Chapter 2 - THE RECORDING
The deputy's name was James Carter.
He had known Daniel.
That detail nearly broke me.
"Daniel helped my father repair a tractor years ago," Carter said quietly while the paramedics examined my ribs.
I hadn't remembered him.
But he remembered my husband.
"Good man," he said.
I closed my eyes.
"Yes."
Across the room, Marcus was being questioned.
Rachel sat on the couch, crying into a tissue.
She kept looking at me.
Every time our eyes met, I saw the same question.
How much did Mom know?
The paramedic carefully pressed my side.
I winced.
"You need an X-ray."
"I know."
"You may have a fractured rib."
"I know."
Marcus called out.
"Mom, tell them I didn't mean to hurt you."
I looked at him.
"You meant to scare me."
He lowered his head.
"I was angry."
Carter wrote something down.
"Anger doesn't explain everything."
Rachel suddenly stood.
"This is a family matter."
Carter looked at her.
"Assault isn't a family matter."
She sat back down.
My attorney arrived twenty-seven minutes later.
Her name was Evelyn Price.
She walked through the front door carrying a leather folder.
She looked at me.
Then at Marcus.
Then at Rachel.
Her expression hardened.
"I told you both not to contact my client."
Marcus frowned.
"We're her children."
"And I'm her attorney."
Evelyn walked toward me.
"Did they force you to sign anything?"
"No."
"Did they threaten you?"
"Yes."
"Did either of them strike you?"
I looked at Marcus.
"Yes."
Evelyn nodded.
"Then we're done discussing this."
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"You can't stop us from getting our inheritance."
Evelyn looked at him.
"There is no inheritance."
His face tightened.
"What?"
"The three million dollars belongs to your mother."
Rachel stood.
"But the farm was family property."
"No."
Evelyn opened her folder.
"The deed was solely in your mother's name."
Rachel shook her head.
"That doesn't matter."
"It matters very much."
Evelyn removed another document.
"And there's something else."
She placed it on the table.
Marcus stared at it.
"What is that?"
"The original estate plan."
Rachel stopped breathing.
Evelyn looked at me.
"Your mother changed her will three months ago."
Marcus's voice became quiet.
"Changed it to what?"
I said nothing.
Evelyn did.
"To leave the majority of her estate to the Whitaker Agricultural Foundation."
Rachel stared at me.
"What foundation?"
"The foundation your father wanted to establish before he died."
Marcus shook his head.
"That's not real."
"It is."
He looked at me.
"You'd give our inheritance away?"
I answered softly.
"I wouldn't give away your inheritance."
He frowned.
"You would."
"No."
I looked him directly in the eyes.
"You lost it."
Rachel started crying again.
"Mom, please."
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Then Evelyn pulled out a flash drive.
"The security company sent me the complete footage."
Marcus's eyes went to it.
Evelyn plugged it into her laptop.
The kitchen appeared on screen.
My children saw themselves threatening me.
They heard Marcus demand my bank information.
They heard Rachel tell him to "make her cooperate."
Then came the punch.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Marcus stared at the screen.
"That's edited."
Evelyn looked at him.
"The files are digitally signed."
He said nothing.
Then the recording continued.
The footage had captured a conversation three nights earlier.
Rachel and Marcus were sitting in the same kitchen.
They believed I was asleep.
Rachel whispered:
"She won't give us anything."
Marcus answered:
"Then we'll make sure she can't protect it."
I watched my children on the screen.
Rachel asked:
"How?"
Marcus leaned closer.
"She takes those sleeping pills every night."
My stomach dropped.
I looked at Rachel.
She stopped crying.
The room became silent.
On the recording, Rachel said:
"How many?"
Marcus answered:
"Enough."
I felt cold.
Evelyn paused the video.
Nobody spoke.
Carter slowly turned toward Marcus.
"What sleeping pills?"
Marcus shook his head.
"That isn't what it sounds like."
Rachel began backing away.
"I didn't know."
Marcus snapped.
"Shut up."
Carter stood.
"Don't threaten her."
Marcus's eyes were wild.
"I wasn't."
The deputy moved closer.
"Sit down."
Marcus sat.
But I couldn't look away from the frozen image on the screen.
My son.
My daughter.
Planning something far worse than stealing money.
Evelyn whispered:
"Did you know they had access to your medication?"
I shook my head.
"No."
Rachel suddenly cried.
"Mom, please believe me."
I looked at her.
"Believe what?"
"I didn't want him to hurt you."
"You were there."
"I was scared."
"You watched him punch me."
She lowered her head.
"I know."
Carter asked, "Where are the medications?"
I answered.
"Bathroom cabinet."
He looked at another deputy.
"Secure them."
They left the room.
Marcus began sweating.
Evelyn closed the laptop.
"You two need lawyers."
Rachel whispered:
"Mom..."
I interrupted.
"I buried your father."
She looked up.
"I held his hand when he died."
My voice cracked.
"I promised him I'd protect you."
Marcus stared at the floor.
"And I did."
I looked between them.
"Until you became the people I needed protection from."
No one answered.
Then Carter returned.
He was carrying a small plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a bottle of pills.
He looked at me.
"Ma'am."
"What?"
"This prescription bottle has been tampered with."
My heart stopped.
"What do you mean?"
"The label is yours."
He turned the bottle.
"But the pills aren't the medication listed on it."
Rachel gasped.
Marcus closed his eyes.
And suddenly the three million dollars didn't seem like the biggest secret in my house.
Because I understood something.
May you like
They hadn't been planning to take my money after I died.
They had been planning to make my death look natural.
