Chapter 11: Patricia's Final Warning
Patricia was awake when Cole entered her hospital room.
Her face was pale, and a bandage covered her forehead, but her eyes were open.
“There's my boy,” she whispered.
Cole rushed to her bedside.
“Mom.””
He took her hand and pressed it against his cheek.
“Don't ever scare me like that again.””
Patricia managed a weak smile.
“I'll try.””
He pulled a chair closer.
“Who attacked you?””
Her smile disappeared.
“Richard.””
Cole's jaw tightened.
“Are you sure?””
“I saw his face.””
“Why didn't you call the police?””
“I tried. He took my phone.””
Cole looked at the bruising around her wrist.
“Did he hurt you?””
Patricia nodded.
“He wanted the location of the recording.””
Cole leaned forward.
“What did you tell him?””
“That I didn't have it.””
“Did he believe you?””
“No.””
She looked toward the door.
“He said he knew Thomas had left something for you. He wanted the blue notebook and the cassette.””
Cole lowered his head.
“We found them.””
Patricia's eyes widened.
“You did?””
“Yes. They're safe.””
She exhaled.
“Thank God.””
Cole gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.
“Mom, there's something I need to tell you.””
Patricia watched him.
“I know.””
“Michael told us what happened to Elizabeth.””
Her eyes filled immediately.
“He finally admitted it?””
Cole nodded.
“He was driving the car.””
Patricia closed her eyes.
For several seconds, she didn't speak.
Then she whispered, “I always suspected.””
Cole stared.
“You knew?””
“Not everything. But after the accident, Richard came to my house. He told me Elizabeth had been drinking and had lost control of her vehicle.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I couldn't prove anything. And because Richard threatened to take you away.””
Cole sat back.
Patricia squeezed his hand.
“I was wrong to keep the truth from you. I know that.””
He swallowed.
“I don't know how to feel.””
“You don't have to decide today.””
He looked at her.
“Did you ever hate me for being connected to them?””
Patricia's eyes widened.
“Oh, sweetheart.””
She lifted his hand and kissed it.
“Not for one second.””
“But they were your family, too.””
“They were never worth losing you.””
Cole lowered his head.
For a moment, he was a little boy again.
Then Patricia looked toward the bedside cabinet.
“There's something in my purse.””
Cole retrieved it.
“Which pocket?””
“The small one. Behind the photograph.””
He searched carefully and found a tiny brass key.
Patricia took it.
“This is for the safety deposit box.””
Cole frowned.
“Daniel said Richard emptied it.””
“He emptied one box.””
She closed her fingers around the key.
“Your father left another.””
Cole stared.
“Thomas?””
“Yes. He knew Richard would eventually discover the first one. He arranged a second box in my name.””
“Where?””
“First National Bank. Downtown.””
Cole stood.
“Then we'll go there.””
Patricia shook her head.
“Not without the police.””
“Mom—”
“Listen to me.””
Her voice became firm.
“Richard is desperate. Desperate people do things they cannot take back.””
Cole nodded.
“I understand.””
Patricia looked toward the window.
“And there's another reason you need to be careful.””
“What?””
“Michael wasn't the only person involved that night.””
Cole felt his stomach tighten.
“Who else?””
Patricia hesitated.
“Someone who was supposed to be helping Elizabeth.””
“Who?””
Before she could answer, a knock sounded.
A uniformed police officer entered.
“Mr. Bennett?””
Cole turned.
“Yes.””
“I'm Detective Laura Mitchell. I need to speak with your mother about the incident at her home.””
Patricia nodded.
“Of course.””
Detective Mitchell pulled out a chair.
“Mrs. Bennett, can you tell me what happened?””
Patricia described Richard's arrival, the argument, and the struggle near the kitchen.
“He kept asking about a blue notebook,” she explained.
“When I refused, he grabbed my arm and pushed me.””
“Did he take anything?””
“No.””
“Did he make any threats?””
Patricia looked at Cole.
Then she turned back to the detective.
“He told me that if I continued talking, my son would regret ever learning who his biological mother was.””
Detective Mitchell wrote it down.
“Did you understand that as a threat against your son?””
“Yes.””
The detective nodded.
“Mr. Bennett, we also need to discuss the information you received about Elizabeth Harrington's death.””
Cole glanced at his mother.
“Michael admitted he was driving.””
The detective looked up sharply.
“Did he make that statement in front of witnesses?””
“Yes. Four witnesses.””
“Was it recorded?””
Daniel's name appeared on Cole's phone.
“He recorded the conversation.””
“Good. We will need that recording.””
Patricia suddenly reached for the detective's sleeve.
“There's something else.””
Detective Mitchell leaned closer.
“What is it?””
“Elizabeth had a friend. A woman named Susan Miller. She worked in the Harrington office.””
Cole frowned.
“Who was she?””
“She was the person who helped Elizabeth gather the financial records.””
“Is she still alive?””
Patricia nodded.
“She called me last week.””
Cole stared.
“Why?””
“She said she finally wanted to tell the truth.””
Detective Mitchell took out her notebook.
“Do you have her number?””
Patricia reached for her purse.
Then she stopped.
Her face changed.
“The number was on a piece of paper in my kitchen.””
Cole frowned.
“What happened?””
“Richard must have taken it.””
The detective stood.
“Do you remember her last name and where she worked?””
“Miller. She used to work at Harrington Construction.””
Detective Mitchell wrote it down.
“We'll locate her.””
Patricia looked at Cole.
“But there's something I didn't tell you.””
He leaned closer.
“What?””
“After Richard left my house, I found a photograph under the kitchen table.””
She pointed toward her purse.
Cole opened the small compartment.
Inside was a photograph of Elizabeth standing beside a young woman.
On the back, in Elizabeth's handwriting, were the words:
Susan knows what happened before the accident.
Cole turned the photograph over again.
Then he noticed the second person in the picture.
A young man stood in the background.
He was wearing a Harrington Construction employee badge.
Cole recognized him immediately.
He looked at Detective Mitchell.
“That's Richard.””
Patricia shook her head.
“No, sweetheart.””
Cole looked closer.
The man had the same dark hair, the same jawline, but he was much younger.
Then Patricia whispered:
“That's Andrew.””
Cole stared at her.
“Andrew?””
She nodded.
“He was there that night, too.””
Later that evening, Ethan and Daniel arrived at the hospital with news from the law office.
The original trust documents had been secured, and the estate's financial records were now under formal review.
Margaret had agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Michael had also agreed to provide a statement.
But Andrew had disappeared.
His phone was switched off.
His apartment was empty.
And the bank confirmed that someone had accessed the second safety deposit box earlier that morning.
Cole looked at the brass key in Patricia's hand.
“Who opened it?””
Daniel checked the bank's initial report.
“The access card belonged to Andrew Harrington.””
Patricia closed her eyes.
“Then he has it.””
“Has what?”” Cole asked.
“The recording.””
Ethan frowned.
“But we have the cassette.””
Patricia shook her head.
“Not the original one.””
She looked directly at Cole.
“The recording we found was only a copy. Thomas kept the original with the rest of the evidence.””
Cole's phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A single message appeared.
If you want to know why Elizabeth really died, come alone.
Below it was an address.
May you like
And a name.
*SUSAN MILLER.*
