Chapter 3: The Woman Who Died Before My Wife
"Daniel.""
My brother didn't answer.
I turned toward him.
"Why did Danielle mention Vanessa?""
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"Marcus, I need you to calm down.""
"Don't tell me to calm down.""
"Listen to me first.""
"Why did my wife say Vanessa had something to do with another woman's death?""
Daniel looked at the closed study door.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Before Vanessa married you, she was married to a man named Richard Cole.""
I frowned.
"I know that. She told me her first husband died in an accident.""
"That's what she told you?""
"Yes.""
"She also told you she had two daughters from that marriage?""
"Of course.""
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Richard died seven years ago. His wife was listed as the beneficiary of a substantial life insurance policy.""
I stared at him.
"His wife?""
"Vanessa.""
"How much?""
"Almost three million dollars.""
I sat down.
"Are you saying Vanessa was involved in her first husband's death?""
"I'm saying there were questions about his death.""
"What questions?""
Daniel pulled out his phone.
"I started looking into Vanessa after Danielle gave me that key. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't have proof.""
"Show me.""
He opened a photograph.
It showed a newspaper clipping.
The headline read:
*LOCAL BUSINESSMAN DIES AFTER SUDDEN MEDICAL EMERGENCY. WIFE RECEIVES INSURANCE PAYOUT.*
Richard Cole had died at home.
According to the article, he had suffered a sudden cardiac event.
I read the article twice.
Then I noticed something.
The doctor quoted in the article was Dr. Harrison.
I looked up.
"Was he treating Richard too?""
Daniel nodded.
"He was involved in the medical review.""
I felt sick.
"How long has Vanessa known him?""
"At least eight years.""
"Before she met me?""
"Yes.""
I walked to the window.
The morning sun was shining over the garden.
Everything looked normal.
The flowers Danielle had planted were still blooming beside the fence.
The little swing where Nia used to play was moving gently in the wind.
Yet my entire life had become something I no longer recognized.
"Why didn't the police investigate?""
"They did. But the medical report stated natural causes. There wasn't enough evidence to establish foul play.""
I turned around.
"Did Danielle know about Richard?""
"She found out while researching Vanessa.""
"Why would my wife research her?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Because she thought Vanessa was getting too close to you.""
I remembered the first time Vanessa had appeared at my office.
It had been a charity dinner six months after Danielle died.
She had approached me while I was standing alone near the bar.
She knew Danielle's name.
She knew about Nia.
She even knew which hospital Danielle had attended.
At the time, I had considered her attentive.
Now I wondered how she had learned so much.
Daniel continued.
"Danielle told me Vanessa had contacted her before you introduced them.""
My head snapped around.
"What?""
"She claimed she was looking for advice about helping a child who had lost her mother.""
"That's how she got close to us?""
"That's what Danielle suspected.""
I felt a cold wave move through my body.
Vanessa hadn't simply entered my life by accident.
She had known about my family before I knew her.
And she had known exactly how to make herself indispensable.
I picked up the second envelope from the compartment.
Inside was a photograph.
Danielle stood beside a hospital bed.
A woman was lying in it.
Her face was partially obscured by a blanket, but I could see a wedding ring on her left hand.
On the back, Danielle had written:
The first woman who trusted him.
Below that was another name.
*Eleanor Cole.*
"Who is Eleanor?"" I asked.
Daniel leaned over my shoulder.
"Richard's mother?""
"No. His sister.""
I looked at him.
"How do you know?""
"Because I met her.""
"Where?""
"At Danielle's funeral.""
I stared at him.
"Why didn't I see her?""
"She left before the service began. She asked me not to tell you she was there.""
I looked back at the photograph.
"Why would Danielle have a picture of her?""
Daniel pointed toward the USB drive.
"Maybe there's another video.""
I searched the files.
There were five.
The first contained Danielle's message.
The second showed her sitting in the hospital cafeteria with a woman I didn't recognize.
The third was a recording of a conversation.
I turned up the volume.
Danielle's voice came through.
"Eleanor, I need you to tell me exactly what happened to Richard.""
The other woman looked frightened.
"I've already told the police.""
"Tell me again.""
"Eleanor, I can't.""
"Please. I think the same thing is happening to me.""
The woman began crying.
Then she leaned forward.
"Vanessa came to the hospital every night. She told me Richard was getting worse. She said the doctors were doing everything they could.""
"Did you believe her?""
"I did.""
"What happened?""
Eleanor wiped her eyes.
"Three days before Richard died, I found a bottle of medication in Vanessa's purse. It wasn't prescribed to him.""
Danielle leaned closer.
"What did you do?""
"I asked Harrison about it.""
"And?""
"He told me I was confused. He said grief was making me paranoid.""
The woman looked directly into the camera.
"Two days later, Richard was dead.""
The video ended.
I felt Daniel's hand on my shoulder.
"Marcus, there's something else.""
I turned.
"What?""
"Richard's insurance money wasn't the only thing Vanessa received.""
He pulled another document from the envelope.
It was a copy of a property transfer.
The house Richard had owned was transferred to Vanessa's name less than a month after his death.
But the signature on the document belonged to Richard.
And the date was three days after his funeral.
I looked at Daniel.
"How is that possible?""
"That's what I couldn't figure out.""
I checked the next video.
This time, Danielle was speaking directly to the camera.
Her face looked exhausted.
"Marcus, I know you love me. I know you want to believe everything is going to be okay.""
She took a breath.
"But I need you to understand something. If Dr. Harrison says my condition suddenly worsened, don't accept his explanation without checking the records.""
My eyes filled with tears.
She had been trying to warn me.
And I hadn't known.
"There's something wrong with my medication," she continued.
"I don't know whether it's a mistake or something deliberate. But I know I'm not imagining it.""
She glanced toward the door.
"Vanessa has been asking questions about our insurance. She wants to know who receives the money if I die.""
I felt my stomach turn.
Then Danielle said something that made me grip the desk.
"She also asked whether Nia would inherit the house.""
The video stopped.
I sat motionless.
For a long time, neither Daniel nor I spoke.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice came through.
"Is this Marcus Reed?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Eleanor Cole. I believe your wife left something for me.""
I stood up.
"How did you get this number?""
"Your brother gave it to me.""
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
Eleanor continued.
"I've been trying to contact you for months, but I was afraid Vanessa would find out.""
"Why?""
"Because I know what happened to Danielle.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"Then tell me.""
She was silent.
I could hear traffic in the background.
Finally, she spoke.
"Danielle didn't die when the hospital said she did.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
"She was alive when they moved her from the oncology ward.""
"Where did they take her?""
"I don't know. But I saw the transfer order.""
I looked at the hospital wristband on the desk.
The date was two days after her recorded death.
"Who signed it?""
"Dr. Harrison.""
My knees weakened.
"Why would a dead woman need a transfer order?""
Eleanor began crying.
"Because, Marcus, I don't think Danielle was dead when they told you she was.""
The room seemed to spin.
I gripped the desk.
"Are you telling me my wife might still be alive?""
"I don't know.""
"Where is she?""
"I've spent eleven months trying to find out.""
I swallowed.
"Why didn't you come to me?""
"Because Vanessa threatened my children.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"She told me that if I ever spoke to you, Brianna and Kayla would lose the only family they had left.""
I looked toward the ceiling.
Vanessa had used her own daughters as weapons.
She had made Nia suffer.
She had manipulated me.
And now I was beginning to understand that her cruelty was not random.
It was organized.
"Where are you?"" I asked.
"At home.""
"Stay there. I'm coming.""
"Marcus, wait.""
"What?""
Eleanor lowered her voice.
"Before you leave, look at the last file on Danielle's USB drive.""
I turned toward the laptop.
"Why?""
"Because there's something Danielle wanted you to see before you trusted anyone.""
I opened the folder.
The last file was labeled:
*FOR MARCUS ONLY.*
I clicked it.
The screen went black.
Then a video appeared.
Danielle was sitting in what looked like a hospital room.
She was wearing the same blue sweater she had worn on the day I last visited her.
I remembered that day.
I remembered kissing her forehead.
I remembered telling her I would be back in the morning.
I remembered her whispering, "I love you.""
But now, watching the video, I noticed something strange.
She wasn't looking at the camera.
She was looking at someone standing behind it.
"Is it recording?"" she asked.
A man's voice answered.
"Yes.""
I froze.
I knew that voice.
It wasn't Dr. Harrison's.
It was my brother Daniel's.
Danielle wiped her eyes.
"Then I want Marcus to know the truth.""
Daniel moved closer to the camera.
"Are you sure?""
She nodded.
"Tell him who signed the original insurance policy.""
Daniel looked directly into the lens.
Then he said:
"I did.""
I slowly turned toward my brother.
He was standing behind me.
His face had gone completely white.
May you like
And before I could ask him a single question, he whispered:
"Marcus, there's something about Danielle's final night that I've never told you.""
