Chapter 5: The Evidence Abigail Left Behind
I stared at the photograph until my eyes started hurting.
But the image did not change.
It was still there.
Celeste.
Standing beside a man I recognized.
A man who had no reason to be part of Abigail’s story.
A man who had been around my family for years.
My business partner.
Ethan Caldwell.
The person I had trusted with my company.
The person who had helped me rebuild my life after Abigail died.
The person who had stood beside me at her funeral.
My mind refused to accept it.
“No.””
The word escaped before I could stop it.
Detective Harris watched me carefully.
“You know him?””
I didn’t answer immediately.
Because saying his name out loud would make it real.
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He works with me.””
Mae looked down.
Like she already knew.
I turned toward her.
“You knew about him?””
She hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
“How long?””
“Nolan…”
“How long did you know?””
Mae swallowed.
“Since before I came into your house.””
The betrayal hit differently.
Not like Celeste.
Not like a broken engagement.
This was something else.
This was the foundation of my entire adult life.
“How much does Ethan know?””
Mae looked at Detective Harris.
Then back at me.
“I don’t know.””
I stepped away.
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“But Abigail trusted you with this.””
“Yes.””
“Then why don’t you know?””
Because that was the part I couldn’t understand.
Everyone seemed to know pieces of my life except me.
My wife.
My fiancée.
My employee.
The maid who entered my home.
Everyone had secrets.
Everyone had information.
And I was the last person to discover the truth.
Detective Harris opened the folder.
“Nolan, we need you to listen carefully.””
I sat down.
Not because I wanted to.
Because my legs suddenly felt weak.
She placed several documents on the table.
“These were found among Abigail’s personal belongings.””
I looked at the papers.
Bank records.
Emails.
Meeting notes.
I recognized my company logo at the top of several pages.
“What am I looking at?””
“Financial transfers.””
“From my company?””
“Yes.””
I felt sick.
“How much?””
The detective paused.
“Over two million dollars.””
The room went silent.
I stared at the papers.
“No.””
I shook my head.
“That’s impossible.””
“I understand why you would think that.””
“Ethan would never.””
Detective Harris didn’t react.
That scared me.
“You trusted him.””
“Yes.””
“And Abigail did too.””
My eyes lifted.
“Then why investigate him?””
The detective looked at Mae.
Mae spoke quietly.
“Because Abigail noticed something.””
“What?””
“She noticed that the money disappeared in small amounts.””
I frowned.
“Small amounts?””
“Nothing large enough to immediately trigger alarms.””
Mae looked at the documents.
“Thousands here. Thousands there. Different accounts. Different names.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Someone was hiding it.””
“Yes.””
“And Abigail found out.””
“Yes.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Celeste and Ethan.
“When was this taken?””
Detective Harris checked the file.
“Three weeks before your wife’s death.””
Three weeks.
I remembered that time.
Abigail had changed.
I thought she was stressed.
I thought she was tired because of Nora.
Because of motherhood.
Because of life.
But maybe she had been scared.
Maybe she had been carrying a secret alone.
“What was Celeste doing with Ethan?””
Nobody answered.
That silence told me they didn’t know.
But I did.
Or at least I had a terrible feeling.
“Did Abigail know Celeste was involved?””
Mae’s eyes filled.
“She suspected.””
The words hurt.
“Suspected?””
“She didn’t want to believe it.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Because Abigail was kind.
She gave people chances.
Even when they didn’t deserve them.
“What did she say?””
Mae looked at her hands.
“She said Celeste was acting strangely.””
“How?””
“She asked too many questions.””
“About what?””
“About you.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“What questions?””
Mae looked up.
“She asked about your schedule.””
My heart slowed.
“She asked when you traveled.””
Another pause.
“She asked where Abigail kept important documents.””
The room became colder.
“Why?””
Mae didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
Because we all knew.
The detective closed the folder.
“We need to ask you something important.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Did Celeste have access to your home after Abigail died?””
I almost said no.
Then stopped.
Because suddenly, memories came back.
The week after the funeral.
I was barely functioning.
I couldn’t take care of Nora.
I couldn’t manage the house.
Celeste had been there.
Helping.
Cooking.
Organizing.
Making sure everything was handled.
She had comforted me.
And I had let her.
“Yes.””
My voice was quiet.
“She had access.””
Detective Harris nodded slowly.
“Did she ever handle Abigail’s belongings?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I remembered.
The boxes.
The closets.
The private things I couldn’t touch because they hurt too much.
Celeste had offered to help.
I had been grateful.
“She helped organize them.””
Mae closed her eyes.
Like she expected that answer.
“What?””
Mae looked at me.
“Nolan…”
“What?””
“There’s something else you need to know.””
Her voice changed.
Not fear.
Pain.
“What?””
“When Abigail died, she wasn’t only investigating the money.””
I stared.
“What else?””
“She was investigating Nora’s custody.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Mae looked toward the floor.
“She was afraid someone would try to take Nora away from you.””
I felt anger rise.
“Who?””
Mae didn’t answer.
I stood.
“Who?””
The detective spoke.
“We found documents showing someone was preparing a legal challenge.””
My hands tightened.
“A challenge against me?””
“Yes.””
“For custody of my own daughter?””
“Yes.””
“Who filed it?””
Detective Harris looked at the paperwork.
Then said:
“Someone from Abigail’s family.””
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Celeste?””
“No.””
A pause.
“Her mother.””
I froze.
Celeste’s mother.
The woman who barely contacted us.
The woman who had always seemed distant.
“What reason?””
The detective looked uncomfortable.
“Claims that you were emotionally unstable after Abigail’s death.””
I laughed.
But there was no humor.
“I was grieving.””
“Yes.””
“And they wanted to use that against me.””
“Yes.””
Mae whispered:
“That’s why Abigail was scared.””
I looked at her.
“She knew.””
Mae nodded.
“She knew someone was building a case.””
“Against me.””
“Yes.””
“And she thought Celeste was helping them?””
Mae looked away.
“I think she was afraid Celeste knew more than she admitted.””
The room became silent.
My entire relationship with Celeste replayed in my mind.
The way she entered my life after Abigail died.
The way she always knew what to say.
The way she became close to Nora.
Too close.
The way she pushed for marriage quickly.
I had called it love.
Maybe it was something else.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
I looked down.
A message.
From Celeste.
Can we talk?
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Please.
I almost ignored it.
But Detective Harris spoke.
“You should meet her.””
I looked up.
“Why?””
“Because people often reveal more when they think they still have control.””
I didn’t like the sound of that.
But I understood.
I agreed to meet Celeste that afternoon.
Not at home.
Not where Nora could hear.
A small café near the station.
When I arrived, she was already there.
She looked exhausted.
No makeup.
No perfect appearance.
Just someone who had finally run out of ways to pretend.
“You know.””
I sat across from her.
“Yes.””
She looked down.
“About Ethan?””
“Yes.””
Her eyes closed.
“Then it’s over.””
The words surprised me.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“The truth is out.””
“You still haven’t told me the truth.””
She looked away.
“I wanted to.””
“When?””
“When it didn’t hurt you.””
I stared.
“That was never your decision.””
“I know.””
She took a deep breath.
“I made mistakes.””
“That’s one way to describe it.””
“I loved you.””
“Did you?””
The question hurt her.
Good.
Because I was hurting too.
She wiped her eyes.
“I did.””
“Then why?””
She looked at me.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“Of losing everything.””
“Everything?””
“You.””
She whispered.
“And the life I finally had.””
I shook my head.
“You weren’t afraid of losing me.””
I leaned forward.
“You were afraid of losing Abigail’s place.””
Her face changed.
And I knew I was right.
She looked down.
“I never wanted to replace her.””
“But you did.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
The silence between us stretched.
Then she whispered:
“Abigail was going to leave you.””
I froze.
“What?””
Celeste looked at me.
“Before she died.””
I stared.
“No.””
“She was planning to leave.””
“You’re lying.””
“I’m not.””
“Why would she?””
Celeste hesitated.
“Because she found out what Ethan was doing.””
My anger turned into confusion.
“What does that have to do with leaving me?””
“She thought you were involved.””
The words hit me.
“What?””
“She thought you knew.””
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense.””
“She didn’t know who to trust.””
I stared at her.
“Not even me?””
Celeste’s eyes filled.
“No.””
My heart broke.
Not because I believed it.
Because the possibility existed.
“Why would she think that?””
Celeste leaned closer.
“Because Ethan showed her evidence.””
“Evidence of what?””
She looked around.
Then lowered her voice.
“Evidence that made Abigail believe you had been hiding something from her.””
My blood ran cold.
“What?””
Before she could answer, my phone rang.
Detective Harris.
I answered immediately.
“Nolan.””
Her voice was urgent.
“We found something.””
“What?””
“A hidden recording.””
I stood.
“From where?””
A pause.
Then:
“Your house.””
My grip tightened.
“When?””
“Three years ago.””
I looked at Celeste.
She was watching me.
“What’s on it?””
The detective’s voice became quiet.
“Your wife’s final conversation.””
I stopped breathing.
“And Nolan…”
“Yes?””
“She wasn’t talking to you.””
My heart started pounding.
“Who was she talking to?””
The answer came.
May you like
And it changed everything.
“Celeste.””
