Chapter 6: The Woman in the Hall
Isaiah turned toward the ballroom doors.
Nothing.
Only the bright hallway beyond them.
"Brielle.""
She didn't answer.
"Where is your mother?""
Brielle wiped her cheeks.
"She came with me.""
"To my wedding?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because she wanted to talk to your grandmother.""
Evelyn's expression changed.
"She knew I would be here?""
Brielle nodded.
"She asked me to bring her.""
Isaiah looked toward the entrance.
"Where is she now?""
Brielle swallowed.
"I don't know.""
Marcus walked toward the hallway.
"I'll check.""
Isaiah stopped him.
"No.""
Marcus turned.
"Why?""
"Because I want to know why she's here first.""
Brielle looked at Isaiah.
"She wanted to warn you.""
"About what?""
"Your father.""
Isaiah's stomach tightened.
"My father is dead.""
"I know.""
"Then why would she need to warn me about him?""
Brielle's eyes dropped.
"Because she believes his death wasn't an accident.""
Nobody moved.
Isaiah stared at her.
"What did you just say?""
"My mother believes your father was murdered.""
Evelyn gripped the back of a chair.
"Isaiah...""
He turned toward her.
"You knew?""
"I knew she believed it.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because there was never proof.""
Brielle shook her head.
"There was.""
Isaiah looked at her.
"Proof of what?""
"My mother found financial records.""
"Where?""
"In your grandfather's study.""
Isaiah held up the brass key.
"You mean the study in the house?""
"Yes.""
"She went inside?""
"Years ago.""
"How?""
Brielle hesitated.
"Your father let her.""
Isaiah's face tightened.
"Why?""
"Because they were working together.""
Evelyn whispered,
"No.""
Brielle looked at her.
"Yes.""
Isaiah stepped closer.
"My father and your mother were working together?""
"They were trying to find out where the money was going.""
"What money?""
"The money your grandfather had been moving.""
Isaiah looked at the attorney still on the phone.
"Are you hearing this?""
"Every word.""
"Can you verify any of it?""
The attorney answered carefully.
"Some of the financial records from that period are missing.""
Isaiah's pulse quickened.
"Missing?""
"Yes.""
"Who had access?""
"Your grandfather. Your father. And one other person.""
"Who?""
The attorney paused.
"Evelyn.""
Isaiah looked at his grandmother.
She closed her eyes.
"I never touched the money.""
"I didn't ask if you did.""
"I knew where your grandfather kept the records.""
"Then why are they missing?""
Evelyn looked toward the doors.
"Because someone took them.""
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
A voice came from the hallway.
"I do.""
Everyone turned.
A woman stood in the doorway.
Late fifties.
Elegant black dress.
Short natural curls.
She held a small leather handbag against her side.
Brielle's face changed.
"Mom.""
Isaiah stared.
The woman walked into the ballroom.
Her eyes went immediately to Evelyn.
Then to Isaiah.
"I'm sorry.""
Isaiah's voice was cold.
"Who are you?""
The woman stopped.
"My name is Camille Hart.""
Brielle moved toward her.
"Mom...""
Camille held up a hand.
"Let me talk.""
Isaiah didn't move.
"You came to my wedding carrying accusations about my family.""
Camille nodded.
"I came because your grandmother finally needs to tell you the truth.""
Evelyn looked at her.
"Camille.""
"You had twenty years.""
"I made a promise.""
"To a dead man.""
"Yes.""
"And you're still protecting him.""
Evelyn's eyes filled.
Isaiah stepped between them.
"Enough.""
Camille looked at him.
"You look exactly like your father.""
Isaiah stiffened.
"You knew my father.""
"Very well.""
"How?""
Camille took a breath.
"Because I loved him.""
Silence.
Brielle looked down.
Isaiah's face hardened.
"My father was married to my mother.""
"I know.""
"Then what are you saying?""
Camille looked at Evelyn.
"Tell him.""
Evelyn shook her head.
Camille's voice broke.
"I loved him before he married her.""
Isaiah stepped back.
"Was Brielle...""
"No.""
Camille immediately shook her head.
"Brielle is my husband's daughter.""
Isaiah exhaled.
The relief was tangled with confusion.
"Then why were you and my father working together?""
Camille looked toward the wreckage of the cake.
"Because your father discovered something.""
"What?""
"Your grandfather had been using shell companies to hide money.""
Isaiah frowned.
"Why?""
"To protect it.""
"From who?""
"His partners.""
Camille's eyes moved to Evelyn.
"And from the federal government.""
The room fell silent.
Isaiah's voice was barely audible.
"What did he do?""
Camille opened her handbag.
She removed a small envelope.
Inside were several photocopied documents.
"I found these in your grandfather's study.""
Isaiah took them.
The first page showed account numbers.
The second showed property transfers.
The third contained signatures.
He recognized one.
His grandfather.
Another belonged to his father.
Then he saw a third signature.
His eyes widened.
"This isn't possible.""
Camille watched him.
"Read it.""
Isaiah stared.
The signature belonged to Evelyn.
He looked at his grandmother.
"Grandma.""
She didn't answer.
"You signed these.""
"I was forced.""
"By Grandpa?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
Evelyn's voice trembled.
"He threatened to take the house.""
Isaiah looked at the documents.
"Why would he threaten you?""
"Because the house wasn't just our home.""
She looked toward him.
"It was purchased with money he couldn't explain.""
Isaiah's mind raced.
Camille stepped closer.
"Your grandfather used Evelyn's name on the property records because he thought no one would question an elderly woman.""
Evelyn nodded.
"I didn't know what he was doing at first.""
"Then you did.""
"Eventually.""
"And you stayed?""
"I had your father.""
Isaiah looked confused.
"What did Dad have to do with it?""
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"He wanted to expose his father.""
Isaiah's breath caught.
"That's why he died.""
Camille nodded.
"We believe so.""
Brielle whispered,
"My mother found evidence.""
Isaiah looked at Camille.
"What evidence?""
She reached into her handbag again.
This time she pulled out a small cassette recorder.
Old.
Scratched.
Isaiah stared.
"What's that?""
"Your father's.""
"Where did you get it?""
"He gave it to me three days before he died.""
Isaiah's hands shook.
"Why didn't you give it to me?""
"I was afraid.""
"Of my grandfather?""
"Of everyone.""
She looked toward Evelyn.
"Your grandmother begged me to disappear.""
Evelyn whispered,
"I wanted to keep Isaiah alive.""
Camille's eyes filled.
"You kept him alive by keeping him ignorant.""
Isaiah stared at the recorder.
"Does it still work?""
Camille nodded.
"I don't know.""
He looked around the ballroom.
At the ruined cake.
At the wedding ring.
At the crushed paper flowers.
At Brielle.
Then at Evelyn.
The wedding had begun with a handmade gift.
It had ended with a family secret.
Isaiah took the recorder.
He pressed the button.
Static filled the ballroom.
Everyone leaned closer.
Then a man's voice emerged.
Older.
Familiar.
His father's voice.
Isaiah stopped breathing.
The recording crackled.
"If you're hearing this, something happened to me.""
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Camille closed her eyes.
The voice continued.
"I don't know who I can trust anymore.""
Isaiah's fingers tightened around the recorder.
Then his father's voice said,
"Mom, if Isaiah ever finds this, tell him one thing.""
The recording cut into static.
Isaiah stared at the device.
"Come on.""
He pressed the button again.
Nothing.
"Come on.""
Brielle stepped closer.
"Maybe the battery—"
The recorder clicked.
The voice returned.
"Don't let him marry the girl whose mother—"
Static swallowed the sentence.
Isaiah looked at Brielle.
Her face was white.
"What girl?"" he whispered.
Camille began to cry.
Evelyn whispered,
"That's what I was afraid of.""
Isaiah stared at the recorder.
His father's voice returned one final time.
"...because she knows where the original money is.""
The recording stopped.
Nobody spoke.
Then Isaiah slowly turned toward Brielle.
"Your mother knows where the money is?""
Brielle shook her head.
"I don't.""
Isaiah looked at Camille.
Camille's lips trembled.
"I know where it is.""
Isaiah's eyes widened.
"Where?""
Camille reached into her handbag.
She pulled out a small brass key.
It looked almost identical to Evelyn's.
"There are two keys," she whispered.
"One opens your grandfather's study.""
She held up the second.
"The other opens the safe behind it.""
Isaiah stared at the key.
"What's inside?""
Camille looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn's face had gone completely pale.
Then Camille said,
"The original property deed.""
Isaiah's eyes narrowed.
"And?""
Camille swallowed.
"The evidence of who actually killed your father.""
The ballroom doors suddenly slammed shut behind them.
May you like
Everyone turned.
And from the other side came three slow knocks.