Chapter 4 - DANIEL'S SECRET
I couldn't sleep that night.
Daniel's letter sat on the table in front of me.
I read it again.
And again.
Every sentence felt like a door opening into a part of my marriage I had never known existed.
Daniel wrote that the farm was worth far more than three million dollars.
Much more.
The sale price had been deliberately reduced.
I looked at Evelyn.
"Why?"
She studied the documents.
"Because someone wanted the farm sold quickly."
"Who?"
"Blackridge."
"But why?"
She turned another page.
"Mineral rights."
I stared.
"The farm has mineral rights?"
"Yes."
"How valuable?"
She paused.
"Potentially tens of millions."
My stomach tightened.
"So they bought it cheaply."
"Very cheaply."
"And Marcus knew?"
"Apparently."
I sat back.
The pieces were beginning to fit.
Marcus hadn't suddenly become greedy after the sale.
He had known the land was worth more.
He wanted the three million because he believed he could control the remaining assets.
But there was another question.
Why had Rachel been involved?
Evelyn found her number.
She called.
Rachel answered.
I listened on speaker.
"Hello?"
"Eleanor wants to speak with you."
There was silence.
Then Rachel said:
"Mom?"
I closed my eyes.
"Why did Dad write that you knew more than you told me?"
Rachel started crying.
"I didn't know what he meant."
"Rachel."
"I swear."
"Your brother was planning to hurt me."
"I know."
"And you helped him."
"I didn't."
"You were there."
"I was scared."
"You knew about the medication."
She began sobbing.
"I found the bottle."
"When?"
"Months ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Marcus told me if I did, he'd make sure I'd lose everything."
I felt numb.
"What does that mean?"
"He has recordings."
"Of what?"
"Things I did."
I looked at Evelyn.
"What things?"
Rachel was silent.
Then she whispered:
"Illegal things."
Evelyn leaned forward.
"Be specific."
Rachel began crying harder.
"I helped him move money."
"From where?"
"The company."
"How much?"
"I don't know."
"Rachel."
"Almost eight hundred thousand dollars."
I closed my eyes.
My children had stolen from their own businesses.
From investors.
From people I had never met.
And now they wanted my money to cover the hole.
"Where is it?"
"I don't know."
"Who does?"
Rachel whispered:
"Marcus."
Then another voice came through the phone.
A man's voice.
"Rachel."
She screamed.
The call ended.
Evelyn immediately called the police.
I stared at the phone.
"He's with her."
Evelyn nodded.
"We need to get there."
The police arrived within minutes.
We drove to Rachel's house.
The front door was open.
Rachel was sitting on the kitchen floor.
Marcus was gone.
She had a bruise on her wrist.
A detective crouched beside her.
"Where is your brother?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
"What happened?"
"He came here."
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
"What did he want?"
Rachel looked at me.
"Your mother's original will."
My heart stopped.
"Why?"
"Because he thinks it contains something."
"What?"
She whispered:
"The location of the trust documents."
Evelyn looked at me.
"The trust."
Rachel nodded.
"Marcus thinks Dad hid something in the trust."
"What?"
"Money."
"How much?"
Rachel swallowed.
"More than the farm."
The room went silent.
I suddenly remembered something Daniel used to say.
"Land isn't wealth unless you know what is under it."
I had thought he was talking about crops.
Maybe he wasn't.
The police searched the house.
They found Marcus's laptop.
On the screen was a spreadsheet.
Names.
Payments.
Bank accounts.
Dates.
And one recurring line:
PROJECT HARVEST.
I looked at Evelyn.
"What is Project Harvest?"
She didn't answer.
The detective did.
"We've heard that name before."
"From where?"
"A federal investigation."
My heart sank.
"Into what?"
"Fraud."
He turned the laptop toward me.
At the bottom of the spreadsheet was a list of planned transfers.
The largest one had my name beside it.
ELEANOR WHITAKER — $3,000,000.
Next to it was a note.
Once transferred, proceed with final stage.
I stared.
"What final stage?"
The detective scrolled down.
A second line appeared.
Remove remaining obstacle.
I couldn't breathe.
Evelyn quietly took my hand.
"Your children weren't trying to steal your money."
May you like
I looked at her.
"They were trying to erase you."
