Chapter 9: The Last Person Evelyn Expected to Betray Her
Marcus didn't speak.
He stood in Richard's study, staring at the photograph of Evelyn and Dr. Samuel Pierce.
His father had died six years earlier.
For six years, he had believed it was a natural death.
Now we were being told someone might have poisoned him.
"Who knew?"" Marcus finally asked.
Richard looked down.
"Your father suspected Evelyn.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Why didn't he go to the police?""
"He tried.""
Richard opened the black box again.
"He contacted me two days before his death. He said he had discovered irregularities in the foundation accounts and believed Evelyn was working with someone inside the medical system.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Did he name Dr. Pierce?""
Richard nodded.
"He said the doctor had been receiving payments from a private company connected to Evelyn.""
Marcus looked at the photograph.
"Why would a doctor help her?""
Richard's expression hardened.
"Money. Access. And possibly something more.""
I stared at the picture.
"Was Dr. Pierce involved in my mother's accident too?""
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Then he removed another document.
It was a medical invoice.
The date matched the day before my mother's death.
The patient name was Eleanor Carter.
The service listed was a private consultation.
The physician was Samuel Pierce.
My stomach tightened.
"My mother saw him?""
Richard nodded.
"She was investigating the money Evelyn had been moving through the foundation. She wanted medical records connected to a previous patient.""
"Which patient?""
Richard looked at Marcus.
"Your father.""
Marcus sat down.
I felt my hands turn cold.
"Was my mother trying to prove he had been poisoned?""
Richard nodded.
"She had discovered that his medical records had been changed after his death.""
Daniel took the document.
"Why would she need Dr. Pierce's help?""
"Because he was the physician who treated your father during his final days.""
Marcus looked at the photograph.
"And then my father died.""
Richard nodded.
"And three months later, Eleanor died in a car accident.""
I felt sick.
Two people who had known the truth were dead.
And the woman who had benefited from their silence had spent years controlling everyone around her.
Daniel immediately contacted Detective Mitchell.
Within minutes, the documents were being sent to the police station.
But I couldn't stop thinking about Olivia.
She had known Evelyn.
She had worked with her.
She had helped move the money.
And she might have known about the deaths.
I turned to Richard.
"Did Olivia know about Dr. Pierce?""
Richard hesitated.
"She may have.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I only discovered the connection yesterday.""
I looked at Marcus.
"We need to speak to her again.""
He nodded.
"Agreed.""
Detective Mitchell arranged another interview that evening.
Olivia was brought into the room.
She looked exhausted.
Her eyes were swollen, and her hands shook as she sat down.
When she saw the photograph of Evelyn and Dr. Pierce, she immediately looked away.
I noticed.
"Do you know him?""
Olivia swallowed.
"Yes.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"Who is he?""
"Dr. Samuel Pierce.""
"How do you know him?""
Olivia looked at Detective Mitchell.
Then she turned toward me.
"Evelyn introduced us.""
My heart began pounding.
"When?""
"Four years ago.""
"Why?""
Olivia rubbed her forehead.
"She said he was helping her manage a private medical foundation.""
Daniel frowned.
"Was that foundation connected to the Williams family?""
"Yes.""
"What was your role?""
"I handled some of the payments.""
I stared at her.
"Payments to whom?""
Olivia closed her eyes.
"Dr. Pierce.""
Marcus stood.
"How much?""
"I don't know exactly.""
"Guess.""
"Approximately two hundred thousand dollars.""
Marcus looked at Detective Mitchell.
"That's enough to investigate.""
Olivia nodded.
"There were other payments too.""
I stepped closer.
"What were they for?""
She hesitated.
Then she said something that made my blood run cold.
"Keeping certain medical records confidential.""
Detective Mitchell opened her notebook.
"Which records?""
Olivia looked at Marcus.
"Your father's.""
He gripped the edge of the table.
"What did you do with them?""
"I transferred scanned copies to Evelyn.""
"Did you know they had been altered?""
Olivia nodded.
"Yes.""
Marcus stared at her.
"Why?""
"Because Evelyn said your father had been suffering from a terminal illness and wanted his medical information kept private.""
"That's not what the records showed.""
Olivia began crying.
"I know.""
"What did they show?""
She looked at Detective Mitchell.
Then at me.
"Your father had been treated for poisoning.""
Silence.
Marcus closed his eyes.
For a moment, I thought he might fall.
Detective Mitchell continued.
"Did Dr. Pierce administer the substance?""
Olivia shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"Did Evelyn?""
"I don't know.""
"Then what do you know?""
Olivia took a trembling breath.
"Three days before your father's death, I saw Evelyn meet Dr. Pierce at the estate. She gave him an envelope. He told her the symptoms were becoming harder to hide.""
Marcus's face went white.
"What did she say?""
Olivia looked down.
"She said the old man wouldn't survive the week.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
Marcus stared at his sister.
His mother had been discussing his father's death as if she were arranging a business transaction.
Detective Mitchell wrote quickly.
"Why didn't you report this?""
Olivia's voice cracked.
"Because I didn't understand what it meant at the time.""
I stared at her.
"You were helping her hide the records.""
"Yes.""
"You knew someone might have killed him.""
"I suspected.""
"And you stayed?""
Olivia began sobbing.
"I was afraid.""
I turned away.
I couldn't keep hearing that word.
Fear had become the foundation of every betrayal.
Detective Mitchell ordered an immediate review of the medical records.
She also requested an emergency warrant to search Evelyn's private office and the storage facility connected to Vantage Heritage Holdings.
Marcus remained silent while she made the calls.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
Your sister isn't the only one who knows what happened to your father.
A second message followed.
Ask Daniel what he did six years ago.
Marcus looked up.
Daniel was standing near the door.
"What's wrong?""
Marcus showed him the screen.
Daniel's face changed.
For the first time since I'd met him, he looked genuinely afraid.
"Where did you get that?""
Marcus stared at him.
"Who sent it?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Detective Mitchell noticed the exchange.
"Mr. Brooks?""
Daniel slowly removed his glasses.
"I need to tell you something.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"Start talking.""
Daniel looked at me.
Then at Marcus.
"Six years ago, I was working as an associate attorney for the Williams family.""
Marcus frowned.
"I know that.""
"I was responsible for reviewing the foundation's financial records. I discovered a series of payments that didn't make sense.""
"To Dr. Pierce?""
Daniel nodded.
"And to several companies controlled by Evelyn.""
Marcus's voice became cold.
"What did you do?""
"I confronted her.""
"And?""
"She told me the payments were legitimate. Then she showed me documents suggesting that my father had authorized them.""
Daniel paused.
"I believed her.""
I stared at him.
"Your father?""
Daniel nodded.
"My father worked as an accountant for the foundation. He had died the previous year, and Evelyn told me he had been involved in the transactions.""
Marcus looked disgusted.
"So you walked away?""
Daniel lowered his head.
"Yes.""
"People were being robbed, and you walked away?""
"I was twenty-six. I had a family. I was afraid of losing my career.""
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"There's that word again.""
Daniel accepted the criticism.
"Two years later, I found evidence that the documents had been forged. I began collecting copies.""
"Why didn't you report it?""
"I was preparing a case. I wanted enough evidence to protect the witnesses.""
He looked at me.
"Then I received a message from Eleanor Carter.""
My breath caught.
"My mother contacted you?""
Daniel nodded.
"She told me she had discovered the same thing. She said she had proof Evelyn was paying Dr. Pierce.""
"Why didn't you tell us?""
"Because she asked me not to contact you until she had secured the original documents.""
I stared at him.
"Did you meet her?""
Daniel nodded.
"Three days before her accident.""
The room went silent.
Marcus stepped closer.
"What happened at that meeting?""
Daniel swallowed.
"She gave me a flash drive. She said if anything happened to her, I needed to get it to Richard Hale.""
"Did you?""
"No.""
My heart sank.
"Why?""
Daniel's eyes filled.
"Because the next morning, I received a call from Evelyn. She told me she knew about the meeting. She said if I released the information, she would make sure my family lost everything.""
I felt tears burning.
"So you kept it?""
He nodded.
"For six years.""
Marcus stepped back.
"You let us believe we had a competent attorney protecting the foundation.""
"I know.""
"You let Maya walk into that wedding alone.""
Daniel looked at me.
"I didn't know Evelyn would attack you.""
"But you knew she was dangerous.""
He lowered his head.
"Yes.""
Detective Mitchell stood.
"Where is the flash drive?""
Daniel hesitated.
"At my home.""
"Then we'll retrieve it.""
Daniel nodded.
"I'll cooperate.""
But before anyone could move, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
The caller's name was displayed.
Evelyn Williams.
Daniel answered on speaker.
For several seconds, there was only silence.
Then Evelyn's voice filled the room.
"Daniel, I was hoping you would have more sense.""
Daniel said nothing.
She continued.
"You've made a terrible mistake.""
Detective Mitchell signaled for him to keep her talking.
Daniel swallowed.
"What do you want?""
"I want you to remember who paid for your education. Who gave you your first job. Who protected you when your father was accused of stealing.""
Daniel's face tightened.
"My father didn't steal anything.""
Evelyn laughed softly.
"Then perhaps you should ask him.""
Daniel froze.
"What?""
"Your father is alive, Daniel.""
The room went completely silent.
Daniel stared at the phone.
"That's impossible.""
"No, darling. It's merely inconvenient.""
His voice broke.
"Where is he?""
Evelyn answered calmly.
"Somewhere safe. For now.""
Detective Mitchell immediately signaled to the officers outside.
But Evelyn wasn't finished.
"Bring me the flash drive, Daniel. Come alone. If you do, I'll tell you where your father is.""
Daniel looked as though the floor had disappeared beneath him.
Marcus grabbed the phone.
"Where is my mother?""
Evelyn paused.
Then she laughed.
"Still asking the wrong questions, sweetheart.""
The call ended.
Detective Mitchell immediately ordered officers to locate Evelyn.
But the next piece of information came from an officer entering the room.
"Detective, we've got a problem.""
"What?""
"The Williams estate is empty.""
He handed her a tablet.
A security camera showed Evelyn leaving the property through the rear gate.
She was carrying a black suitcase.
And beside her was a man in a dark coat.
The same man from the hospital photograph.
Dr. Samuel Pierce.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The officer zoomed in on the passenger seat.
A second woman was sitting inside the car.
Her face was clearly visible.
Olivia.
My sister had disappeared from the police station.
And she had gone with Evelyn.
I stared at the screen.
Marcus whispered, "No.""
Detective Mitchell grabbed her radio.
"All units, locate the vehicle immediately!""
I looked at the photograph.
Three people.
One car.
One suitcase.
And one terrifying possibility.
Olivia hadn't been cooperating with the police.
She had been helping Evelyn escape.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A message appeared.
I'm sorry, Maya. I tried to protect you. But Mom has the original recording of your mother's last night.
A second message followed.
If you want to know who killed her, come to the old Williams warehouse before midnight.
I stared at the screen.
May you like
The message was signed with one letter.
*O.*
