Chapter 7: The Last Person My Mother Called
“Victoria was the last person your mother spoke to before she died.””
Marcus's words hung in the air.
I stared at him, waiting for him to take them back.
He didn't.
My mother had died five years earlier after suffering a sudden medical emergency at home. The doctors had told us that she had experienced a stroke. By the time the ambulance arrived, she was unconscious.
Victoria had been the one who called me that morning.
She had cried so hard that I could barely understand her.
She told me our mother had been asking for me.
She said she had held Mom's hand until the paramedics arrived.
And afterward, when I couldn't stop crying, Victoria had wrapped her arms around me and whispered, “At least she wasn't alone.””
Now Marcus was telling me something different.
I slowly turned toward my sister's empty parking space.
“Explain.””
Marcus rubbed his wet hair.
“I didn't mean it the way you think.””
“Then tell me what you mean.””
He glanced at Mr. Harris.
“Your mother contacted Victoria the night before she died.””
I shook my head.
“Why?””
“She wanted to meet her.””
“About what?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Bluewater.””
My stomach tightened.
“What happened at that meeting?””
He looked down.
“I wasn't there.””
“Were you involved?””
“I arranged it.””
I took a step toward him.
“You arranged a meeting between my dying mother and my sister about a fraudulent company?””
“She wasn't dying then!””
“Then what happened?””
He swallowed.
“Your mother discovered that Victoria had signed some documents without her permission. She threatened to report everything.””
Michael immediately looked up.
“Everything?””
Marcus nodded.
“She knew about the transfers. She knew about the company. She knew Victoria and I had been working together.””
Daniel crossed his arms.
“Why didn't she contact the authorities?””
“Because Victoria was her daughter.””
I felt my eyes burning.
“And because I was supposed to be protected.””
Marcus didn't answer.
I looked at him.
“Did you go to the house that night?””
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
My heart began pounding.
“You were at my mother's house the night before she died?””
“Yes.””
I could barely speak.
“What did you do there?””
“Nothing.””
“Marcus!””
“I swear I didn't hurt her.””
Nobody moved.
I stared at the man I had once trusted with my entire life.
He had just admitted to being at my mother's house during the final hours before her death.
He had arranged a meeting between her and Victoria.
He had helped establish a company connected to her inheritance.
And now he wanted me to believe it was all coincidence.
Mr. Harris stepped between us.
“Mr. Reed, I strongly advise you not to make further statements without legal representation.””
Marcus laughed nervously.
“I'm trying to tell her the truth!””
“Then you should have no difficulty providing it through the proper channels.””
I looked at Mr. Harris.
“Can we get the original records from that storage unit?””
“We can arrange for a supervised inspection, with the relevant authorities notified if necessary.””
I nodded.
Then my phone rang.
Victoria.
I stared at the screen.
For a moment, I considered letting it go to voicemail.
Then I answered.
“Hello?””
“Lauren?””
Her voice sounded different.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Frightened.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
“I'm at home.””
“Why?””
“Because I needed to think.””
I looked toward Marcus.
“Did you speak to Mom the night before she died?””
Silence.
“Victoria?””
She exhaled.
“Yes.””
My knees weakened.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I was going to.””
“When?””
“I didn't know how.””
I closed my eyes.
“What happened that night?””
Victoria started crying.
“Lauren, I need you to listen to me.””
“I'm listening.””
“Mom found out about the money. She knew Marcus had approached her about the trust. She knew I had helped him open the company.””
“And?””
“She told me to walk away.””
I waited.
“She said she would protect me if I admitted what I'd done. She said we could fix everything before you found out.””
I swallowed.
“Did she threaten to report Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“Did Marcus come to the house?””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
I looked at him.
His face was pale.
“What happened when he arrived?””
Victoria whispered, “They argued.””
“About what?””
“Money. The trust. The company.””
“And then?””
“Mom told Marcus to leave.””
I gripped the phone.
“Did he?””
“Yes.””
“Are you sure?””
Victoria started sobbing.
“I thought he did.””
My blood ran cold.
“What do you mean you thought he did?””
“I was in the kitchen. I heard the front door. I assumed he had left.””
“Victoria, stop speaking in riddles. What happened?””
She took a shaky breath.
“When I came back into the living room, Mom was holding her chest. She was struggling to breathe.””
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
“What did you do?””
“I called emergency services.””
“Did you call me?””
“I called you after the ambulance left.””
“Why didn't you tell me Marcus had been there?””
Victoria cried harder.
“Because he told me not to.””
I looked at Marcus.
He was watching me.
I covered the phone.
“Did you tell her not to tell me?””
He didn't answer.
I returned to the call.
“Victoria, did you see Marcus leave?””
“No.””
“Did you see him touch Mom?””
“No.””
“Did you see anything else?””
She hesitated.
Then she whispered:
“There was a document missing.””
My heart began pounding.
“What document?””
“The original trust agreement. Mom had been keeping it in a blue folder.””
I looked at Mr. Harris.
He immediately reached for his phone.
“Do you know what happened to it?”” I asked.
Victoria whispered, “No.””
Then she added something that made me stop breathing.
“Lauren, there's something else. Mom was already on the phone when I arrived.””
“With whom?””
“I don't know. She said she had found the person who had been moving the money.””
I frowned.
“What person?””
Victoria began crying again.
“She said it wasn't Marcus.””
I stared at the phone.
“What?””
“She said someone else had been using him.””
The call suddenly disconnected.
I tried calling back.
No answer.
I lowered the phone.
Daniel looked at me.
“What did she say?””
I repeated everything.
Michael's expression became serious.
“Someone else was controlling the transfers?””
“That's what Victoria claims.””
Mr. Harris looked at Marcus.
“Who?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know what she's talking about.””
I stepped closer.
“You said my mother knew what you had done.””
“She did.””
“Then why would she say someone else was using you?””
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“Because she misunderstood the situation.””
I looked at him.
“You've used that excuse too many times.””
He finally snapped.
“Fine! You want the truth? I wasn't the person making the decisions!””
Silence.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Who was?””
Marcus looked toward the gate.
Then back at me.
“I was following instructions.””
“From whom?””
He swallowed.
“Someone who had access to the family trust long before I did.””
Michael immediately opened his phone.
“Who?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Your mother's financial adviser.””
Mr. Harris froze.
“Who was your mother's financial adviser?””
Marcus answered.
“Richard Bennett.””
I recognized the name.
Richard Bennett had handled my mother's investment portfolio for nearly twenty years.
He had attended her funeral.
He had stood beside me during the estate settlement.
He had even recommended Mr. Harris when I needed legal representation for my business.
I felt sick.
“Richard is retired.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That's what he told you.””
Michael looked at Daniel.
“Richard Bennett is still listed as an authorized contact on one of the old trust accounts.””
Mr. Harris immediately began searching his records.
I stared at Marcus.
“Why would my mother trust him?””
“Because she didn't know what he was doing.””
“And you did?””
Marcus lowered his eyes.
“I found out later.””
“When?””
“After she died.””
I took a slow breath.
“You knew someone was stealing from my mother's trust for five years?””
He looked at me.
“I was trying to fix it.””
I laughed bitterly.
“By stealing more?””
He said nothing.
Then Michael's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His face changed.
“What?””
Daniel looked at him.
“What's wrong?””
Michael turned toward us.
“The storage facility has just reported an attempted access.””
I looked at Marcus.
His expression changed immediately.
“Who?””
Michael checked the message.
“Someone using Richard Bennett's identification.””
Mr. Harris grabbed his briefcase.
“We need to move.””
I stared at the gate.
For five years, I had believed my mother's death was the beginning of my family's tragedy.
Now I was beginning to understand that it might have been the moment someone decided the truth was finally safe to bury.
And whoever had been controlling the money was still trying to reach the evidence.
But before we could leave, Michael received another message.
He read it silently.
Then looked at me.
“Lauren, there's a second problem.””
“What?””
He turned his phone around.
A photograph showed a man standing outside the storage facility.
I recognized him immediately.
Richard Bennett.
But beneath the photograph was a timestamp.
May you like
The picture had been taken twelve minutes earlier.
And the man standing beside him was my sister.
