.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor attempted murder?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know what charges he expects.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhat does he have?\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe missing red folder.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart kicked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says it contains proof Patrick planned everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fraud. Insurance. Briarwood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said, \u201cHe\u2019s blaming Patrick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s more.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hated those words.<\/p>\n
Reyes continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus claims Patrick wasn\u2019t coerced.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says Patrick proposed using Jenna\u2019s accounts before Marcus ever asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says Patrick proposed the insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt dizzy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat contradicts the emails.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus says the emails were staged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPatrick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen\u2019s expression sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo create leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down slowly.<\/p>\n
Patrick had kept evidence.<\/p>\n
But if he had planned ahead, evidence could be manufactured.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Elena Ward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus claims Patrick became obsessed with that case because he wanted a template.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
No one answered immediately.<\/p>\n
Reyes finally said, \u201cFor making a death look accidental.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s hands clenched.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you believe Marcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
Two men.<\/p>\n
Two stories.<\/p>\n
Each blaming the other.<\/p>\n
Both proven liars.<\/p>\n
Both capable of financial crimes.<\/p>\n
One had been my husband.<\/p>\n
The other had spent years targeting my family.<\/p>\n
I could not trust either.<\/p>\n
That realization steadied me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Marcus want in exchange for the folder?\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe surrender.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd a meeting with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad and Jason spoke at the same time.<\/p>\n
Reyes held up a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not agreeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says there\u2019s something in the folder you need to see before Patrick can destroy the last copy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t he give it to police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says not until he knows Patrick won\u2019t walk away by blaming him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
They were both terrified the other would control the story.<\/p>\n
For years Patrick had controlled mine.<\/p>\n
No longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Marcus I don\u2019t need his version.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe expected that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe left a message for you anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat message?\u201d<\/p>\n
Reyes read from his phone.<\/p>\n
Ask Jenna why Patrick insisted she change the beneficiary on her father\u2019s trust last year.<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat trust?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
I knew before he spoke that Patrick had found another part of my financial life I did not understand.<\/p>\n
Dad sat slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a family trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I a beneficiary?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Patrick know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat change did I make?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Reyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what is Marcus talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen opened her laptop.<\/p>\n
Dad gave her the trust name.<\/p>\n
She made two calls.<\/p>\n
Then a third.<\/p>\n
Twenty minutes later, she received an emailed document from Mr. Coleman\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
She read the first page.<\/p>\n
Her expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a beneficiary amendment filed eleven months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently it was rejected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSignature verification failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the document.<\/p>\n
My forged signature appeared at the bottom.<\/p>\n
But this time Patrick was not named as beneficiary.<\/p>\n
Marcus Cole was.<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would he receive?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad answered quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I died before the amendment was corrected?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cA controlling interest in one of the companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly. The amendment would route Jenna\u2019s contingent interest through a private holding vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOwned by Marcus?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re checking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stepped away from the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this was never just about Jenna dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
His face had gone gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust only transfers that way if I die first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every sound in the apartment seemed to disappear.<\/p>\n
Patrick\u2019s questions about Dad\u2019s retirement.<\/p>\n
The company records.<\/p>\n
The trust.<\/p>\n
My insurance.<\/p>\n
Briarwood.<\/p>\n
Two potential deaths.<\/p>\n
Two transfers.<\/p>\n
One plan.<\/p>\n
I whispered, \u201cDad was part of it too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Chen\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n
She answered.<\/p>\n
Her face changed almost immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
She ended the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cA vehicle was found near Richard\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegistered to a company linked to Marcus.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart started pounding.<\/p>\n
Reyes asked, \u201cOccupant?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in the vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chen looked at me.<\/p>\n
Then at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cA printed copy of Richard\u2019s weekly schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
My knees weakened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd a photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat photograph?\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned the phone toward us.<\/p>\n
Dad was leaving his office two days earlier.<\/p>\n
A red circle had been drawn around him.<\/p>\n
At the bottom, someone had written three words.<\/p>\n
Father goes first.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke for several seconds after Dad said twenty years. The number was too large. Patrick and I had been married six. We had dated two before that. Twenty years … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10346,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10326\/revisions\/10346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}