Bennett called the nursing home before we left the farmhouse.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
It was after regular office hours, but someone should have answered the main line.<\/p>\n
He tried again.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat could mean anything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means we go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily sat on the bed with her coat already on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said we weren\u2019t splitting up.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had said that.<\/p>\n
And now every choice seemed designed to punish whichever promise I made.<\/p>\n
Bennett stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could call the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd tell them what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat we believe a witness in an old guardianship case may be in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on a missing envelope?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd threatening messages.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, not her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
I was already gathering the tapes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe go.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nursing home was nearly an hour away.<\/p>\n
I kept Emily beside me in the car.<\/p>\n
Bennett followed.<\/p>\n
Snow thickened.<\/p>\n
The roads grew slick.<\/p>\n
Halfway there, my phone rang.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
I let it ring.<\/p>\n
Then a voicemail notification appeared.<\/p>\n
At the next red light, I played it on speaker.<\/p>\n
Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna, Claire has told you enough to make you afraid and not enough to keep you alive. If you found Evelyn\u2019s name, do not go to her. Call me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The message ended.<\/p>\n
Emily looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that the man from the house?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you trust him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you trust the lady?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you trust the lawyer?\u201d<\/p>\n
I checked the mirror.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s headlights stayed behind us.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot completely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who are we trusting?\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about Richard.<\/p>\n
His letters.<\/p>\n
His keys.<\/p>\n
His hidden house.<\/p>\n
His recordings.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dead man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily considered this.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat seems bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nursing home appeared beside a small church at the edge of town.<\/p>\n
Only one entrance light was on.<\/p>\n
I parked near the front.<\/p>\n
Bennett hurried toward us.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay in the car until I check inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are done separating.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sighed.<\/p>\n
We entered together.<\/p>\n
The lobby was empty.<\/p>\n
A television played softly behind the reception desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
I rang the bell.<\/p>\n
A woman emerged from a side corridor carrying a stack of towels.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for Evelyn Hart.\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I can\u2019t give you information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bennett handed over his card.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m an attorney representing the estate of Richard Whitmore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recognition appeared instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Whitmore?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe visited Evelyn.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart quickened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow often?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was the last time?\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe six weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Evelyn here?\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there an emergency?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re concerned about her safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
She set down the towels.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Hart went to the hospital this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe fell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout three.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone see it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
The woman finally gave us the name.<\/p>\n
Twenty minutes later, we were in another fluorescent hallway.<\/p>\n
Hospitals still smelled the same to me.<\/p>\n
Disinfectant.<\/p>\n
Coffee.<\/p>\n
Fear.<\/p>\n
My first husband existed in those smells.<\/p>\n
For a moment I was thirty again, carrying insurance forms and pretending I believed treatment would work.<\/p>\n
Emily slipped her hand into mine.<\/p>\n
I returned to the present.<\/p>\n
Evelyn was awake.<\/p>\n
A nurse initially refused to allow us in, but Bennett somehow convinced the supervising physician to ask whether Evelyn recognized Richard\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
She did.<\/p>\n
We entered.<\/p>\n
Evelyn Hart looked impossibly small beneath white blankets.<\/p>\n
Her silver hair had been cut short. A bruise darkened one temple.<\/p>\n
Her eyes, however, were sharp.<\/p>\n
She looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re Margaret\u2019s girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped beside the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know your face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice was thin but steady.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have Daniel\u2019s chin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something inside me tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard found you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you he found me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you contact me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn gave a tired smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard told me you had a life. A husband. A child. He said dragging old ghosts to your door might do more harm than good.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Bennett.<\/p>\n
He lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n
Everyone had decided what I needed.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to ask you about Daniel\u2019s guardianship petition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s fingers tightened on the sheet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wondered when someone would.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard wrote that you saw who removed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward Emily.<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, would you sit with Mr. Bennett outside?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reluctantly followed him into the hallway.<\/p>\n
I closed the door.<\/p>\n
Evelyn studied me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have been with Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hit hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked in county records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou handled my file?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cParts of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared toward the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour mother was already very sick when Daniel filed. Everything was rushed. Emergency petition. Medical affidavits. Statements about your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWalter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes returned to mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo everyone keeps telling me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came to the office twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you speak with him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo know whether Daniel had filed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s mouth tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe always talked too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard thought you saw someone remove the petition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWalter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at me as though deciding whether I could survive the answer.<\/p>\n
Then she said, \u201cRichard.\u201d<\/p>\n
For several seconds, I could not process the word.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard Whitmore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw him take the file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s expression did not change.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came after closing. He knew the supervisor. Said Daniel had sent him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel had asked Richard to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen maybe he was taking it somewhere safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what he told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he bring it back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
The chair scraped behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard spent decades investigating the disappearance of that petition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told everyone Walter caused it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say Richard destroyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he removed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked him that when he found me years later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said taking it was the worst decision of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did he do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou expect me to believe Richard stole the documents meant to give Daniel custody of me, then spent years trying to find me afterward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany terrible decisions make sense only to the person making them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paced once across the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Walter pay him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThreaten him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Claire know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frustration sharpened my voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn did not flinch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Richard came into the office shortly after seven. I know he removed Daniel\u2019s petition. I know your file was transferred the next morning before the scheduled hearing. And I know Richard spent the rest of his life trying to undo something he refused to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
My breathing became shallow.<\/p>\n
All this time, Richard had positioned himself as the protector.<\/p>\n
What if he had also been the reason I needed protecting?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you report him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy supervisor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me Richard had authorization from Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never saw proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was twenty-four. A clerk. Richard Whitmore was already powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you stayed quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many years.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Everyone had a reason.<\/p>\n
Everyone had an excuse.<\/p>\n
The child paid the price.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Richard contacted you again, why agree to help him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he brought proof that Walter had been manipulating your case after the petition disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat proof?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPayments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe check in his folder?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong other things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose account?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn looked suddenly uneasy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat check?\u201d<\/p>\n
I explained.<\/p>\n
Her face drained.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard had that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that check is why I fell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cold moved through me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA man came this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t recognize him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsked about Richard. Asked whether he ever gave me copies of old county records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you answer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said no.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then you fell?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was on the stairs outside the garden entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think he pushed you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I slipped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if he learns I survived and talked, he may come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
I moved to the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we need security.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached for my wrist.<\/p>\n
Her grip was surprisingly strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard told me that if you ever came to me, I was to give you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
From beneath her pillow she pulled a small envelope.<\/p>\n
My name was written in Richard\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
I almost laughed from exhaustion.<\/p>\n
Another message.<\/p>\n
Another layer.<\/p>\n
I opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside was a photocopy of the same check from the blue folder.<\/p>\n
This copy was clearer.<\/p>\n
The payer name was visible.<\/p>\n
I read it.<\/p>\n
Then read it again.<\/p>\n
Mercer Automotive Holdings.<\/p>\n
Thomas Mercer.<\/p>\n
My pulse accelerated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas paid someone in county records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe learned later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Thomas was involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least financially.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought of Thomas standing on my porch insisting the records should be destroyed.<\/p>\n
Then Claire\u2019s accusation that he helped Walter disappear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Richard?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn pointed to the bottom of the copy.<\/p>\n
A handwritten authorization code appeared beneath the amount.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat number belonged to a private business account.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw financial records years later when Richard asked me to help reconstruct what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose account?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas wrote the check. The funds came from an account controlled by Daniel\u2019s company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means my uncle paid someone to sabotage his own petition?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr someone had access to his money.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn looked toward the door again.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed suddenly too small.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard had access to Daniel\u2019s accounts?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were business partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered Claire saying Richard owed Daniel a debt that had nothing to do with money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat business?\u201d<\/p>\n
Evelyn shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door opened.<\/p>\n
Bennett stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face was pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
He held up his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alarm at the farmhouse just activated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone is there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tapes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Evelyn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever pushed you might be looking for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
Then Bennett added, \u201cThere\u2019s something worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security company sent a camera image.\u201d<\/p>\n
He showed me.<\/p>\n
A figure had entered the farmhouse.<\/p>\n
Older man.<\/p>\n
Gray hair.<\/p>\n
Broad shoulders.<\/p>\n
Thomas.<\/p>\n
He stood inside the bedroom holding the box that had contained my mother\u2019s recordings.<\/p>\n
Bennett called the nursing home before we left the farmhouse. No answer. It was after regular office hours, but someone should have answered the main line. He tried again. Nothing. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26232","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\/26232","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=26232"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26267,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26232\/revisions\/26267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}