Chapter 9: The Woman Who Tried to Bury the Past
The private clinic was nearly an hour away.
Detective Morgan drove.
I sat in the passenger seat, holding the photograph of Emily.
Neither of us spoke much.
The discovery that Grace remembered the night her mother died had changed everything.
Until then, I had believed Savannah wanted to control the child because of money.
Now I wondered whether Grace had witnessed something as a baby.
Something her family had spent three years trying to hide.
When we arrived, two uniformed officers were already standing near the entrance.
A nurse approached us.
"Detective Morgan?""
"Yes. Where is Lucas Bennett?""
"Room twelve. He's awake, but he's been asking for his sister.""
Detective Morgan frowned.
"His sister?""
The nurse nodded.
"He keeps saying Emily.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
We followed her down the hallway.
Lucas was lying in bed with a bandage around his forehead.
His left arm was bruised.
A small cut ran along his jaw.
When he saw us, he tried to sit up.
"Where's Grace?""
"She's safe," Detective Morgan answered.
Lucas closed his eyes.
"Thank God.""
I approached the bed.
"What happened?""
He looked at me.
"Savannah found me.""
"When?""
"Last night.""
"Why?""
He gave a bitter laugh.
"Because I have something she wants.""
Detective Morgan stepped closer.
"What?""
Lucas looked toward the door.
Then he whispered:
"The original trust agreement.""
I frowned.
"Why do you have it?""
He reached beneath his pillow and removed a small envelope.
"Emily gave it to me before she died.""
I stared at him.
"You told Ethan you didn't have anything.""
"I lied.""
"Why?""
Lucas looked exhausted.
"Because Ethan wasn't the only person who could be dangerous.""
Detective Morgan opened the envelope.
Inside was a signed legal document.
A lawyer's letter.
And a photograph of Savannah standing beside Lucas.
They were embracing.
The date on the photograph was three months before Savannah married Ethan.
I looked at Lucas.
"You were together.""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
"How long?""
"Almost two years.""
I sat down.
"Why did you let her marry your brother?""
His eyes filled.
"Because she told me she was pregnant.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"She said the baby was mine.""
The room became silent.
Detective Morgan lowered the document.
"Was the baby Grace?""
Lucas shook his head.
"No. Grace was already born.""
"Then what baby?""
Lucas looked at the floor.
"Savannah told me she was pregnant with my child. She said she needed time to arrange things before telling Ethan.""
I frowned.
"Was she?""
"No.""
He swallowed.
"She was never pregnant.""
I stared at him.
"How do you know?""
"Because I found the medical records. She had been taking medication to make people believe she was pregnant. She wore padded clothing, attended appointments under another person's name, and used the situation to pressure me.""
Detective Morgan leaned forward.
"Why?""
"She wanted money. She wanted access to the family company. And she wanted to marry Ethan.""
He closed his eyes.
"I believed her.""
I felt a wave of anger.
"And Emily?""
"Emily discovered the relationship. She told me Savannah was manipulating both of us.""
"Did you believe her?""
"Not at first.""
He turned toward the window.
"Then Emily showed me the financial documents. She proved Savannah had been moving money.""
I looked at the envelope.
"So you helped Emily.""
"Yes.""
"What happened on the night she died?""
Lucas's face crumpled.
"I was supposed to drive her and Grace to the airport.""
Detective Morgan went completely still.
"Explain.""
"Emily had arranged to leave the city. She wanted to stay with her mother until she could get legal protection for Grace.""
"Did you go?""
Lucas shook his head.
"No.""
"Why?""
He looked at me.
"Because Ethan called.""
I frowned.
"What did he say?""
"That Savannah had found out about the plan. He said I needed to meet him at the office immediately.""
"And you went?""
"Yes.""
He covered his face.
"When I returned, Emily was gone.""
I stared at him.
"Why didn't you go to the police?""
"I thought it was an accident. I thought—"
He stopped.
Then looked at Detective Morgan.
"But I received something two days later.""
He reached for the bedside table.
A folded note lay beneath a glass of water.
Detective Morgan opened it.
The handwriting was Emily's.
Lucas, if you are reading this, I need you to understand something. I never got into the car willingly. Someone told me Ethan needed me at the bridge. I think they are trying to separate me from Grace.
The date was December 23.
The night before Emily died.
Detective Morgan read it twice.
"Where did you get this?""
"It was inside the envelope with the trust agreement.""
I looked at Lucas.
"Why didn't you give this to the police three years ago?""
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"Because I received another message.""
He handed Detective Morgan his phone.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Grace sleeping in her crib.
Beneath it was a message.
*If you tell anyone what happened to Emily, the little girl will lose the only family she has left.*
I felt sick.
"Who sent it?""
Lucas whispered.
"Savannah.""
Detective Morgan immediately contacted the original investigators.
She requested a review of Emily's accident.
She also asked for the old vehicle records, the original photographs, and any evidence collected from the bridge.
Then she turned toward Lucas.
"Mr. Bennett, you need to tell us everything about the Christmas party.""
Lucas nodded.
He looked at me.
"I should have told you sooner.""
"Yes.""
"I was trying to protect Grace.""
"By letting her fall into the pool?""
His face tightened.
"No. I know how that sounds.""
"Then explain.""
He swallowed.
"I saw Savannah reach for Grace. I was coming toward them. I tried to grab her, but Savannah moved first.""
"You were holding Grace in the photographs.""
"Yes.""
"Why did you let go?""
He closed his eyes.
"She told me Ethan was watching.""
I stared at him.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"I know.""
He looked toward Detective Morgan.
"Savannah had told me that if Ethan saw me holding Grace, he'd accuse me of trying to take his daughter.""
I shook my head.
"So you walked away.""
"Yes.""
"And Grace fell.""
He nodded.
"I thought Savannah was going to take her inside. I never imagined she'd push her.""
I remembered the photograph.
Savannah's hand.
Grace's little body.
The pool.
I looked at him.
"You should have protected her.""
"I know.""
For the first time, I believed he understood what he had done.
But believing him didn't mean forgiving him.
At 6:20 p.m., Detective Morgan received a call.
She listened for almost a minute.
Then she stood.
"We found something.""
Lucas looked up.
"What?""
"The original accident report.""
"What's in it?""
Detective Morgan turned toward him.
"Brake damage.""
Lucas went pale.
"That means—"
"Someone may have deliberately disabled Emily's vehicle.""
I felt cold.
"Do they know who?""
"Not yet.""
Then Detective Morgan opened another file.
"There is something else. The mechanic who inspected the vehicle three years ago is still alive.""
Lucas sat up.
"Where is he?""
"He's agreed to speak with us.""
I leaned forward.
"What did he say?""
Detective Morgan looked at her phone.
"He remembers seeing a woman near the car the day before the accident.""
"Who?""
She turned the screen toward us.
It was a security photograph.
A woman stood beside Emily's blue vehicle.
Her face was partly hidden by a scarf.
But I recognized the coat.
Cream-colored.
With a gold button near the collar.
Savannah's coat.
I looked at the detective.
"That's her.""
She nodded.
"We're issuing a request to locate her.""
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Margaret.
*Hannah, Eleanor is here. She wants to speak with you immediately.*
I called her.
"Is she okay?""
Margaret sounded frightened.
"No.""
"What happened?""
"Someone came to the agency.""
"Who?""
"I don't know. Eleanor says she recognized the person.""
My stomach tightened.
"Where is Eleanor now?""
"In my office.""
"Put her on.""
A moment later, an elderly woman's voice came through.
"Hannah?""
"Eleanor?""
"Listen to me carefully.""
Her breathing was uneven.
"Emily didn't die because of a car accident.""
I closed my eyes.
"I know.""
"No, sweetheart. You don't understand.""
She began crying.
"I saw the person who was with her that night.""
"Who?""
Eleanor whispered:
"Her husband.""
I looked at Detective Morgan.
Eleanor continued.
"Ethan was at the bridge. He was there when Emily died.""
My heart pounded.
"Are you certain?""
"I saw him. I watched him leave. And I kept quiet because he threatened to take Grace away from me.""
The call suddenly crackled.
Then another voice spoke.
A familiar voice.
Savannah.
"That's enough, Eleanor.""
I stood so quickly that my chair fell backward.
Detective Morgan grabbed her radio.
Savannah continued through the phone.
"Everyone has spent three years blaming me.""
There was a sound of something hitting the floor.
Then Eleanor screamed.
I shouted into the phone.
"Eleanor!""
Savannah laughed softly.
"You wanted the truth, Hannah?""
A pause.
"Then come to the Whitmore mansion.""
The line went dead.
Detective Morgan was already moving.
"Officers, we have a possible hostage situation!""
I grabbed my coat.
She turned toward me.
"You're not coming.""
"That's Eleanor's mother—"
"She's a witness. We'll handle it.""
"But Grace—"
Detective Morgan stopped.
"Grace is not at the mansion.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
She looked at the report on her phone.
"Her temporary placement was changed an hour ago.""
My stomach dropped.
"Changed to where?""
Detective Morgan looked up.
"Someone signed her out.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Who?""
She turned the screen toward me.
The authorization form carried a signature.
*Ethan Whitmore.*
And beneath it was a handwritten note.
Taking my daughter somewhere safe.
I looked at Lucas.
He had gone completely pale.
May you like
Then he whispered:
"He's taking her to the bridge.""
