Chapter 7 - THE BROTHER
His name was Daniel Carter.
My husband's older brother.
He lived three states away.
According to family stories, he had always been the "responsible one."
The successful one.
The brother who left the family business.
The brother who wanted nothing to do with their drama.
Apparently, that story was also a lie.
Detective Brooks arranged a video interview.
Daniel appeared on screen looking exhausted.
He didn't greet me.
He simply said:
“I should have stopped him.”
I stared at him.
“You filmed me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was trying to collect evidence.”
“You filmed me while I was buried.”
His face collapsed.
“I know.”
“You didn't call the police.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I was afraid.”
I almost laughed.
“Everyone was afraid.”
He looked down.
“Your husband told me if I interfered, he'd destroy my family.”
“Did you believe him?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you film?”
“Because I knew something was wrong.”
He took a breath.
“I started documenting everything six months ago.”
My heart pounded.
“Why?”
“Because he wasn't just hurting you.”
I waited.
“He was stealing from the company.”
Detective Brooks leaned toward the screen.
“How much?”
“Millions.”
Silence.
Daniel continued.
“He created fake vendors. Moved money through shell companies. Used family accounts.”
“And my name?”
“He used your name for some of the transfers.”
I felt sick.
“To frame me?”
“Yes.”
Daniel pulled up a file.
“He intended to blame everything on you.”
My husband had built an entire story.
I wasn't merely the wife he wanted to silence.
I was the person he planned to blame for crimes he committed.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Because every time I tried, he was already there.”
“What does that mean?”
“He monitored you.”
My blood ran cold.
“Your phone.”
I looked down.
“He had access to your location.”
I remembered all the times he'd somehow known where I was.
All the times he'd appeared at stores.
All the times he'd called when I was visiting friends.
I had thought it was coincidence.
It wasn't.
Daniel continued.
“He installed tracking software.”
Detective Brooks wrote something down.
“On what devices?”
“Her phone. Her car.”
I stared at him.
“How long?”
“Almost a year.”
A year.
A year of being watched.
A year of thinking I was paranoid.
A year of being told I imagined things.
Then Daniel said:
“There is one more thing.”
I waited.
“Your husband didn't start this plan because of the pregnancy.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then why?”
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“Because you inherited something.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“A trust.”
I stared at him.
“What trust?”
“Your father's.”
My breath stopped.
“My father didn't leave me anything.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That is what your husband wanted you to believe.”
Detective Brooks looked at me.
“Your father died six years ago.”
“Yes.”
“He left a substantial trust.”
My hands trembled.
“How substantial?”
Daniel answered.
“Approximately eighteen million dollars.”
The room went silent.
Eighteen million.
My husband had not been trying to control a house.
He had been trying to control a fortune.
And suddenly the fake psychiatric reports made sense.
The financial transfers.
The custody plan.
The girlfriend.
The family.
Everything.
Daniel looked at me.
“He knew about the trust before you did.”
I swallowed.
“How?”
“Your husband worked with your father's attorney.”
My heart sank.
“Why?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Because your father didn't trust him.”
I stared at the screen.
“What did my father know?”
Daniel looked away.
Then back at me.
“He knew your husband was dangerous.”
The words landed like a physical blow.
“My father warned me?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he didn't want to frighten you.”
Daniel's voice cracked.
“He planned to tell you everything when you turned thirty.”
I calculated the dates.
My birthday was six months away.
Six months.
My husband had tried to destroy me six months before I was supposed to learn the truth.
Then Detective Brooks received an alert.
She checked her phone.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“The judge just approved a search of your father's old attorney's files.”
Daniel went pale.
“What?”
May you like
Detective Brooks stood.
“We're going to find out exactly what your father knew.”
