Chapter 6: The Daughter Who Knew the Truth
I didn't move for several seconds after Detective Grant finished speaking.
Victoria Whitmore had been in Daniel's car the night he died.
For eleven years, I had believed my brother had been driving alone on a wet road when he lost control of his vehicle. I'd attended his funeral, listened to people describe him as careless, and watched my mother spend years blaming herself for not calling him that evening.
Now I was being told that the woman who had tried to throw me out of my own showroom had been sitting beside him.
And she had been carrying a document bearing my name.
“Where is Victoria now?”” I asked.
Michael Grant checked his phone.
“I don't know. She sent me a message this morning asking whether I'd kept the original evidence.””
“What did you tell her?””
“Nothing.””
“Why?””
“Because I wanted to see whether she'd come to me voluntarily.””
Rebecca Shaw closed the evidence folder.
“Detective, we need to establish whether the recording is authentic and whether the police still have jurisdiction over the original investigation.””
Michael shook his head.
“Officially, the recording disappeared. Unofficially, I kept a copy.””
He removed a small digital recorder from his briefcase.
It was scratched along one side, with a faded evidence sticker attached to the back.
“Daniel's car was carrying this device. He used it to record business meetings because he was worried about someone accessing his files.””
I stared at it.
“Does it contain the conversation with Thomas?””
“Part of it.””
Michael pressed a button.
A faint mechanical click came through the speaker.
Then Daniel's voice filled the room.
“Victoria, you need to tell me exactly what your father asked you to sign.””
A younger Victoria answered.
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“Don't lie to me. I saw the document.””
“Daniel, please.””
“Did he ask you to transfer Eleanor's inheritance?””
Silence.
Then Victoria began crying.
“He said it was temporary.””
“Nothing about that document is temporary.””
“My father said Eleanor would never know.””
Daniel's voice became sharper.
“She has a right to know.””
“He told me you'd destroy the company if you exposed him.””
“Your father is destroying it.””
There was a pause.
Then Victoria whispered something that made my chest tighten.
“He said if I didn't help him, he'd tell everyone what happened to my mother.””
The recording ended abruptly.
I stared at Michael.
“What happened to her mother?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Rebecca leaned forward.
“Is there more?””
“There's a second file. But it was damaged.””
“Can you recover it?””
“Possibly.””
I looked at the recorder.
“Why didn't you give this to the family eleven years ago?””
Michael lowered his eyes.
“Because I was ordered to close the investigation. The evidence was classified as incomplete, and I was warned that pursuing the matter could end my career.””
“Who gave the order?””
He hesitated.
Then he answered.
“Deputy Commissioner Robert Hale.””
Rebecca immediately wrote the name down.
“He's still serving?””
“No. He retired three years ago.””
I stood.
“Then we're going to find him.””
Michael raised a hand.
“Eleanor, there's something else you need to understand. Victoria wasn't the only person in that car.””
I turned.
“What do you mean?””
“The emergency call came from a third phone. It wasn't Daniel's or Victoria's.””
“Whose was it?””
Michael looked at me.
“Thomas Whitmore's.””
We found Victoria at Whitmore House shortly after four.
She was sitting alone in the executive office, staring at a framed photograph of her grandfather.
When I entered, she immediately stood.
“Eleanor.””
I closed the door behind me.
“Sit down.””
She looked at Michael, then Rebecca.
“Why is he here?””
“Because he investigated my brother's death.””
Victoria's face lost color.
“I didn't know he was still involved.””
Michael placed the digital recorder on the desk.
“Then perhaps you'd like to explain what happened that night.””
Victoria stared at it.
Her lips trembled.
“You found it.””
“Yes.””
She sat down slowly.
I remained standing.
“Were you in Daniel's car?””
She nodded.
“Why?””
“My father had asked me to meet him. Daniel was supposed to give me some documents.””
“What documents?””
“The original shareholder agreement. The one showing your brother's ownership.””
“Why did you have my forged signature?””
Victoria covered her face.
“My father gave it to me.””
“Why?””
“He told me it was part of a restructuring agreement. He said your brother had already approved it.””
“Daniel was dead?””
Victoria looked up.
“He wasn't dead yet.””
The room seemed to shrink.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“My father told me to bring the document to Daniel. He wanted him to sign a statement confirming that he had voluntarily transferred his shares before his death.””
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.””
“I know.””
“Daniel refused?””
“Yes.””
“What happened next?””
Victoria wiped her cheeks.
“He told me my father had stolen the money and forged the ownership papers. He said he had proof.””
“And?””
“And he asked me to help him.””
I stepped closer.
“What did you do?””
She looked at me.
“I called my father.””
The words landed like a slap.
“You called Thomas?””
Victoria nodded.
“I told him Daniel wouldn't cooperate. My father said he was coming to get the documents.””
“What happened at the crash site?””
“I don't know everything. I swear.””
“Victoria!””
She flinched.
“Daniel was driving. We were arguing. He told me to get out of the car. He said my father was dangerous and that I needed to stop helping him.””
“Then?””
“A black SUV appeared behind us.””
Michael leaned forward.
“Do you remember the driver?””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
“Who?””
“My father's driver. Frank.””
Michael exchanged a look with Rebecca.
“Frank Dorsey?””
Victoria nodded.
“He followed us for several miles. Daniel noticed him. He started driving faster because he wanted to reach a police station.””
My hands were shaking.
“Did the SUV hit your brother's car?””
Victoria began crying again.
“I heard a loud bang. The car swerved. Daniel tried to control it, but we went off the road.””
“Was it an accident?””
She didn't answer.
I grabbed the back of a chair.
“Victoria, was it an accident?””
She whispered, “I don't know.””
Michael placed a second photograph on the desk.
“Then explain this.””
It showed a close-up of the rear of Daniel's car.
There was a long impact mark near the bumper.
Victoria stared at it.
“I've never seen that photograph.””
“Because it was removed from the original evidence file.””
She began trembling.
“I didn't know.””
Michael's voice was firm.
“You were there.””
“I was injured. I was unconscious when the police arrived.””
“You told the investigators you remembered nothing.””
“I was scared!””
“Of whom?””
She looked at me.
“My father.””
I couldn't stop myself.
“You were afraid of your father, so you let my family believe Daniel had caused his own death?””
Victoria lowered her head.
“I was twenty-one.””
“And I was grieving.””
She began sobbing.
I turned away.
There were apologies that arrived too late to be useful.
Before I could speak again, Victoria's phone rang.
The screen displayed one name.
DAD.
She stared at it.
Michael motioned for her to answer.
She shook her head.
“Do it,” he said.
Victoria accepted the call and placed it on speaker.
Thomas's voice filled the office.
“Victoria, sweetheart. Where are you?””
She said nothing.
“I've been trying to reach you. We have a little problem.””
“What problem?”” she whispered.
“Your friend Eleanor has been asking questions.””
I looked at her.
Thomas continued.
“Come home. We need to talk.””
“I'm not coming.””
Silence.
Then his voice turned cold.
“Don't make me ask twice.””
Victoria's hands shook.
“You told me Daniel was responsible for the accident.””
“He was.””
“No. He wasn't.””
A long pause followed.
Then Thomas laughed.
“You've been talking to that detective.””
Michael moved closer to the phone.
“Thomas Whitmore, this is Detective Michael Grant.””
The line went silent.
“Do you recognize my voice?”” Michael asked.
Thomas disconnected.
Victoria stared at the phone.
Then she whispered, “He knows.””
I looked at Michael.
“What does that mean?””
He picked up the recorder.
“It means we need to find Frank Dorsey before Thomas does.””
Victoria suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Eleanor, listen to me. There's something else.””
“What?””
“My father kept the original recording in his private safe.””
“Why?””
“Because it contains the part nobody has heard.””
“What part?””
She looked toward the office door.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Daniel didn't die immediately after the crash. He was alive when my father arrived.””
