Chapter 5 - THE CALL DANIEL WASN’T SUPPOSED TO MAKE
Daniel Mercer had spent four months pretending jail was temporary.
He complained about the food.
He complained about his attorney.
He complained about the mattress, the noise, the guards, the prosecutor, the judge, and the fact that Valerie had refused every request for a private meeting.
He never complained about what he had done to Thomas.
Because in Daniel’s mind, consequences belonged to other people.
Then investigators found Emily Carter’s storage unit.
For the first time, Daniel became frightened.
His attorney noticed immediately.
“You told me the Carter situation was unrelated.”
Daniel stared through the glass partition.
“It was.”
“They found records connecting you, Rebecca Shaw, and Cassandra Bell.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Cassandra is dead.”
“No, she isn’t.”
Silence.
The attorney leaned forward.
“If you lie to me again, find someone else.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“What exactly did they find?”
“That’s not the question you should be asking.”
“What question?”
“How much prison time do you want to avoid?”
Daniel looked away.
By that evening, he requested a meeting with prosecutors.
Word reached Ramirez the next morning.
“He wants a deal,” he told Valerie.
Nick was sitting nearby.
“For what?”
“Information.”
“About my dad?”
“Possibly.”
Nick stood.
“I want to hear it.”
“You can’t participate in a plea negotiation.”
“I don’t care about his deal.”
“I know.”
“Then ask about Michael.”
Ramirez nodded.
“I will.”
Daniel’s first offer was simple.
Reduced charges in exchange for Rebecca Shaw.
The prosecutor refused.
Then Daniel offered Cassandra.
Still not enough.
Finally Ramirez asked, “Where is Michael Carter?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
His attorney whispered something.
Daniel ignored him.
“He’s alive.”
Nick, watching through a protected video feed in another office with Rachel and Valerie, closed his eyes.
Ramirez continued.
“Where?”
“I don’t know currently.”
“What happened seven years ago?”
Daniel leaned back.
“You want the real story?”
“Yes.”
“Michael saw something he wasn’t supposed to see.”
“What?”
“Rebecca paying a contractor.”
“Fraud?”
“Money laundering.”
Ramirez did not react.
Daniel continued.
“Michael confronted her. Rebecca panicked. Cassandra convinced him that if he reported it, Emily would be blamed too.”
“How?”
“They had access to financial systems.”
“So they framed Emily?”
Daniel hesitated.
Ramirez stared.
“You signed her termination report.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“I said Cassandra convinced Michael.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Daniel’s attorney looked uncomfortable.
Daniel finally answered.
“Yes.”
Nick stood so suddenly Rachel grabbed his arm.
Valerie stared at the screen with disgust.
Ramirez asked, “Why?”
“Emily had copies.”
“So you destroyed her career.”
“She wouldn’t stop.”
“You threatened her son?”
Daniel looked at the table.
“Cassandra handled that.”
Nick whispered, “Coward.”
Thomas was not allowed to watch.
Nick was glad.
Some truths were too poisonous to hand another child before necessary.
Ramirez continued.
“What did you do to Michael?”
“We gave him a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Disappear or watch Emily go to prison.”
Nick stared.
Daniel said Michael was shown fabricated evidence making it appear Emily had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He was told that if he left town, Daniel would make the investigation disappear.
Michael believed leaving would save his wife and son.
“But Emily was fired anyway,” Ramirez said.
Daniel shrugged.
“She kept investigating.”
Nick pushed away from the monitor.
Rachel whispered, “Nick…”
He couldn’t breathe.
His father had not abandoned him.
His father had tried to protect him.
And failed.
The difference should have made Nick feel better.
It didn’t.
It made seven lost years feel even more unbearable.
Ramirez asked, “Why didn’t Michael return?”
Daniel’s face became guarded.
“Cassandra.”
“What did she do?”
“I don’t know everything.”
“Try.”
“She followed him.”
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against what?”
“Talking.”
Daniel’s attorney interrupted.
“My client is speculating.”
Daniel laughed.
“No, I’m not.”
The attorney stared at him.
Daniel leaned toward Ramirez.
“Cassandra likes leverage. She finds what someone loves, then makes sure they understand it can disappear.”
Nick felt cold.
Thomas.
The photograph outside school.
The warning.
Exactly the same method.
Ramirez asked, “Where is Cassandra now?”
Daniel smiled.
“That’s worth something.”
“No.”
“I want protective custody and a recommendation for—”
“You assaulted your son. You assaulted another child. You attempted to steal from your wife. You participated in a conspiracy that destroyed a family. You are not negotiating from strength.”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
For the first time Nick saw him as he really was.
Small.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
Daniel had built power by making everyone else afraid.
The moment fear stopped working, there was almost nothing underneath.
Daniel finally whispered, “She’ll go after the boy.”
Ramirez leaned forward.
“Which boy?”
Daniel looked directly toward the camera.
For one horrifying second, Nick felt as if Daniel could see him.
“Nick.”
Rachel gripped his hand.
“Why Nick?”
“Because Emily left something Cassandra never found.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel laughed weakly.
“That’s why Emily survived as long as she did. Cassandra thought killing her would make the evidence disappear.”
The room went silent.
Nick stopped breathing.
“What did he say?”
Valerie turned toward Ramirez’s monitor.
Daniel continued speaking.
“She didn’t die because she was sick.”
Nick’s face went white.
Rachel stood.
“No.”
Daniel’s attorney immediately said, “We need to stop.”
Ramirez ignored him.
“What are you saying?”
Daniel stared downward.
“I’m saying you should pull Emily Carter’s medical records.”
Nick backed away.
“No.”
Rachel started crying.
“Nick.”
“No.”
He hit the wall with the side of his fist.
Not hard enough to hurt himself.
Hard enough to feel something.
“My mom was sick.”
Rachel nodded through tears.
“She was.”
“Pneumonia.”
“That’s what the hospital said.”
Daniel’s voice continued from the monitor.
“Ask what was in her blood.”
Valerie shut off the feed.
Nick turned on her.
“Why did you stop it?”
“Because you shouldn’t have to hear Daniel enjoy telling this.”
“I need to know!”
“And Ramirez will find out.”
“I need to hear him!”
“No.”
Nick glared at her.
“You don’t get to decide what truth I can handle.”
Valerie’s expression changed.
“You’re right.”
She turned the feed back on.
Daniel finished his statement.
Emily had reportedly begun feeling ill after meeting someone at a diner to exchange evidence.
Three days later she was hospitalized.
She never recovered.
Daniel claimed Cassandra had once bragged that Emily “wouldn’t bother anyone again.”
He could not prove it.
But investigators immediately reopened the medical records.
Two hours later, Ramirez returned.
Nick stood before he spoke.
“Well?”
“The hospital kept a toxicology sample because some results were abnormal.”
“What does that mean?”
“They’re testing it again.”
“Was she poisoned?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Nick closed his eyes.
Rachel hugged him.
This time he held on.
Across town, Rebecca Shaw walked into Mercer Hospitality headquarters as if nothing had changed.
Valerie had not confronted her.
Ramirez had instructed everyone to maintain normal operations while investigators built the case.
Rebecca smiled at employees.
Attended meetings.
Approved budgets.
Then she entered Valerie’s office.
“I heard Thomas had trouble at school.”
Valerie forced herself to remain calm.
“How did you hear that?”
Rebecca’s smile paused.
“People talk.”
Valerie stared.
“The police haven’t released it.”
Silence.
Only two seconds.
But Valerie saw it.
A mistake.
Rebecca recovered quickly.
“Daniel’s arrest has everyone watching your family.”
“I suppose.”
Rebecca sat.
“We should discuss temporary leadership.”
Valerie frowned.
“Leadership?”
“The board is concerned.”
“About?”
“You.”
Valerie almost laughed.
Rebecca continued.
“Your personal life is becoming inseparable from the company. Your husband is accused of financial crimes. A homeless child is making accusations about old employment cases. Police are searching company archives.”
Valerie’s eyes hardened.
“Nick has a name.”
“I’m aware.”
“Use it.”
Rebecca smiled politely.
“Of course.”
She slid a folder across the desk.
“The board will meet tomorrow. Several directors may ask you to step aside until the investigation ends.”
Valerie looked at the folder.
“Who suggested that?”
Rebecca stood.
“I think you know.”
After she left, Valerie called Ramirez.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Rebecca is trying to remove me.”
Ramirez was silent.
Then: “She may be preparing to control the records.”
Valerie looked toward the hallway.
“How fast can you get a warrant?”
Before Ramirez answered, another call came through.
Rachel.
Valerie switched lines.
“Rachel?”
All she heard was breathing.
Then Nick’s voice.
“Valerie?”
Something was wrong.
“Nick, where are you?”
“At home.”
“What happened?”
“A package came.”
“Don’t touch it.”
“Too late.”
Valerie stood.
“What was inside?”
Nick looked down at the small box on Rachel’s kitchen table.
Inside was Emily Carter’s old silver wedding ring.
The ring Nick remembered police saying had been buried with her.
Beneath it was a note.
YOUR MOTHER TALKED.
YOUR FATHER RAN.
DON’T MAKE THEIR MISTAKES.
Valerie whispered, “Nick, get away from the windows.”
Nick did.
Then he noticed something outside.
Across the street.
A woman in a red coat stood beneath an umbrella.
Watching the apartment.
Nick stopped breathing.
“Valerie.”
“What?”
“She’s here.”
“Who?”
Nick stared through the curtain.
“Cassandra.”
May you like
The woman raised one hand.
And smiled.
