Chapter 6: The Secret Lily Tried to Show Me
"She found something in Patricia's bag?""
Marcus read the message again.
Nurse Collins had sent another text.
I believe she hid it somewhere in the hospital room before she passed.
Marcus immediately called her.
She answered almost instantly.
"Mr. Hale?""
"Please tell me what Lily found.""
Nurse Collins lowered her voice.
"I wasn't supposed to discuss this outside the investigation, but I can't keep pretending I didn't see what happened.""
"What happened?""
"Two days before Lily passed, she showed me a photograph on her tablet.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"What photograph?""
"A document. It had your mother's name on it. Lily said she'd found it inside a handbag.""
"Why would she show you?""
"She said her grandmother was taking something that belonged to her.""
Marcus looked toward Emily.
She was listening.
"Did Lily understand what she had found?""
"Not really. She was seven. She just knew it had her name on it and that her grandmother didn't want her to see it.""
Marcus swallowed.
"Where is the photograph?""
"I don't know. But Lily told me she had made a copy.""
"Where?""
There was a pause.
"She said she put it somewhere safe.""
Marcus gripped the phone.
"Where?""
"I think she meant her little blue backpack.""
Emily suddenly stood.
"Her backpack!""
Marcus turned.
Emily looked at him.
"She brought it to the hospital. It had her coloring books and her stuffed rabbit.""
"Where is it now?""
Emily shook her head.
"I thought the hospital returned it with her other belongings.""
Nurse Collins spoke again.
"Some of her belongings are still in the hospital's property room. I can arrange for you to look.""
Marcus thanked her and ended the call.
He looked at Daniel.
"You're coming with us.""
Daniel frowned.
"Why?""
"Because you know what happened to the money, and you're going to explain every transfer.""
Daniel hesitated.
Marcus leaned forward.
"And if you think you can walk away from this by hiding behind my mother, you're wrong.""
Daniel slowly picked up his coat.
They returned to St. Mary's.
A hospital administrator met them near the main reception desk.
After checking their identification, she led them to a small storage room.
Several plastic containers were arranged on shelves.
Each was labeled with a patient's name.
Emily found Lily's belongings almost immediately.
A pink sweater.
A pair of small sneakers.
A coloring book.
And the blue backpack.
She picked it up and pressed it against her chest.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
Marcus stood beside her.
He remembered buying that backpack.
Lily had insisted on choosing it herself because it had little silver stars printed across the front.
"She loved this thing," Emily whispered.
They opened the front pocket.
Inside were two crayons, a hair tie, and a folded drawing.
Marcus unfolded it.
It showed three people standing beneath a yellow sun.
One was tall.
One had long hair.
And one was a little girl wearing a blue dress.
Above them, Lily had written:
My family.
Marcus touched the paper.
"I should have been there.""
Emily didn't answer.
She was searching the larger compartment.
Then her fingers stopped.
"Marcus.""
He turned.
She pulled out a small plastic envelope.
Inside was a folded piece of paper and a memory card.
Marcus stared.
"Is that it?""
Emily nodded.
She carefully removed the paper.
It was a child's handwriting.
Grandma says this is not mine. But Daddy told me my money was for school. Why does Grandma have it?
Marcus read the sentence twice.
Then he looked at the memory card.
"Can we see what's on it?""
The administrator arranged for them to use a hospital computer.
Marcus inserted the card.
There were three files.
Two photographs.
And one short video.
He opened the first photograph.
It showed a printed financial statement.
At the top was the name of Lily's education trust.
Below it were multiple transfers to Northbridge Consulting.
The second photograph showed a handwritten note.
If anyone asks, tell them Marcus approved the transfers.
Patricia's signature appeared at the bottom.
Marcus felt his jaw tighten.
Then he opened the video.
Lily appeared on the screen.
She was sitting on her bedroom floor, wearing pink pajamas.
Her hair was tied into two small ponytails.
She held a piece of paper close to the camera.
"Hi, Daddy.""
Marcus immediately covered his mouth.
It was another recording.
He could barely look at the screen.
Lily continued.
"I found Grandma's paper.""
She turned the page toward the camera.
"I think she took my school money.""
A small frown appeared between her eyebrows.
"Mommy says I should not look at grown-up papers. But I know my name.""
She pointed at the screen.
"That's me.""
Then she smiled.
"I want to be a doctor when I grow up. So I need my school money.""
Marcus began crying.
Emily sat beside him.
The video continued.
"Grandma said not to tell you because you'll get upset.""
Lily looked down for a moment.
Then she whispered:
"But Daddy, I think Grandma is lying.""
Marcus leaned closer to the screen.
"Please keep this safe," Lily said.
"I don't want her to throw it away.""
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Daniel stood near the doorway.
His face had become pale.
Marcus turned toward him.
"You knew.""
Daniel shook his head.
"I knew there were irregularities.""
"Did you know Lily had found them?""
"No.""
"Did Patricia know?""
Daniel looked away.
"I think so.""
Marcus stood.
"What do you mean, you think so?""
Daniel took a breath.
"Your mother came to the office the day before Lily was admitted. She was furious because someone had accessed the trust records.""
Marcus stared at him.
"Someone?""
"She said Emily had been looking through financial documents.""
Emily shook her head.
"I had never seen those records.""
Daniel continued.
"She told me the money needed to be moved immediately.""
Marcus looked at the statement again.
"How much?""
"Approximately $320,000 over two years.""
Emily gasped.
Marcus looked at him.
"Three hundred and twenty thousand dollars?""
Daniel nodded.
"And the transfer after Lily died?""
"That was the final amount.""
Marcus felt sick.
His daughter had been saving money for a future she would never have.
And his mother had been stealing from it.
"Why didn't you report it?""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Because I was involved.""
Marcus stepped closer.
"Explain.""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Northbridge wasn't just Vanessa's company. It was created to move money through several consulting contracts. Some of those payments came from the business.""
Marcus frowned.
"What business?""
"Our company.""
The room went silent.
Daniel continued.
"Your mother asked me to approve the invoices. She said the money was being used for family investments.""
"Did you verify them?""
"No.""
"Did you receive any money?""
Daniel looked down.
Marcus understood.
He stepped away.
"You helped her steal from my daughter.""
Daniel rubbed his face.
"I didn't know how much was coming from the trust.""
"But you knew something was wrong.""
Daniel didn't answer.
Marcus reached for his phone.
He photographed every page and saved copies of the video.
Then he called Officer Reynolds.
When she answered, he explained what they had discovered.
Her tone changed immediately.
"Mr. Hale, do not alter or delete anything. Preserve the original memory card. I'll arrange for an investigator to collect it.""
"There's more.""
"What?""
He looked at Daniel.
"My business partner admits he approved payments connected to the account.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
Officer Reynolds asked them to remain at the hospital.
Within twenty minutes, she arrived with another investigator.
She reviewed the files and carefully placed the memory card into an evidence envelope.
Then she turned toward Daniel.
"Mr. Cross, we need to speak with you.""
Daniel nodded.
But before the officers could escort him away, he looked at Marcus.
"There's something else you should know.""
Marcus stared.
"What now?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Your mother didn't create Northbridge alone.""
"Who helped her?""
Daniel glanced toward Emily.
Then he whispered:
"Vanessa.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
"She already knew?""
Daniel nodded.
"She helped set it up before she started dating you.""
Marcus shook his head.
"That's impossible. I met Vanessa at the charity gala last year.""
Daniel looked at him.
"She knew who you were long before that.""
Marcus stared.
"What are you saying?""
Daniel took a breath.
"She approached your mother first. She wanted access to the company, and Patricia introduced you two because she believed Vanessa could help control the situation.""
Emily looked horrified.
"Control what situation?""
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"Your marriage.""
Marcus felt the room tilt.
"My marriage ended years before I met Vanessa.""
"Your mother believed you were too attached to Emily and Lily. She wanted someone who would make you focus on the business.""
Marcus shook his head.
"You're telling me my mother arranged for me to meet Vanessa?""
Daniel nodded.
"She organized the charity event. She made sure you were seated together. She even told Vanessa which projects to discuss with you.""
Marcus couldn't speak.
The relationship he had believed was spontaneous had been carefully arranged.
His mother had introduced him to a woman who helped steal from his daughter.
And he had mistaken that arrangement for love.
Officer Reynolds stepped closer.
"Mr. Cross, I need you to come with us.""
Daniel nodded slowly.
As the officers led him away, he turned one final time.
"Marcus, there's a reason your mother wanted Lily's records hidden.""
Marcus stared at him.
"What reason?""
Daniel swallowed.
"Because Lily wasn't the only person who had discovered the transfers.""
"Who else?""
Daniel looked toward Emily.
"Your daughter had sent the video to someone before she went to the hospital.""
Marcus felt his heart pound.
"Who?""
Daniel answered quietly.
"Your mother received a copy of it.""
Marcus froze.
"When?""
"On the afternoon of October fourteenth.""
The same day Lily died.
Marcus looked down at the little blue backpack.
Then he remembered Lily's final voicemail.
She had said she wasn't angry.
She had asked for pancakes.
She had apologized for calling too much.
But perhaps there had been another reason she kept trying to reach him.
Perhaps she had been trying to warn him.
His phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
This time, the sender was Patricia.
Marcus, I know what you've found. Don't believe Emily. She has been hiding the truth about Lily from you for years.
A second message arrived.
If you want to know what really happened to your daughter, come to my house tonight. Alone.
Marcus stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
And bring the original video. I know what's missing from it.
He looked at Emily.
She had read the messages over his shoulder.
"You're not going alone," she said.
Marcus nodded.
But before he could answer, a final notification appeared.
It was from Patricia.
A photograph.
A picture of Lily sitting in her hospital bed.
And beside her, on the bedside table, was a second phone.
The caption read:
Your daughter called someone else that night, Marcus. Someone you have never met.
Marcus enlarged the photograph.
On the phone's screen was a contact name.
*DAD – NEW NUMBER.*
He looked at Emily.
"Did Lily have another father figure?""
Emily's face went completely pale.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Marcus... there's something about Lily's biological father that I never told you.""
