Chapter 8: The Lie They Told About My Wife
I called Melissa immediately.
She answered on the first ring.
“What do you mean there's something I don't know about Claire?””
“Not over the phone.””
“I'm done playing these games.””
“Daniel, please. Just listen.””
“Talk.””
She lowered her voice.
“Dad has been telling people that Claire knew about the property arrangement.””
I frowned.
“What property arrangement?””
“The one where the house was supposed to go to me.””
I laughed.
“Claire didn't even know you thought you were getting the house.””
“Dad says she signed something.””
I stopped laughing.
“What?””
“A statement. He says she agreed that the house would eventually transfer to me in exchange for financial assistance.””
I gripped the phone.
“That never happened.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you repeating it?””
“Because Dad has a document with her signature.””
My blood went cold.
“Where did he get it?””
“I don't know.””
“Melissa, listen carefully. If Dad is using Claire's name in a fraudulent document, this is going to become much worse.””
“I know.””
“Then bring me the document.””
She hesitated.
“Meet me tomorrow.””
“Where?””
“The old restaurant near the country club. Ten o'clock.””
“Fine.””
“And Daniel?””
“What?””
“Don't tell Dad.””
She hung up.
I stared at the phone.
Jennifer had heard the conversation.
“Do you believe her?””
“I believe she knows something.””
“That isn't the same thing.””
“No.””
She closed her laptop.
“Then we'll approach this carefully. Marcus can accompany you, but remain discreet.””
I nodded.
Then I called Claire.
She answered while I was driving home.
“Hey, sweetheart.””
“Claire, I need to ask you something.””
Her voice immediately changed.
“What's wrong?””
“Did you ever sign any document concerning my parents' house?””
“No.””
“Nothing? Not even something your mother-in-law asked you to sign?””
“No, Daniel. Why?””
I told her what Melissa had said.
There was a long silence.
Then Claire whispered:
“Your mother did ask me to sign something.””
I nearly missed a turn.
“When?””
“About six months ago.””
“What?””
“She said it was a document confirming that I had received money from your parents for household expenses.””
I gripped the steering wheel.
“Did you sign it?””
“No.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I thought it was strange. I told her I'd have our attorney review it.””
I exhaled.
“Did she leave the document?””
“Yes. I still have the envelope.””
I immediately pulled into a parking lot.
“Where?””
“In the filing cabinet in your study.””
“Don't touch it.””
“Daniel, what's happening?””
“I think they may have been preparing this for a long time.””
Claire's voice trembled.
“Are we in danger?””
I looked at the empty parking lot.
“I don't think so. But I'm going to make sure we're protected.””
She was quiet.
Then she said something that broke my heart.
“I knew they didn't like me, Daniel. I just never thought they'd go this far.””
I closed my eyes.
“I should have protected you sooner.””
“You're doing it now.””
I promised I would be home within the hour.
The envelope was exactly where Claire said it would be.
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a two-page declaration.
It claimed that Claire had received $75,000 from my parents as a contribution toward the purchase and maintenance of the mansion.
At the bottom was a blank signature line.
The date was six months earlier.
I photographed every page and sent it to Jennifer.
She called almost immediately.
“Daniel, don't remove anything else from the envelope. Preserve it.””
“Why?””
“Because this may establish that your parents were trying to create a false financial history.””
I looked at the document.
“Can they use this to claim Claire received money?””
“Not without evidence. But we need to investigate whether any transfer was made.””
I opened our bank records.
Nothing.
No $75,000 deposit.
No corresponding payment.
Then Jennifer said something that made me stop.
“Daniel, I found another issue with the original transfer.””
“What?””
“The holding company that purchased the property was funded entirely by your money. But your father signed a separate acknowledgment that he had no beneficial interest.””
“So?””
“So the document your father is now presenting contradicts his own acknowledgment.””
I smiled.
“That's good.””
“It is. But I want to understand why your mother approached Claire six months ago.””
I looked toward the bedroom.
“Because they were preparing the story.””
“Possibly.””
I forwarded the document.
“Investigate it.””
The next morning, I arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early.
Marcus was seated at a table near the entrance.
Melissa arrived at 10:03.
She looked different.
No designer handbag.
No expensive sunglasses.
No dramatic makeup.
She wore jeans and a plain black sweater.
She sat opposite me.
“Thanks for coming.””
“Show me the document.””
She looked around nervously.
“First, I need to explain something.””
“Go ahead.””
“Dad has been planning to sell the house for years.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He told me he was waiting for the right time. He said once you finished paying off the debts, he would find a way to take ownership back.””
I leaned forward.
“Why would he think that?””
“Because he had documents prepared. He said you trusted him too much to check everything.””
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Did you help him?””
She looked down.
“Yes.””
“At least you're finally being honest.””
“I didn't understand how serious it was.””
“You signed a witness statement.””
“I know.””
“You helped him create a fake agreement.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I know, Daniel!””
I stared at her.
She lowered her voice.
“I'm trying to fix it.””
“Then tell me what you have.””
Melissa reached into her bag and removed a small USB drive.
She placed it on the table.
“Dad keeps copies of everything.””
“What is this?””
“Scans of the original company accounts, emails, and a video.””
“A video of what?””
She swallowed.
“Victor.””
I stared at the drive.
“Is he alive?””
Melissa nodded.
“I saw him.””
“When?””
“Three years ago.””
I felt my heart pounding.
“Where?””
“At a private medical facility outside Columbus.””
“Why was he there?””
“Dad had been paying for his treatment under another name.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because Victor was injured the night he disappeared.””
“By whom?””
She began crying.
“I don't know.””
I lowered my voice.
“Melissa, stop protecting him.””
“I'm not protecting him!””
“Then tell me the truth.””
She leaned closer.
“Dad told me Victor had been attacked by someone hired to scare him. But things went wrong. He said Victor couldn't remember everything afterward.””
I stared at her.
“And my mother?””
“She knew.””
I sat back.
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Then Melissa pushed the USB drive toward me.
“There's another video. It was recorded in Dad's study last week.””
“What does it show?””
She looked directly at me.
“Dad talking to Mom about Claire.””
My stomach tightened.
“What about Claire?””
Melissa wiped her eyes.
“He said if you didn't stop the sale, he'd make sure she lost the baby.””
I stood so quickly my chair scraped backward.
“What did you just say?””
Melissa grabbed my wrist.
“Daniel, wait!””
I pulled away.
“Did you hear him say that?””
“Yes.””
“Did he threaten my wife?””
She nodded.
I felt something dark and unfamiliar rise inside me.
Then Melissa whispered:
“But that's not the worst part.””
I stared at her.
“What could possibly be worse?””
She looked down at the USB drive.
“Dad says Claire isn't the first woman in this family he's tried to silence.””
Jennifer reviewed the USB drive that afternoon.
The first files contained financial spreadsheets and old company emails.
Several transfers appeared to have been concealed through shell companies.
Then we opened the video.
My father sat behind his study desk.
My mother stood near the window.
The recording was dated six days earlier.
Dad was speaking.
“Daniel will come around. He always does. He just needs to understand that the house belongs where it belongs.””
Mom shook her head.
“He's not going to give it to Melissa.””
“He doesn't have to. The documents will do that.””
“And Claire?””
Dad laughed.
“Claire is the problem. She thinks she can walk into this family and change everything.””
Mom looked down.
“She is pregnant.””
“So?””
“You can't keep threatening them.””
Dad leaned forward.
“Then make sure Daniel stops the sale.””
My mother whispered something.
I increased the volume.
“Robert, I won't do what you did before.””
Dad's expression changed.
He stood.
“Don't you dare bring that up.””
Mom stepped backward.
“I still remember what happened to Helen.””
The room went silent.
Jennifer stopped the video.
“Who's Helen?””
I stared at the screen.
My mother had mentioned a name I hadn't heard in decades.
Helen.
My father's younger sister.
She had supposedly died in a car accident when I was a child.
I looked at Jennifer.
“Find out everything you can about Helen.””
She nodded.
Then she continued the video.
My father leaned close to my mother.
“You know what happened to Helen. And you know what will happen if you make me choose again.””
The recording ended.
I sat motionless.
My father had threatened my pregnant wife.
My mother had been afraid of him for decades.
And now a dead woman's name had appeared in the middle of a conversation about a stolen house.
Before we could process it, Marcus called.
“Daniel, we found Victor Hale.””
I jumped up.
“Where?””
“Alive. He's been living under an assumed identity.””
“Can we speak to him?””
Marcus paused.
“Yes.””
“Then arrange it.””
“He wants to meet you tonight.””
“Fine.””
Marcus lowered his voice.
“But there's something else.””
“What?””
“Victor says he knows what happened to your aunt Helen.””
I stared at the frozen image of my father on the screen.
May you like
Marcus continued.
“And he says your father has been lying about her death for twenty-seven years.””
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