Chapter 8: The Secret in Thomas's Last Letter
The police took Michael to the station for questioning.
Vanessa's father was escorted into a separate room, and Richard arranged for copies of the documents to be secured.
The wedding guests slowly began leaving.
Some offered Daniel sympathy.
Others avoided looking at him.
A few approached me and apologized for witnessing what happened without intervening.
I accepted their apologies.
But my mind was somewhere else.
I kept hearing Michael's final words.
Ask Thomas what happened the night he died.
Daniel sat beside me in a small private lounge.
His bow tie was undone. His shirt collar was open, and his wedding flowers had fallen from his jacket.
"Grandma, tell me everything.""
I looked at him.
"About what?""
"Grandpa's last night.""
I closed my eyes.
Thomas had died eleven years earlier, but I remembered that night as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
He had been in a private hospital room.
His breathing was shallow.
The doctors had told us his heart was failing.
Michael had visited that afternoon.
He had stayed for twenty minutes.
When he left, Thomas had asked me to close the door.
Then he told me to bring his briefcase.
"Your grandfather was frightened," I said.
Daniel leaned forward.
"Of Michael?""
"I thought he was frightened of dying.""
"What did he say?""
I rubbed my hands together.
"He asked me to promise something.""
"What?""
"That I would never give Michael the original documents.""
Daniel frowned.
"Why?""
"Thomas said Michael had already taken copies. He believed your father intended to use them to transfer the property.""
Daniel looked down.
"And you agreed?""
"Of course.""
"Did Grandpa tell you anything else?""
I nodded slowly.
"He said he had made a decision about the company. He wanted to remove Michael from the business and report the missing money.""
Daniel swallowed.
"Then why didn't he?""
"Because he died two days later.""
Daniel sat back.
The room was silent.
Then he asked the question I had been avoiding.
"Do you think Dad had something to do with Grandpa's death?""
I looked at him.
"I don't know.""
It was the most honest answer I could give.
But I had started wondering.
Richard entered the lounge carrying a tablet.
"Margaret, Daniel, I think you should see something.""
He placed the tablet on the table.
"This is a scanned copy of the hospital's visitor log from the week Thomas died.""
Daniel leaned closer.
"What's significant about it?""
Richard pointed to the final entry.
Michael Hayes.
11:38 p.m.
Daniel frowned.
"He told us he left at six.""
"That's what the family was told," Richard replied.
I stared at the screen.
"Who signed him in?""
Richard zoomed in.
A nurse's initials appeared beside the entry.
"According to the hospital, Michael returned that night claiming he had forgotten something in the room.""
My throat tightened.
"What did he take?""
Richard shook his head.
"We don't know yet.""
He swiped to another document.
"This is an inventory of Thomas's personal belongings after his death.""
A watch.
A wallet.
A wedding ring.
A briefcase.
And one missing item.
A small leather notebook.
Daniel looked at me.
"Grandpa's notebook?""
I nodded.
"Thomas wrote everything in that book. Business meetings, account numbers, property details.""
Richard continued.
"Your father had access to the hospital room that night. The notebook was never recovered.""
I covered my mouth.
Michael hadn't simply stolen money.
He had taken the one item that might have exposed everything.
Daniel stood.
"Where could he have hidden it?""
I shook my head.
"I don't know.""
Then I remembered something.
A little wooden cabinet in Thomas's study.
He had kept the notebook in the top drawer, behind a false panel.
But when I searched the study after his death, the drawer had been empty.
I had assumed someone had taken it.
"Grandma?"" Daniel asked.
I looked at him.
"Your grandfather had a safe in our old house.""
Richard nodded.
"Did anyone else know?""
"Only me and Thomas.""
Daniel picked up his phone.
"Then we're going there.""
Richard hesitated.
"Not without the police. If the notebook contains evidence, we need to preserve the scene.""
I agreed.
But before we could leave, my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
A man spoke in a low voice.
"Mrs. Hayes?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Detective Harris. I'm handling the investigation involving your son.""
I straightened.
"Is Michael all right?""
There was a pause.
"He's alive and well. But I need to ask you something.""
"What?""
"Did your husband ever tell you that he had arranged to transfer a substantial amount of money into an account outside the country?""
I stared at Richard.
"No.""
The detective continued.
"We found a reference to a transaction scheduled for the night he died.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"How much money?""
"Four million dollars.""
Daniel stood abruptly.
"What?""
Detective Harris heard him.
"Is that Daniel?""
"Yes.""
"Mr. Hayes, your grandfather appears to have arranged a transfer to an account in your name.""
Daniel looked confused.
"I never received anything.""
"That's what concerns us.""
The detective paused.
"The transaction was canceled shortly after your grandfather died. But the account was never closed.""
I felt a chill.
"Who controlled it?""
The detective's answer came slowly.
"Your father.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
The detective continued.
"There's something else. The account was accessed again yesterday.""
"Yesterday?"" Daniel repeated.
"Yes. And the access request originated from a computer registered at the hotel where your wedding is being held.""
We all looked toward the ballroom.
Richard immediately checked his tablet.
"Who accessed it?""
Detective Harris answered.
"We're still identifying the individual. But the request included a password.""
I swallowed.
"What password?""
The detective read it aloud.
"THOMAS1954.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
That was Thomas's birth year.
But it wasn't the password he used for anything.
It was the answer to a security question.
The security question he had created for me.
And only one other person knew the answer.
My son.
Michael.
Daniel looked at me.
"Grandma, what is it?""
I slowly stood.
"Your grandfather didn't just leave you money.""
I looked toward the ballroom doors.
"He left you a way to prove what happened to him.""
And just then, Detective Harris spoke again.
"Mrs. Hayes, we need you to come to the station. We've recovered a message from your husband's hospital room.""
"What message?""
"A recording.""
My heart began pounding.
"What does it say?""
The detective hesitated.
Then he answered:
"It sounds like Thomas was arguing with someone shortly before he died.""
May you like
"Who?""
"We believe the voice belongs to your son.""
