Chapter 8: The Ledger at the Riverfront
Detective Collins called at 7:12 the following morning.
“Colonel Hart, we've spoken with Derek Bennett. He confirms that a storage unit was used to hold old company records. We're checking ownership and access information now.””
“Did he confirm the blue ledger?””
“He says he remembers seeing a blue binder or ledger among the files, but he doesn't know whether it's still there. His description is consistent with what Marissa told us, though that doesn't prove the item contains relevant evidence.””
“Will you search the unit?””
“If the legal requirements are met and we can establish a lawful basis. We won't enter simply because someone has made an allegation.””
I appreciated the distinction.
“Has Derek provided a statement?””
“He has agreed to an interview. We're also following up on the information he provided about the riverfront project.””
“Did he explain why he came to my house?””
“He said he was concerned that Emily might be blamed for financial documents he believes she didn't understand. We haven't independently verified his account.””
I looked toward the kitchen, where Emily was making breakfast.
“Please keep me informed if there's a safety concern.””
“We will. And Colonel, remind Emily not to contact Derek or Jason while we're investigating.””
“I will.””
After the call, I told Emily what Collins had said.
She listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she put down her knife.
“Derek always acted like he was above everyone else. He'd make jokes about Jason's temper and then tell me I was too sensitive when Jason shouted at me.””
“People can behave differently when the consequences reach them personally,” I said.
“That doesn't mean we should accept his account without checking it.””
Emily nodded.
“I don't trust him.””
“You don't have to.””
She looked at the window.
“But I want to know what happened to Natalie.””
So did I.
At 10:25 a.m., the attorney called with an update about the guarantee.
A records request had produced a partial transaction file, but the company had not yet provided all the underlying documents. The available pages suggested that a substantial obligation had been connected to a riverfront development company.
Emily's name appeared on a guarantee page.
However, the copy did not establish whether she had knowingly signed the document, whether the signature was authentic, or whether the agreement was legally enforceable.
The attorney explained that those questions would require additional records and, potentially, expert examination.
Emily listened carefully.
“Could I lose my savings?””
“Not based solely on the document we've seen,” the attorney replied.
“We need to determine whether the obligation is valid, whether the company has made a claim against you, and what legal defenses may exist. Please don't assume the worst before we have the complete file.””
After the call, Emily walked into the garden.
I found her beside the flower bed, twisting a dry leaf between her fingers.
“I keep thinking about the wedding,” she said.
“Evelyn gave a speech about how marriage meant joining two families. She said the Bennetts would always protect me.””
I stood beside her.
“What do you remember about the documents that day?””
“Jason had a folder in the car. He said Richard wanted some financial paperwork completed before the ceremony because the family accountant was leaving for a trip.””
“Did you read the documents?””
“I remember signing something on a clipboard. There were several pages. Jason pointed to the places where I needed to sign.””
“Did you see a notary?””
Emily closed her eyes.
“No. I remember Evelyn saying someone would handle the formalities later.””
She opened her eyes again.
“Mom, what if that was when they did it?””
“That's a possibility your attorney can investigate. We need records showing what was signed, who witnessed it, and where.””
Emily nodded, then took a long breath.
“I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering whether every person who smiles at me is trying to use me.””
I put my arm around her shoulders.
“You don't have to decide how to trust people again today.””
At noon, Detective Collins called to say investigators had established a possible link between the storage unit and a company associated with the riverfront development.
They were seeking the appropriate authorization to examine its contents.
“Derek says the unit may have been transferred to a company controlled by Richard Bennett,” she explained.
“We're checking the ownership records and who had access.””
“Does Richard know?””
“We don't know. We aren't going to speculate about his knowledge until we have evidence.””
The investigation continued through the afternoon.
I took Emily to a follow-up medical appointment and waited outside while she spoke privately with her physician. On the way home, we stopped at a pharmacy to collect medication and supplies.
For a few hours, we tried to live as if the Bennetts weren't hovering at the edges of our lives.
Emily bought a small plant for the guest bedroom.
She asked whether she could borrow a book from my shelf.
She even laughed when I burned a piece of toast and claimed the kitchen appliance had been designed by someone who hated breakfast.
The sound was so unexpected that we both went quiet afterward.
Then Emily smiled again.
It was a small moment.
But it reminded me that her life was not limited to what Jason had done to her.
At 5:41 p.m., Detective Collins called.
“Colonel, we've obtained authorization to search the storage unit. Investigators have located several boxes of company records, but the review is ongoing.””
“Did they find the ledger?””
“They found a blue ledger among the documents. Its contents haven't been fully examined, and we haven't established whether it is the same item described by Natalie and Marissa.””
I gripped the phone.
“Is there anything about Emily?””
“I can't discuss every detail before the records are reviewed. But the investigators have identified references to the riverfront company and several personal guarantees. They are preserving the material for further examination.””
“Does the ledger mention Natalie?””
“There are entries bearing her initials. We haven't determined their significance.””
I thanked Collins and ended the call.
Emily was standing in the hallway.
She had heard my side of the conversation.
“They found it,” she whispered.
“They found a blue ledger. They're checking whether it's the one Natalie described.””
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, I thought she might collapse.
Then she straightened.
“What happens now?””
“The investigators examine it. Your attorney continues to pursue the records connected to your name. We wait for verified information.””
She gave me a tired smile.
“Waiting is the hardest part.””
“I know.””
At 8:06 p.m., a message arrived from Marissa Cole.
She had contacted Detective Collins and was willing to meet with Emily, provided the detective approved and the meeting could take place safely.
Emily wanted to speak with her.
After coordinating with Collins, we arranged a meeting the following afternoon at the attorney's office.
Marissa arrived carrying a small notebook.
She looked nervous but determined.
“Emily,” she said, “I'm sorry we never met before all this happened.””
Emily shook her head.
“You don't have to apologize for that.””
Marissa sat across from us.
“I need to tell you something about Natalie. It might explain why your name appeared in those records.””
She opened the notebook.
“Three weeks before she disappeared, Natalie asked me to help her compare a set of financial reports. She believed the company was using different versions of the same transaction records.””
“Why would that involve me?”” Emily asked.
“Because she found a document showing a guarantee associated with a person who had no apparent connection to the development.””
Marissa paused.
“She didn't tell me the person's name. She said she wanted to verify the signature before making any accusation.””
Emily leaned forward.
“Was it my name?””
“I don't know. I never saw the page.””
“Did she mention the Bennetts?””
Marissa nodded.
“She said Richard controlled the company, Jason managed some of the development operations, and Derek handled certain outside relationships. But she was careful about assigning responsibility. She wanted documents, not rumors.””
I respected that.
“What happened after she raised her concerns?”” I asked.
“Her access to the accounting system was restricted. Then she was told to attend a meeting with Richard and Jason. The next day, she told me she was going to speak to an outside consultant.””
“Paul Mercer?””
Marissa looked surprised.
“Yes. How did you know?””
“Investigators have identified him as someone who reviewed the project's records.””
Marissa nodded.
“Natalie thought he might help her understand whether the discrepancies were errors or something more serious.””
“Did she meet him?””
“I don't know. She never came back to work.””
Emily stared at the notebook.
“Did she tell you where she kept her records?””
Marissa hesitated.
“She said there was a second copy somewhere safe. But she didn't tell me where. She told me that if anyone ever tried to blame another person for the missing money, I should remember the dates.””
“What dates?”” Emily asked.
Marissa turned to a page in her notebook.
“There were three transactions she was particularly concerned about. One happened before your wedding. One happened on the day the guarantee was supposedly signed. The third happened shortly before Natalie disappeared.””
Emily's face went pale.
“Do you remember the dates?””
Marissa read them aloud.
The second date matched the date on Emily's disputed guarantee.
The room seemed to tilt.
Emily pressed a hand against her mouth.
“I was at work that day.””
Marissa nodded.
“I believe you. But I don't have the evidence to establish what happened.””
I looked at her.
“Have you given these dates to Detective Collins?””
“Yes. She asked me to write them down and explain where I got them.””
“Good.””
Marissa closed the notebook.
“I wish I had done more when Natalie first asked for help.””
Emily reached across the table.
“You're helping now.””
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Marissa added, “There's something else I remember. Natalie told me she had discovered that a person named Daniel Price had delivered paperwork for the company.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Daniel Price?””
“Yes. He was a courier. Natalie said he had delivered an envelope to someone who wasn't supposed to be involved in the project.””
Emily stared at me.
Daniel Price was the man who had delivered the legal notice to my house.
Marissa saw our expressions change.
“You know him?””
I explained what had happened the previous afternoon.
Marissa's face drained of color.
“Then he may still be working for Richard.””
“Or he may simply be delivering documents for the company,” I said.
“We can't assume more than that.””
But the coincidence was too significant to ignore.
After the meeting, we gave the information to Detective Collins. She confirmed that investigators would examine the courier's role, including whether he had delivered the disputed guarantee or other documents connected to the case.
That evening, Emily and I returned home.
For the first time, she asked whether she could sleep in her own room rather than the guest bedroom.
“Of course,” I said.
She smiled faintly.
“I think I'm ready.””
I helped her carry her things down the hallway and left the door open, as she preferred.
At 10:14 p.m., Detective Collins called one final time.
“The ledger contains entries that appear to correspond with some of the dates Marissa provided,” she said.
“Investigators are working with financial specialists to understand the transactions.””
“Have they found the second copy Natalie mentioned?””
“Not yet.””
“Does the ledger establish who was responsible?””
“Not by itself. We need to verify the entries, compare them with bank and company records, and interview the people involved.””
I understood.
Still, hope had begun to take shape.
The ledger existed.
The dates could be checked.
And the documents bearing Emily's name were no longer isolated pieces of paper.
They were part of a pattern investigators could examine.
Then Collins said something that made me sit upright.
“There's one entry we need to investigate urgently. It refers to a transfer authorized shortly before Natalie disappeared.””
“Authorized by whom?””
“We're still verifying the record.””
She paused.
“But the initials beside the transaction are the same initials that appear on the witness section of Emily's disputed guarantee.””
I looked toward the hallway where my daughter was sleeping.
Evelyn Bennett.
The woman who had mocked Emily's injuries.
The woman who had threatened my career.
The woman whose signature appeared beside a document Emily said she had never knowingly signed.
For the first time, the investigation had produced a specific connection that could be tested.
And if the records confirmed it, the Bennett family would have to answer a question they had spent a year trying to avoid.
May you like
What had Evelyn Bennett witnessed?
And what had she helped authorize?
