Chapter 9: The Son They Buried Without a Funeral
Mabel couldn't move.
The phone sat on the coffee table, its speaker carrying the voice of a son she'd believed was dead.
"Daniel?"" she whispered again.
"Yes, Mom.""
"Where are you?""
"I'm outside a halfway house in Dayton. I was released three weeks ago.""
Mabel pressed both hands against her mouth.
"Laura told me you died.""
Daniel let out a bitter laugh.
"That's what she told you?""
"She said there was an accident.""
"Mom, I was in prison for four years.""
Mabel closed her eyes.
Dean stood beside her, his hands clenched.
Martin spoke carefully.
"Daniel, this is Martin Reeves. Your father's attorney.""
"I know who you are.""
"Your father named you as alternate trustee in his final will.""
"I know that, too.""
Martin looked surprised.
"How?""
"Because I saw the earlier version before I went to prison. Dad told me he was changing it to protect Mom and Emily.""
Mabel leaned closer to the phone.
"Why didn't you call me?""
Daniel's voice cracked.
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Every week. I wrote letters. I called the house. I even asked the prison chaplain to contact you.""
Mabel shook her head.
"I never received anything.""
"I know.""
Daniel paused.
"Laura visited me twice. The first time, she told me you didn't want to speak to me. The second time, she brought a document and asked me to sign a confession.""
Martin straightened.
"What confession?""
"She wanted me to admit that I'd stolen $46,700 from Dad's accounts.""
Dean looked at Martin.
The exact amount Arthur had written about.
Daniel continued.
"She said if I signed it, she'd make sure Mom didn't lose the house.""
Mabel began crying.
"Why would she do that?""
"Because I found out what she was doing.""
"What did you find out?""
Daniel took a breath.
"Before Dad died, I discovered that Laura had been transferring money into a company account. She was using it to buy properties.""
Martin opened his notebook.
"Do you remember the company name?""
"Whitmore Property Holdings.""
Dean looked at Mabel.
It was the same name on the bank statement.
Daniel continued.
"She had me arrested after I confronted her. She produced bank records showing transfers from Dad's account to mine.""
Martin frowned.
"Were the records authentic?""
"No. The account numbers were altered.""
"Did you have a lawyer?""
"I did. But Laura paid for the lawyer.""
Martin went still.
"What?""
"She told everyone she was helping me. I didn't realize until later that my attorney was sharing information with her.""
Dean muttered something under his breath.
Daniel continued.
"I eventually got a public defender, but by then the prosecution had already built its case around the financial records.""
Martin wrote something down.
"Do you have copies of those records?""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
"In a storage locker. I kept everything I could get my hands on.""
Mabel looked toward the window.
"Daniel, why didn't you tell me all this?""
"Because I thought you knew.""
The words struck harder than anything else.
Daniel went quiet.
Then he said, "I thought Laura had convinced you I was a thief.""
Mabel began sobbing.
"I would never believe that.""
"I know that now, Mom.""
Emily climbed onto the sofa beside her grandmother.
She placed a hand on Mabel's arm.
"Is that Uncle Daniel?""
Mabel nodded.
Emily looked at the phone.
"Hi, Uncle Daniel.""
There was a long silence.
Then Daniel laughed through his tears.
"Emily?""
"Yes.""
"How old are you now?""
"Twelve.""
"Goodness. Last time I saw you, you were wearing a pink dress and eating cake with your fingers.""
Emily smiled.
"I still do that sometimes.""
Daniel laughed again.
It was a small sound, but it changed the atmosphere in the room.
For a moment, they were simply a family speaking to one another.
Then Martin interrupted gently.
"Daniel, there's something important you should know. We recovered your father's original will.""
Daniel went silent.
"Really?""
"Yes.""
"Then you know what Laura did.""
"We're beginning to understand.""
Daniel exhaled.
"There's something else.""
Martin waited.
"Patricia Collins.""
Martin's expression sharpened.
"What about her?""
"She wasn't just helping Laura with paperwork. She worked for a property company that Laura used to move the money.""
"Do you know the company's address?""
"Yes. It's registered in Columbus.""
Martin wrote it down.
"Can you send me the information?""
"I have the documents. But there's a problem.""
"What problem?""
"Laura knows I was released.""
Mabel looked frightened.
"How?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Because she called me yesterday.""
Dean moved closer.
"What did she say?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"She said if I contacted Mom, she'd make sure I went back to prison.""
Mabel gripped the phone.
"She can't do that!""
"Mom, listen. She also said she knew where I was staying.""
Dean looked at Frank.
Frank immediately stepped into the hallway and made a call.
Martin spoke calmly.
"Daniel, don't return to your old address. We'll arrange a secure place for you to stay while we review the evidence.""
Daniel agreed.
Then he added something else.
"There's one more reason I need to talk to Mom.""
Mabel leaned forward.
"What is it?""
"Before Dad died, he told me he had discovered something about Laura's marriage.""
Mabel frowned.
"Her marriage?""
"Yes. He said her husband, Michael, had been trying to tell him something.""
"Michael?""
Daniel paused.
"He believed Laura had been forging his signature, too.""
Mabel looked confused.
"Why would she do that?""
"Because Michael had a life insurance policy.""
Martin's pen stopped moving.
"How much?""
"Five hundred thousand dollars.""
Dean stared at the phone.
"Is Michael alive?""
"Yes. But he left Laura almost two years ago.""
Mabel whispered, "She told me he abandoned Emily.""
Daniel answered immediately.
"That's not what happened.""
He took a breath.
"Michael found out about the money. He threatened to report her. A week later, Laura accused him of abusing Emily and filed for sole custody.""
Emily looked up sharply.
"Mom said Dad didn't want me.""
Daniel's voice softened.
"Sweetheart, I don't think that's true.""
Emily's eyes filled.
"Can I talk to him?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Not yet. But I think you should.""
Martin looked at Mabel.
"Mrs. Whitmore, this is becoming much larger than an inheritance dispute.""
Mabel nodded.
For the first time, she wasn't looking at the floor.
She was looking directly at the people around her.
"What do we need to do?""
Martin closed his notebook.
"Preserve every document. Avoid confronting Laura privately. We will contact the authorities and request an investigation into the financial transactions and forged signatures.""
Dean added, "And nobody here is going to let her intimidate you again.""
Mabel looked at him.
"Thank you.""
He shrugged.
"Just making sure you get breakfast tomorrow.""
She almost smiled.
Then Martin's phone rang.
He checked the caller ID.
His expression changed.
"That's Michael Whitmore.""
Mabel stared at him.
"Laura's husband?""
Martin answered.
"Michael?""
A man's voice came through.
"Mr. Reeves, I heard Daniel was released.""
"That's correct.""
"Then I need to speak with you immediately.""
Martin glanced at Mabel.
"What's happened?""
Michael's voice trembled.
"I've been waiting two years for someone to investigate what Laura did.""
"What do you know?""
A pause.
Then Michael said:
"I have the original bank statements, the insurance documents, and the messages where she admitted taking Arthur's money.""
Martin stood.
"Why didn't you come forward earlier?""
"Because she threatened to make sure I never saw my daughter again.""
Emily's face went pale.
Michael continued.
"But there's something worse.""
Martin gripped the phone.
"What?""
"I found out Laura didn't just steal from Arthur and Mabel.""
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"She has been collecting money from a second insurance policy using a death certificate that doesn't belong to the person named on it.""
Dean looked at Martin.
Mabel slowly stood.
"Whose death certificate?""
Michael took a shaky breath.
Then he answered.
"Arthur Whitmore's.""
Mabel felt the room tilt.
Her husband had died six years earlier.
May you like
But someone had apparently used his death certificate to commit another crime.
And Michael was about to reveal exactly where the money had gone.
