Chapter 5 - The Woman in the HallwayThe phone at my feet vibrated again.
Nobody moved.
Broken glass glittered across the hardwood beneath the Christmas lights.
Detective Miller had one arm around Emma, shielding her with his body. His other hand rested near his holster.
“Stay down,” he said.
My cheek pressed against the cold floor.
I looked at the little black phone.
Another message appeared.
DON’T TRUST HIM.
Then the screen went dark.
A car engine roared outside.
Miller looked toward the shattered window.
“Everybody stays here.”
He moved toward the foyer.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
“Claire.”
I yanked free.
“Don't touch me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
I stared at him.
“From who?”
He didn't answer.
Miller crouched beside the broken window and looked outside.
The street was empty.
Rain fell steadily onto the driveway.
No headlights.
No footsteps.
Nothing.
He stood and turned back.
“Mr. Harrington, where's your security system?”
Daniel hesitated.
“It's usually armed at night.”
“Usually?”
“I disabled it earlier.”
“Why?”
“I didn't want it going off during dinner.”
Miller's eyes narrowed.
“Turn it back on.”
Daniel reached for the wall panel.
The screen remained black.
He frowned.
“It's not responding.”
Miller looked at me.
“Do you have a panic alarm?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Robert suddenly spoke.
“The basement has a secondary panel.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Dad.”
“I think somebody disconnected the main line.”
Miller pulled out his phone.
“I'm calling for backup.”
Linda rose from behind the dining table.
“This is insane.”
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
She looked at me.
“Knew what?”
“That someone was watching us.”
“I didn't.”
“Then why weren't you surprised?”
Her face tightened.
“I was in shock.”
“No.”
I looked at the black phone on the floor.
“You recognized the message.”
Linda looked away.
That tiny movement told me more than words could.
“You know who she is.”
Linda swallowed.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Who is she?”
“I don't know.”
“You've said that three times tonight.”
“And I mean it.”
I pointed toward Daniel.
“Then ask your son.”
Daniel looked exhausted.
“Claire, please.”
“No.”
I could barely recognize my own voice anymore.
Everything in me was raw, angry, awake.
“You kept telling me I was imagining things.”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“You told me your mother was grieving.”
Silence.
“You told me she was old-fashioned.”
Silence.
“You told me she didn't understand disability.”
Linda looked at me.
“And now I find out your family knew my husband was tampering with our car.”
“Claire—”
“You watched me lose my arm.”
Linda flinched.
I stepped closer.
“You watched me wake up in a hospital bed without it.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“You watched me ask whether your son was alive.”
Linda whispered, “I know.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“Then how could you look at me all these years?”
She covered her mouth.
Daniel finally spoke.
“Because I loved you.”
I turned toward him.
“No.”
His eyes filled.
“You don't get to say that.”
“I did love you.”
“Maybe.”
I looked at the ring still sitting on the dining table.
“But whatever you loved, it wasn't enough to keep me safe.”
Miller returned from the window.
“Backup is on the way.”
He looked at the broken glass.
“Whoever threw that phone knew exactly where to hit.”
Daniel said nothing.
I noticed the color drain from his face.
“You know.”
He looked at me.
“I don't.”
“You know who she is.”
He shook his head.
“I don't know where she is.”
The sentence stopped me.
I stared at him.
“Where she is?”
Daniel froze.
I felt something cold settle in my stomach.
I repeated it.
“You said you don't know where she is.”
He swallowed.
“That's not what I meant.”
Miller turned sharply.
“What woman?”
“No woman,” Daniel said.
I pointed at him.
“You just said—”
“I misspoke.”
Miller stepped closer.
“Mr. Harrington, stop talking until your attorney arrives.”
Daniel nodded.
Then the basement door slammed.
Everyone turned.
Linda screamed.
Miller moved instantly.
“Stay behind me.”
The door at the end of the hallway shook once.
Then again.
Something hit it from the other side.
Emma grabbed my waist.
“Mom.”
“It's okay.”
“It isn't,” she whispered.
The handle began turning.
Miller drew his weapon.
“Back away from the door.”
Daniel moved toward us.
Miller blocked him.
“Stay there.”
The door opened an inch.
Then five.
A figure stood in the darkness beyond it.
A woman.
Long black coat.
Wet hair.
She stepped into the hallway.
Miller aimed his weapon.
“Hands where I can see them.”
The woman raised both hands.
“I don't want to hurt anyone.”
I stared at her.
I knew that face.
Not well.
But enough.
I had seen her once before.
At the hospital.
Two years ago.
She had been standing near the elevators when Daniel came out of my ICU room.
At the time, I thought she was a nurse.
She wasn't.
Her eyes met mine.
“Claire,” she whispered.
Daniel stepped backward.
“No.”
The woman looked at him.
“You promised she'd never know.”
Linda started crying.
Robert whispered, “Marissa.”
I looked at him.
“Who is Marissa?”
The woman slowly lowered her hands.
“My name is Marissa Cole.”
Miller moved closer.
“Keep your hands visible.”
Marissa nodded.
“I've been trying to tell Claire the truth for two years.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You're lying.”
Marissa laughed bitterly.
“That's rich.”
Miller looked between them.
“Do you know this woman, Mr. Harrington?”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Marissa looked at me.
“His mistress.”
The word cut through the room.
I stared at Daniel.
“No.”
Marissa's expression softened.
“We were together for eight months.”
My ears rang.
Daniel looked at me.
“Claire, it wasn't like that.”
I laughed.
“What part wasn't?”
“I was going to end it.”
Marissa shook her head.
“You said she was leaving.”
I looked at Daniel.
“You told her I was leaving?”
“I thought you were.”
“You planned my accident because you thought I was leaving.”
“No.”
Marissa stepped forward.
“You planned it because Claire knew.”
I felt my heartbeat stop.
“Knew what?”
Marissa looked at Linda.
Linda whispered, “Don't.”
Marissa's eyes hardened.
“She discovered the accounts.”
My forehead creased.
“What accounts?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Miller stepped toward him.
“What accounts?”
Marissa answered.
“Money.”
I looked at Daniel.
“What money?”
“You had life insurance,” Marissa said.
My stomach turned.
Miller's expression changed.
“How much?”
Marissa named a number.
I couldn't process it.
It was more money than I had ever seen in my life.
Daniel whispered, “It wasn't about the money.”
I stared at him.
“Then why?”
Marissa looked at me.
“Because you found out he had been moving money from a company account.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You did.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“You confronted him.”
Daniel said, “Marissa, stop.”
She ignored him.
“You told him you were going to speak to his father.”
I looked at Robert.
He lowered his eyes.
“I thought it was a marital problem,” he said.
Marissa laughed.
“You all thought it was a marital problem.”
Her voice cracked.
“You didn't know Claire was about to expose him.”
Daniel moved forward.
Miller raised his weapon slightly.
“Don't.”
Daniel stopped.
I looked at Marissa.
“What did he steal?”
“Not stole.”
She wiped rain from her cheek.
“Transferred.”
“From where?”
“The company.”
“What company?”
“Harrington Development.”
My mind flashed to family dinners.
Daniel talking about quarterly reports.
Robert complaining about taxes.
Linda complaining about renovations.
I had never paid attention.
Why would I?
I trusted him.
Marissa continued.
“Daniel created shell accounts. Money moved through three different companies.”
Daniel whispered, “You don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
He couldn't.
Marissa turned to me.
“Two days before the accident, Claire found a spreadsheet.”
I remembered.
A spreadsheet on Daniel's laptop.
Numbers I didn't recognize.
I had asked him about it.
He had closed the screen.
He told me it was confidential.
I had forgotten about it.
Until now.
My voice shook.
“That was you.”
Daniel stared at me.
“What?”
“The spreadsheet.”
He looked away.
“You found it.”
“Yes.”
“I told you it was business.”
“You lied.”
“I was going to fix it.”
“How?”
He said nothing.
Marissa answered.
“He was going to move enough money to cover the missing amount.”
My stomach twisted.
“And then?”
“Then Claire found out.”
Daniel whispered, “I panicked.”
I stepped toward him.
“So you tried to kill me.”
“No.”
Marissa's eyes filled with tears.
“He asked me to help.”
I turned toward her.
“You?”
“I was supposed to send you a message that night.”
“What message?”
She closed her eyes.
“Meet Daniel at the old service road.”
I remembered.
There had been a text.
I had deleted it because I thought it was spam.
Marissa continued.
“I couldn't do it.”
“So who did?”
She looked at Daniel.
“His mother.”
Linda covered her face.
I stared at her.
“You sent it.”
Linda shook her head.
“I didn't know what he planned.”
“You sent me the message.”
“I thought he wanted to talk.”
“And the crash?”
“I didn't know.”
Marissa looked at her.
“You knew enough.”
Linda sobbed.
Robert suddenly spoke.
“I knew.”
Everyone looked at him.
He swallowed.
“I knew there was a plan.”
I stared at him.
“And you did nothing.”
“I confronted Daniel.”
“When?”
“The night before the crash.”
“What did you say?”
Robert looked at his son.
“I told him to stop.”
Daniel's jaw tightened.
“And what did you say to him?” I asked.
Robert's voice broke.
“I told him if he hurt you, I'd report him.”
I stared at Daniel.
“Then why didn't you?”
Robert looked devastated.
“Because Daniel told me the plan had changed.”
Daniel's face went pale.
“Dad.”
“He told me he had abandoned it.”
“You believed him?”
“I wanted to.”
Marissa shook her head.
“He never abandoned anything.”
Miller stepped toward Daniel.
“Mr. Harrington, you're under arrest.”
Linda cried out.
“No!”
Daniel didn't move.
Miller reached for his wrists.
Then Daniel looked directly at me.
“Claire.”
I didn't answer.
He leaned closer as the handcuffs clicked.
“There is one thing Marissa doesn't know.”
Marissa frowned.
I felt dread rise in my chest.
Daniel smiled sadly.
“The accident wasn't my idea.”
Miller stopped.
“What?”
Daniel looked at me.
“I was following someone else's orders.”
My breath caught.
“Whose?”
May you like
Daniel's eyes shifted toward the staircase.
“Your sister.”
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