Chapter 6: The Two Phone Calls
Rene couldn't hear anything except his father's words.
Your mother wasn't supposed to die that night.
The sentence seemed to hang in the air.
Arthur sat down heavily.
Claire covered her mouth.
Graham closed his folder.
Vanessa stared at her husband.
“Arthur, what is he talking about?””
Arthur didn't answer.
Rene held up Danielle's note.
“Tell me what happened.””
His father rubbed both hands over his face.
“Your mother was supposed to be discharged from the hospital the following morning.””
Rene frowned.
“What?””
“She had been admitted because of a respiratory infection. The doctors said she was improving.””
“You told us she suffered a sudden complication.””
“She did.””
“Then why did the hospital call twice?””
Arthur looked at him.
“Because your mother had asked them to contact me if she became worse.””
“And?””
“The first call came at 9:16 P.M. They said she was asking for me.””
Rene's throat tightened.
“Did you go?””
Arthur shook his head.
“Not immediately.””
“Why?””
“Because we were arguing.””
Claire closed her eyes.
Rene turned toward her.
“What happened?””
She took a slow breath.
“Your mother called me at 8:50 that evening. She was frightened. She told me she had discovered that someone had entered her study.””
“Who?””
“She didn't know.””
Arthur suddenly interrupted.
“She was confused.””
Claire turned on him.
“She knew exactly what she was saying.””
Graham opened his folder again.
“Claire's statement was recorded at the time.””
Rene looked at him.
“Recorded?””
“Yes. Your mother asked Claire to make a written account of everything that happened.””
Graham placed another sheet on the table.
It contained a handwritten timeline.
*8:50 P.M. — Margaret calls Claire.*
*9:16 P.M. — Hospital calls Arthur.*
*9:42 P.M. — Second call from hospital.*
*10:05 P.M. — Arthur arrives at hospital.*
*10:47 P.M. — Margaret pronounced deceased.*
Rene read the times.
Then he looked at his father.
“Why did it take you forty-nine minutes to get to the hospital?””
Arthur lowered his head.
“I was trying to find something.””
“The missing will?””
“Yes.””
Claire's voice broke.
“Your mother was asking for you, Arthur.””
“I know.””
“She wanted to see her husband.””
“I know!””
Arthur stood abruptly.
“I know! I have lived with that every single day!””
Lily appeared at the top of the stairs.
She was holding Buddy's yellow leash.
“Grandpa?””
Everyone turned.
Arthur immediately wiped his face.
“Sweetheart, you should be upstairs.””
“Why is everyone shouting?””
Rene approached her.
“Nothing, honey. We're just talking.””
Lily looked at her grandfather.
“Are you sad?””
Arthur crouched.
“A little.””
“Because of Grandma?””
He nodded.
Lily walked down the stairs and handed him the red rubber ball she had found in the garden.
“You can hold Buddy's ball if you miss Grandma.””
Arthur stared at the small toy.
His face crumpled.
He took it carefully.
“Thank you, sweetheart.””
Lily hugged him.
Then she looked toward the adults.
“Can I take Buddy outside now?””
Rene nodded.
“Stay in the garden.””
She ran out with the dog.
The moment she disappeared, Rene turned back to his father.
“Continue.””
Arthur returned to his chair.
“The hospital called again at 9:42. They said your mother was asking for me urgently.””
“And you were still at home?””
“Yes.””
“What were you doing?””
Arthur stared at the floor.
“Searching the study.””
Rene's jaw tightened.
“You were looking for the will while your wife was dying?””
Arthur began crying.
“I thought I had time.””
“You had a phone call telling you she needed you!””
“I thought the doctors could handle it.””
Claire shook her head.
“You knew she was frightened.””
Arthur looked up.
“I didn't know she was going to die.””
“No,” Claire replied.
“But you knew she wanted to see you.””
Rene walked toward the window.
He could see Lily throwing Buddy's ball across the garden.
The dog ran after it, his tail moving happily.
Rene remembered the last time he had spoken to his mother.
She had called him two days before her death.
He had been busy with work.
He had told her he would visit on the weekend.
There had never been a weekend.
“Did she say anything about me?”” he asked.
Arthur looked up.
“She asked for you too.””
Rene turned.
“What?””
“She asked whether you were coming.””
Rene's eyes filled.
“What did you tell her?””
“I told her you were busy.””
Rene swallowed.
“And what did she say?””
Arthur hesitated.
“She said she understood.””
A long silence followed.
Then Rene asked the question that had been burning inside him.
“Why did you tell us she died suddenly?””
Arthur looked at Claire.
“Because I couldn't tell you the truth.””
“What truth?””
Arthur's voice dropped.
“When I finally arrived at the hospital, your mother was still alive.””
Rene stopped breathing.
“What?””
“She was conscious. Barely.””
“Did you speak to her?””
Arthur nodded.
“What did she say?””
Arthur's face twisted.
“She asked me whether I had found it.””
Rene frowned.
“Found what?””
“The original will.””
“And?””
“I told her no.””
Arthur wiped his eyes.
“She told me to look after you and Danielle. Then she said something I didn't understand.””
“What?””
Arthur looked directly at Rene.
“She said, 'Buddy knows where I put the other copy.''”
Rene slowly turned toward the garden.
Buddy was standing beside Lily.
The dog had dropped the red ball and was staring toward the house.
“Did you search for the other copy?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“Everywhere. The study, the bedrooms, the garage. I even searched the old warehouse.””
Graham interrupted.
“Not everywhere.””
Arthur looked at him.
“What?””
“Your mother left instructions about the storage cabinet. I believe you never checked the false bottom.””
Arthur's expression changed.
Rene immediately picked up the silver key Danielle had sent.
“Then let's go.””
Graham shook his head.
“We need to know whether the cabinet is still there.””
Arthur nodded slowly.
“It is.””
“Then we're going now.””
Vanessa stood.
“I'm coming.””
Rene turned toward her.
“No.””
“Rene, I'm your wife.””
“And you secretly arranged for our daughter's dog to be transported to a stranger.””
“I was trying to help.””
“You were hiding something.””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“Please let me explain.””
Rene looked at her.
“You can explain when I get back.””
He grabbed his keys.
Arthur reached for his coat.
Claire picked up the blue envelope.
Graham gathered the documents.
Before they could leave, Vanessa stepped in front of Rene.
“There is something you should know.””
He stopped.
“What?””
She looked toward the tablet.
“The second collection request wasn't mine.””
Rene stared.
“Your name was on it.””
“Someone accessed my account.””
“Who?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“I think it was Claire.””
Everyone turned.
Claire's face hardened.
“That is a lie.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I saw the login notification yesterday. It came from an address connected to the old warehouse.””
Arthur looked alarmed.
“That's impossible.””
Rene frowned.
“Why?””
“Because only three people have access to that property.””
He counted on his fingers.
“Me. Danielle. And your mother.””
Rene stared at him.
“Mom is dead.””
Arthur nodded.
“Exactly.””
Graham stepped forward.
“Then somebody has been using her credentials.””
Claire looked toward the front door.
“We need to leave. Now.””
But before anyone could move, Rene's phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph.
The image showed the inside of the old warehouse.
The wooden cabinet stood in the center.
Its bottom drawer was open.
And beside it was a woman wearing a denim-blue shirt.
Vanessa.
Rene slowly lifted his eyes.
She was standing directly in front of him.
He turned the phone toward her.
“Explain this.””
Vanessa looked at the photograph.
Her lips parted.
Then she whispered:
“I've never been inside that warehouse.””
Rene enlarged the image.
Behind Vanessa, visible through a narrow doorway, stood another person.
A man.
His face was partially hidden in shadow.
But Rene recognized the distinctive silver watch on his wrist.
It belonged to his father.
Rene looked toward Arthur.
“Dad?””
Arthur stared at the photograph.
His hands began shaking.
“That isn't possible.””
“Why?””
Arthur took a step backward.
Then he whispered:
“Because I haven't been inside that warehouse since the day your mother died.””
Rene looked at the timestamp.
<text color="default" weight="semibold">PHOTO CAPTURED: TODAY, 10:58 A.M.</text>
It had been taken less than twenty minutes earlier.
Before anyone had arrived at their house.
Before Claire had brought Buddy home.
Before the second collection request.
Someone had entered the warehouse that morning.
Someone had opened the cabinet.
And someone had deliberately placed Vanessa inside the photograph.
Rene's phone vibrated again.
A second message appeared.
*STOP LOOKING FOR YOUR MOTHER'S WILL.*
*THE PERSON WHO KILLED HER IS STILL IN YOUR HOUSE.*
Rene slowly raised his head.
He looked at Vanessa.
Then Claire.
Then Graham.
Finally, his eyes settled on Arthur.
Outside, Lily called happily:
“Daddy! Buddy found something!””
Rene turned toward the garden.
Lily was kneeling beside the flowerbed near the back fence.
Buddy was digging at the soil with both front paws.
Something small and metallic was emerging from beneath the roots.
Rene ran outside.
“Lily, don't touch it!””
He dropped beside her and brushed away the loose dirt.
A small metal box appeared.
Its surface was scratched, and a faded photograph of his mother had been taped to the lid.
Rene stared at it.
The silver key Danielle had sent fitted perfectly into the lock.
He turned it.
Click.
Inside lay a folded hospital wristband, a tiny voice recorder, and a photograph of his mother holding Buddy.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written:
*THE SECOND CALL WAS NEVER ABOUT HER HEALTH.*
Rene picked up the recorder.
Before he could press play, the device suddenly activated by itself.
His mother's voice filled the garden.
Weak.
Breathless.
But unmistakable.
“Rene, if you're hearing this, then your father has finally told you about that night.””
A pause.
Then came the sentence that made Arthur collapse onto the grass.
“Your father wasn't the only person in the room when I was given the wrong medication.””
And in the background of the recording, another voice could be heard.
A woman's voice.
Vanessa's voice.
“Just sign the paper, Margaret. Nobody needs to know.””
Rene slowly turned toward the house.
May you like
Vanessa was standing in the doorway.
And she was already running.
