Chapter 13: My Best Friend's Confession
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
David's voice remained calm.
Almost friendly.
The same voice that had comforted me at Sarah's funeral. The same voice that had promised to help me raise Lily. The same voice that had toasted my marriage to Vanessa.
Now he was telling me he had been involved in my wife's death.
“David,” I finally said, “what did you just tell me?””
He sighed.
“Michael, don't make this harder than it needs to be.””
“Where are you?””
“At your house.””
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Detective Harris.
He immediately motioned for the officers to move.
“Why are you at my house?””
“Because I know you're not there.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What do you want?””
“To talk.””
“About Sarah?””
A pause.
“Yes.””
I looked at Claire.
She was trembling in her chair.
“Then talk.””
David lowered his voice.
“You remember the night Sarah died?””
I closed my eyes.
Of course I remembered.
I had been working late at the office. Sarah had called me at 8:12 p.m., telling me she was on her way home.
I had promised to wait up.
She never arrived.
At 10:47 p.m., David called to tell me there had been an accident.
He had claimed he was passing through the area and recognized Sarah's car.
He had even accompanied me to identify her body.
I had hugged him.
I had thanked him.
I had trusted him.
“You told me you found her car by accident,” I said.
“I lied.””
“Why?””
“Because I was there.””
My knees weakened.
“You were following her?””
“I was trying to make her stop.””
“Stop what?””
“She had documents. Financial records. Names.
Account numbers. Things that could destroy several people.””
“People like Helen?””
David didn't answer.
“People like Vanessa?””
Another silence.
Then he said:
“You're finally beginning to understand.””
I felt rage building inside me.
“Did you kill my wife?””
“I didn't mean for her to die.””
“That isn't an answer!””
“She was driving too fast. It was raining. I followed her onto the country road, and she lost control.””
“Were you in another car?””
“Yes.””
“Did you hit her?””
David breathed heavily.
“I was supposed to scare her. I wasn't supposed to kill her.””
I stared at the wall.
“You chased my wife until she crashed.””
“I panicked.””
“And then you called me?””
“I thought I could control what happened afterward.””
I nearly dropped the phone.
“You stood beside me at her funeral.””
“I was trying to protect myself.””
“You held my daughter!””
David's voice sharpened.
“Michael, listen to me. Sarah was going to destroy everything. Helen had invested years building that operation.
Vanessa was involved. I was involved. We couldn't let Sarah hand over those files.””
I looked at Harris.
He was recording the call through the police system.
“Why did you become involved?””
David gave a short laugh.
“Money. What else?””
He explained that he had been handling financial transfers for Helen's insurance company for years.
When Sarah discovered the fraud, she threatened to expose everyone.
David had been tasked with recovering the documents.
But Sarah had refused.
Instead, she had hidden the evidence and arranged to meet someone who could help her.
“Who?”” I asked.
David hesitated.
“Your wife wasn't going to the police that night.””
My heart pounded.
“Who was she meeting?””
“Someone who knew about the stolen money.””
“Who?””
“Your father-in-law.””
I froze.
“My father-in-law is dead.””
“I know.””
I stared at the phone.
David continued.
“Sarah had contacted him before he died. He knew about the inheritance and the accounts. He left her something.””
“What did he leave her?””
“The original financial ledger.””
I looked at Claire.
She was listening.
“Where is it?””
David laughed.
“That's what Helen has been looking for.””
I remembered the memory card.
The necklace.
The safe deposit box.
Suddenly, everything connected.
Sarah had hidden evidence of the fraud, and the necklace contained the key to the location where the original ledger was stored.
“Why are you telling me this?”” I asked.
David's voice became cold.
“Because I want to make a deal.””
“What kind of deal?””
“You give me the necklace and the memory card. I give you enough money to disappear with Lily.””
I felt sick.
“You think I would sell my daughter's future to you?””
“I'm offering you a way out.””
“You're offering me money to cover up murder.””
David sighed.
“Then I suppose we have a problem.””
The call ended.
I looked at Detective Harris.
He was already speaking into his radio.
“Get units to Michael Carter's residence immediately. Suspect may be armed. Do not approach without backup.””
I turned toward Claire.
“Are you okay?””
She nodded, but her eyes were filled with tears.
“Michael?””
“Yes?””
“Sarah told me something else before she disappeared.””
“What?””
Claire reached into the drawer beside her chair.
She pulled out a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a young woman holding a baby.
On the back, Sarah had written:
David wasn't the only one who betrayed us.
I stared at the words.
“Who else?””
Claire looked at me.
Then she whispered:
“Someone inside the police department.””
At 6:30 p.m., I returned home with Detective Harris.
The house was surrounded by officers.
David's car was parked in the driveway.
The front door stood open.
An officer approached.
“Detective, the suspect is gone.””
I looked inside.
The living room had been searched.
Drawers were open. Cushions were scattered across the floor.
But something caught my attention.
A photograph lay on the carpet.
It showed David holding baby Lily at the hospital.
Someone had written across the bottom in black marker:
I was there before you were.
I picked it up.
Harris examined the handwriting.
Then his phone rang.
He listened.
His expression changed.
“What happened?”” I asked.
He lowered the phone.
“Vanessa has disappeared from police custody.””
My stomach dropped.
“How?””
“Someone authorized her transfer to another facility.””
“Who?””
Harris stared at me.
May you like
Then he said:
“The officer who signed the transfer is the same officer who handled Sarah's original accident report.””
