Chapter 4: My Sister's Secret
I couldn't hear anything except Rachel crying.
Daniel stood up.
“Denise?””
I held up one hand.
“Rachel crying.
Daniel stood up.
“Denise?””
I held up one hand.
“Rachel, what are you talking about?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Please don't hate me.””
“I'm, what are you talking about?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Please don't hate me.””
“I'm asking you a question.””
“He contacted me last year.””
“Why?””
“He asking you a question.””
“He contacted me last year.””
“Why?””
“He said you were having problems in your marriage. He said you were unhappy and that you were said you were having problems in your marriage. He said you were unhappy and that you were thinking about leaving him.””
I stared at the wall.
“That isn't true.””
“I know that thinking about leaving him.””
I stared at the wall.
“That isn't true.””
“I know that now.””
“Rachel, what did he pay you for?””
She began sobbing harder.
“He wanted me to tell him now.””
“Rachel, what did he pay you for?””
She began sobbing harder.
“He wanted me to tell him what you were saying. Whether you were talking to a lawyer. Whether you had asked about Dad what you were saying.
Whether you were talking to a lawyer. Whether you had asked about Dad's trust.””
The room seemed to tilt.
My own sister.
My own husband.
Both of's trust.””
The room seemed to tilt.
My own sister.
My own husband.
Both of them had been keeping secrets.
“How much?””
“Ninety thousand.””
I closed my eyes.
“And you them had been keeping secrets.
“How much?””
“Ninety thousand.””
I closed my eyes.
“And you accepted it?””
“I thought it was money from his company. He told me he was helping me because I was accepted it?””
“I thought it was money from his company. He told me he was helping me because I was struggling.””
“You knew he wanted information about me.””
“I didn't understand what he was doing.””
“Rachel, you told struggling.””
“You knew he wanted information about me.””
“I didn't understand what he was doing.””
“Rachel, you told me you were worried about Marcus last Christmas.””
“I was.””
“You asked me whether I was me you were worried about Marcus last Christmas.””
“I was.””
“You asked me whether I was happy.””
“I was trying to find out what he wanted me to tell him.””
I sat down happy.””
“I was trying to find out what he wanted me to tell him.””
I sat down slowly.
The betrayal was so intimate that I couldn't even find the slowly.
The betrayal was so intimate that I couldn't even find the right words for it.
Rachel had sat in my kitchen.
She had hugged me.
She had watched me cry over my marriage.
right words for it.
Rachel had sat in my kitchen.
She had hugged me.
She had watched me cry over my marriage.
And she had been reporting my conversations to the man who was destroying itAnd she had been reporting my conversations to the man who was destroying it.
“Why are you telling me now?””
“Because he called me this morning.””
“What did he.
“Why are you telling me now?””
“Because he called me this morning.””
“What did he say?””
“He told me to delete everything.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Everything?””
“The messages. The emails. The transfer records. He said if say?””
“He told me to delete everything.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Everything?””
“The messages. The emails. The transfer records. He said if I didn't, he'd tell everyone I stole the money.””
I looked at Daniel.
He silently I didn't, he'd tell everyone I stole the money.””
I looked at Daniel.
He silently motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
“Rachel,” he said gently, “my name is Daniel Mercer. I'm Denise motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
“Rachel,” he said gently, “my name is Daniel Mercer. I'm Denise's attorney. I need you to preserve every communication you have with Marcus.
Don't's attorney. I need you to preserve every communication you have with Marcus. Don't delete anything.””
She sniffed.
“Am I in trouble?””
“That depends on what happened delete anything.””
She sniffed.
“Am I in trouble?””
“That depends on what happened and what the evidence shows. But destroying records now would make things considerably worse.””
Rachel was and what the evidence shows. But destroying records now would make things considerably worse.””
Rachel was quiet.
Then she asked:
“Can I come see Denise?””
I looked at the window.
Outside, the afternoon sunlight was beginning quiet.
Then she asked:
“Can I come see Denise?””
I looked at the window.
Outside, the afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade.
“Yes,” I said.
“But I need you to tell me everything.””
Rachel arrived at Daniel to fade.
“Yes,” I said.
“But I need you to tell me everything.””
Rachel arrived at Daniel's office an hour later.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and her eyes were swollen from's office an hour later.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and her eyes were swollen from crying.
She sat across from me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she reached crying.
She sat across from me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she reached into her handbag.
“I brought this.””
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
“It's into her handbag.
“I brought this.””
She placed a small flash drive on the table.
“It's everything I saved.””
Daniel picked it up.
“Thank you.””
Rachel looked at me.
“I'm everything I saved.””
Daniel picked it up.
“Thank you.””
Rachel looked at me.
“I'm sorry.””
I folded my arms.
“Why didn't you come to me?””
“Because Marcus told me you would blame sorry.””
I folded my arms.
“Why didn't you come to me?””
“Because Marcus told me you would blame me.””
“You let him convince you that I would blame you instead of him?””
She began me.””
“You let him convince you that I would blame you instead of him?””
She began crying again.
“He said you were going to leave him and take everything. He said Dad's trust was supposed to crying again.
“He said you were going to leave him and take everything. He said Dad's trust was supposed to support both of you.””
I stared at her.
“Dad left that money to support both of you.””
I stared at her.
“Dad left that money to me.””
“I know.””
“No, Rachel. I don't think you did.””
She wiped her face.
“Denise, he made it me.””
“I know.””
“No, Rachel. I don't think you did.””
She wiped her face.
“Denise, he made it sound reasonable. He said you were becoming suspicious and that he needed to protect himself sound reasonable. He said you were becoming suspicious and that he needed to protect himself.””
Daniel interrupted gently.
“Rachel, did Marcus ever ask you to sign anything.””
Daniel interrupted gently.
“Rachel, did Marcus ever ask you to sign anything?””
She hesitated.
“Yes.””
“What?””
“A statement saying Denise?””
She hesitated.
“Yes.””
“What?””
“A statement saying Denise had authorized certain financial arrangements.””
I felt my pulse quicken.
“Did you sign had authorized certain financial arrangements.””
I felt my pulse quicken.
“Did you sign it?””
Rachel shook her head.
“No. I refused.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew it it?””
Rachel shook her head.
“No. I refused.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew it wasn't true.””
I looked at her.
For the first time since she entered the room, I saw something familiar wasn't true.””
I looked at her.
For the first time since she entered the room, I saw something familiar in her face.
My sister.
The little girl who used to hold my hand when thunderstorms in her face.
My sister.
The little girl who used to hold my hand when thunderstorms frightened us.
The woman who had once driven three hours in the middle of the night because I frightened us.
The woman who had once driven three hours in the middle of the night because I had a fever.
But there was still a question I couldn't ignore.
“Why did you had a fever.
But there was still a question I couldn't ignore.
“Why did you keep the money?””
She looked down.
“I was afraid.””
“Of Marcus?””
“Yes keep the money?””
She looked down.
“I was afraid.””
“Of Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“Or of losing the money?””
Rachel didn't answer.
And that silence hurt more than I expected.””
“Or of losing the money?””
Rachel didn't answer.
And that silence hurt more than I expected.
Daniel opened his laptop.
“We'll need to review these.
Daniel opened his laptop.
“We'll need to review these records carefully.””
He connected the flash drive.
A folder appeared.
Inside were dozens of emails, screenshots, and scanned documents.
One file records carefully.””
He connected the flash drive.
A folder appeared.
Inside were dozens of emails, screenshots, and scanned documents.
One file was labeled:
PROJECT WILLOW.
Daniel opened it.
The first email was from Marcus.
*Rachel was labeled:
PROJECT WILLOW.
Daniel opened it.
The first email was from Marcus.
Rachel, as discussed, I need confirmation that Denise has not contacted the bank.
The next message was Rachel's reply.
She, as discussed, I need confirmation that Denise has not contacted the bank.
The next message was Rachel's reply.
She hasn't mentioned anything. She thinks you're dealing with the trust.
Then another email appeared.
Marcus had written:
Good hasn't mentioned anything. She thinks you're dealing with the trust.
Then another email appeared.
Marcus had written:
*Good. Keep her calm until the transfer is complete. Once the house is moved, there.
Keep her calm until the transfer is complete. Once the house is moved, there won't be anything she can do.*
I felt sick.
Daniel scrolled farther.
Another message appeared won't be anything she can do.*
I felt sick.
Daniel scrolled farther.
Another message appeared.
This one was addressed to Vanessa.
*Everything will be finalized before the anniversary. After.
This one was addressed to Vanessa.
Everything will be finalized before the anniversary. After that, Denise won't have access to the house or the accounts.
I stared at the screen.
“Before the anniversary?””
Daniel that, Denise won't have access to the house or the accounts.*
I stared at the screen.
“Before the anniversary?””
Daniel nodded.
“It appears the anniversary dinner wasn't the only event Marcus had planned.””
Rachel suddenly covered her mouth.
“There nodded.
“It appears the anniversary dinner wasn't the only event Marcus had planned.””
Rachel suddenly covered her mouth.
“There was another thing.””
I turned.
“What?””
She reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
was another thing.””
I turned.
“What?””
She reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“He gave me this two weeks ago. He said I had to keep it safe.””
I unfolded it.
It was“He gave me this two weeks ago. He said I had to keep it safe.””
I unfolded it.
It was a photocopy of a document.
At the top was the name of a financial institution.
Below it was a list of beneficiaries.
I read a photocopy of a document.
At the top was the name of a financial institution.
Below it was a list of beneficiaries.
I read the first name.
Then the second.
My hands went cold.
The document listed Marcus as the first name.
Then the second.
My hands went cold.
The document listed Marcus as the primary beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
The insured person was me.
The policy amount was $2.5 million.
I looked at Daniel.
“Did the primary beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
The insured person was me.
The policy amount was $2.5 million.
I looked at Daniel.
“Did I sign this?””
He examined the paper.
“I'll need the original application.””
I shook my head.
“I I sign this?””
He examined the paper.
“I'll need the original application.””
I shook my head.
“I've never taken out a life insurance policy for that amount.””
Rachel whispered:
“Marcus said it was just a financial planning've never taken out a life insurance policy for that amount.””
Rachel whispered:
“Marcus said it was just a financial planning requirement.””
I stared at her.
“When?””
“Last year.””
My throat tightened.
Daniel turned the page requirement.””
I stared at her.
“When?””
“Last year.””
My throat tightened.
Daniel turned the page over.
There was a date.
And beneath it, a signature.
My signature.
Again.
Except over.
There was a date.
And beneath it, a signature.
My signature.
Again.
Except this time, the document contained something that made Daniel's expression change completely.
He picked up his phone.
“Den this time, the document contained something that made Daniel's expression change completely.
He picked up his phone.
“Denise, I need you to listen carefully.””
“What?””
He looked at the date.
“Your husband didn'tise, I need you to listen carefully.””
“What?””
He looked at the date.
“Your husband didn't just forge your signature.””
He pointed to a handwritten note in the margin.
“He also requested that the policy be made just forge your signature.””
May you like
He pointed to a handwritten note in the margin.
“He also requested that the policy be made effective retroactively.””
