Chapter 7: The Woman Who Visited Renee Before She Died
For almost a minute, Malcolm couldn't move.
He stood in my kitchen with his phone in his hand, staring at the hospital report as though the words might rearrange themselves into something less terrible.
Tasha Brooks.
Vanessa Price.
Two names beside a canceled meeting with a dying woman who had wanted to discuss suspected financial coercion.
I had known Renee for twelve years. I had watched her fight through chemotherapy, sit beside Isaiah's crib, and smile at her son even when she was too exhausted to lift her head.
She had been gentle, but she wasn't weak.
If Renee had requested a private meeting with her doctor, she had a reason.
And somebody had made sure that meeting never happened.
“Malcolm,” I said softly, “we need to know who sent this report.””
He finally looked up.
“The email address belongs to the hospital's records department. The attachment has a verification number.””
“Have you called them?””
“Not yet.””
“Then we start there.””
He nodded and immediately called the hospital.
After several transfers, a records supervisor confirmed that the document appeared to be an authentic copy of an entry in Renee's medical file. However, the supervisor explained that the note did not establish why the meeting had been canceled or who had made the request.
Malcolm wrote everything down.
“Can you tell me whether my wife was capable of making decisions that day?”” he asked.
The supervisor explained that the medical team would need to review the complete record before answering questions about Renee's condition.
Malcolm thanked her and ended the call.
I watched him set his phone on the table.
“What do you think happened?”” I asked.
He shook his head.
“I don't know. But I'm done guessing.””
He called Mr. Harris and forwarded the report.
The attorney instructed him not to contact Tasha or Daniel about the hospital record until its origin and context had been verified. He also recommended preserving every message, financial statement, and document related to the suspected fraud.
Malcolm agreed.
Then he did something that surprised me.
He sat beside Isaiah.
His son was working on the little wooden house, carefully pressing the roof into place.
“Hey, buddy,” Malcolm said.
Isaiah looked up.
“Did you find more things from Mom?””
“Yes.””
“Were they good things?””
Malcolm paused.
“Some were good. Some were difficult.””
Isaiah considered that.
“Did Mom know people were going to be mean to me?””
My son closed his eyes briefly.
“I don't know exactly what your mother knew, but I know she wanted you to be safe.””
“Then why didn't she tell me?””
“Because you were little, sweetheart. And because grown-ups sometimes make mistakes when they're trying to protect the people they love.””
Isaiah looked at his model house.
“Do you think she knew Tasha would take my things?””
Malcolm's eyes glistened.
“No, buddy. I don't think she could have imagined everything that's happened.””
“Then why did Tasha say Mom left money because she felt guilty?””
My son struggled to answer.
Finally, he took Isaiah's hand.
“Because sometimes people say things that aren't true when they want someone else to feel small. That doesn't make those things true.””
Isaiah nodded slowly.
“Okay.””
Then he asked the question that made my heart ache.
“Dad, if Mom left me money, does that mean she still wanted to take care of me?””
Malcolm pulled him into his arms.
“She never stopped wanting that.””
Isaiah buried his face against his father's chest.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, my son cried in front of his child.
He didn't try to hide it.
He simply held Isaiah and let the tears come.
The next morning, Vanessa Price agreed to meet us at Mr. Harris's office.
She arrived ten minutes early.
I recognized her immediately from Renee's photograph. She had the same narrow face, the same dark eyes, and the same smile that appeared in old family pictures.
But the woman sitting across from us looked nothing like the carefree young woman in the photograph.
Her hair was streaked with gray. Her hands trembled as she removed her coat, and she kept glancing at the office door as though she expected someone to walk through it.
“Thank you for coming,” Malcolm said.
Vanessa nodded.
“I owe you the truth.””
Mr. Harris placed a recorder on the table after explaining that he wanted an accurate record of the meeting and obtaining everyone's agreement.
Then he asked Vanessa to begin with her relationship with Renee.
Vanessa folded her hands.
“We grew up together, but we weren't close at the end. We shared a father, not a mother. Renee was always the responsible one. She saved money, worked hard, and believed people should be able to trust their own families.””
“What happened between you?”” I asked.
Vanessa looked down.
“I made a terrible decision years ago. Daniel and I were struggling financially. He convinced me that borrowing money from Renee temporarily would solve our problems.””
“Did Renee agree?”” Malcolm asked.
“No. Daniel used information from an old joint account to move money without her permission. When Renee discovered it, she confronted us. I was ashamed, but instead of telling the truth, I defended Daniel.””
Her voice shook.
“Renee cut contact with me. I deserved it.””
Malcolm leaned forward.
“Then why did you get involved with Tasha?””
“Because she found me.””
“How?””
Vanessa took a folded document from her bag.
“Last year, Tasha contacted me through a professional networking site. She said she was married to you and wanted help understanding Renee's estate.””
Malcolm examined the document.
It was a printed copy of their first exchange.
Tasha had written that she was worried about Isaiah's financial future and wanted to make sure the money was being managed properly.
Vanessa had replied cautiously.
Then Tasha mentioned Daniel.
He says there are old matters that need to be settled before the trust can be finalized.
Vanessa had responded:
Renee's estate was finalized years ago. If there are unresolved matters, speak to an attorney.
Tasha's next message was more direct.
You know what Daniel is capable of. Do you really want him telling people what happened when Renee was in the hospital?
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“That was when I realized she knew something about my past. I thought Daniel had told her everything.””
Malcolm's voice hardened.
“What exactly happened when Renee was in the hospital?””
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
“Daniel visited her twice while she was receiving treatment. He claimed he wanted to apologize for what happened years earlier.””
“Did Renee want to see him?””
“Not at first. But he kept calling. He told her he had information about the missing money and could help her recover it.””
“Did he?””
“No. He wanted her to sign a document confirming that the old transfers had been authorized.””
Malcolm's face went pale.
“Did she sign it?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not according to what I saw. Renee told me she refused.””
“Then why were you at the hospital?””
Vanessa looked at Malcolm.
“Because Daniel told me Renee had changed her mind. He asked me to bring a copy of the paperwork.””
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
“Did you give it to her?””
“No. She was asleep when I arrived. Tasha was there, and she said Renee had already agreed to sign the documents later.””
Vanessa's fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
“I left the paperwork with Tasha.””
The room went silent.
Malcolm stared at her.
“You gave my wife's documents to Tasha?””
“I thought she was helping. I didn't know what she intended to do.””
“Did you know Tasha had canceled Renee's private meeting with the doctor?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. I didn't even know about the meeting until you contacted me.””
Mr. Harris made a note.
“Ms. Price, did you ever receive money from the transfers taken from Isaiah's account?””
Vanessa looked up sharply.
“No.””
“Did you receive money from Tasha?””
“I received two payments. Four hundred dollars each. She told me they were reimbursements for administrative work.””
Malcolm's expression hardened.
“Did you know the money came from Isaiah's account?””
“No. I found that out only after the bank contacted me.””
“Why didn't you tell me immediately?””
“Because I was frightened. I had already made one terrible mistake by helping Daniel years ago. I didn't want to be accused of doing it again.””
Malcolm stood and walked to the window.
For a moment, I thought he would leave.
Then he turned around.
“Vanessa, did Renee tell you anything else before she died?””
Vanessa began to cry.
“Yes.””
She reached into her bag and removed a small envelope.
“Renee gave me this the last time I visited her. She told me to keep it safe. She said if anything happened to Isaiah's money, I should give it to you.””
Malcolm returned to the table.
“Why didn't you give it to me before?””
“Because I was ashamed. And because I was afraid Daniel would find out I still had it.””
She slid the envelope across the table.
Malcolm opened it carefully.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Renee had written only a few sentences.
Malcolm, if Vanessa gives you this letter, then the people I feared have found their way into our family's finances.
Do not believe anyone who tells you the money was moved for Isaiah's benefit without showing you the records.
And please remember: the person who cancels a meeting is not always the person who is most afraid of what will be said.
At the bottom was a name.
*Dr. Helen Carter.*
Mr. Harris immediately began searching the hospital's public directory.
Within minutes, he found her.
Dr. Helen Carter had been Renee's attending physician.
But she had retired eighteen months earlier.
And according to the directory, she now worked at a private medical practice in Cincinnati.
Malcolm looked at the letter.
“Then we're going to Cincinnati.””
Mr. Harris cautioned him not to assume the doctor had evidence of wrongdoing. She might be able to explain the note, but any medical information would be subject to privacy requirements and the doctor's professional obligations.
Malcolm agreed to request an appointment through the proper channels.
As we stood to leave, Vanessa caught his sleeve.
“There's something else.””
He looked at her.
“Tasha didn't find me by accident. Daniel introduced us.””
Malcolm went still.
“When?””
“Several months before you married her.””
The room seemed to shrink.
Malcolm stared at Vanessa.
“You're saying Daniel knew Tasha before she met me?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Yes.””
“And he introduced her to you?””
“He told me she was looking for someone who understood the financial arrangements in a blended family.””
Malcolm's voice dropped.
“Did he know she was going to marry me?””
Vanessa looked down.
“I don't know.””
Then she added, “But he asked me about Renee's estate before Tasha ever contacted you.””
Malcolm's face went white.
Because that meant the story of a grieving widower finding love again might not have been as simple as he had believed.
Someone connected to his late wife's financial past had been interested in her estate before his second marriage even began.
And now we had a name.
Dr. Helen Carter.
The doctor who had tried to speak privately with Renee.
The doctor whose meeting had been canceled.
The doctor who might know what Renee had been trying to tell us before she died.
That evening, Malcolm drove Isaiah to a small park near my house.
I watched them from a bench while the boy pushed a swing with his feet, slowly gaining momentum.
For the first time in days, he was laughing.
Malcolm stood beside him, holding the chains as Isaiah swung higher.
“Higher, Dad!””
“Not too high. Your grandmother will blame me if you fly into the next county.””
Isaiah giggled.
“Grandma says you're too serious.””
“She has been saying that since I was your age.””
When the swing finally slowed, Isaiah hopped off and ran toward the climbing frame.
Malcolm sat beside me.
“I keep thinking about what Vanessa said.””
“About Daniel and Tasha?””
“Yes.””
He watched Isaiah climb a ladder.
“I met Tasha at a charity dinner. She knew I had lost Renee, and she was kind to Isaiah. She remembered his favorite food.
She helped him with his homework. She told me she understood what it meant to lose someone.””
I waited.
“I thought I had found someone who understood our grief.””
“Perhaps she did understand it.””
He turned toward me.
“Then why would she do this?””
“Understanding pain doesn't mean a person knows how to treat it with kindness.””
Malcolm rubbed his hands together.
“I need to know whether my marriage was built on a lie.””
“Then ask the questions you need to ask. But don't let the answers change what you know about yourself.””
He looked at Isaiah.
“I don't want him to believe his mother's death brought all this trouble into our lives.””
“Then make sure he knows the trouble came from the choices adults made afterward.””
My son nodded.
Isaiah ran back toward us, holding a small yellow leaf.
“Dad, look!””
Malcolm smiled.
“That's a good one, buddy.””
“Can I put it in Mom's memory box?””
“Of course.””
Isaiah tucked the leaf carefully into his pocket.
Then he asked, “When we go to the cemetery next time, can we tell Mom about my backpack?””
Malcolm's smile trembled.
“Yes, son. We'll tell her everything.””
Isaiah nodded, satisfied.
Then he ran back to the swings.
I watched my son follow him with his eyes.
For a few minutes, the world seemed almost normal.
Then Malcolm's phone rang.
It was Mr. Harris.
“Malcolm, I've located Dr. Carter's office. Her assistant has agreed to schedule a consultation, but there's a complication.””
“What kind of complication?””
“The doctor remembers Renee's case. She has confirmed that a private meeting was requested shortly before Renee died.””
Malcolm stood.
“By whom?””
The attorney hesitated.
“According to the doctor's notes, the request came from Tasha.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did the doctor agree to meet with her?””
“No. Dr. Carter refused because Tasha was not listed as an authorized contact for that particular discussion.””
“Then why was the meeting canceled?””
“That is what we need to establish. Dr. Carter says the cancellation was recorded after a telephone call from the hospital's administrative office.””
Malcolm's jaw clenched.
“Who made the call?””
“The name on the record is Daniel Price.””
I watched my son close his eyes.
The same man who had appeared at the storage facility.
The same man connected to the company receiving the stolen money.
The same man who had warned Malcolm not to investigate his wife's past.
And now he had been involved in canceling a meeting between a dying woman and her doctor.
Malcolm thanked the attorney and ended the call.
Then he looked at me.
“We're going to Cincinnati tomorrow.””
I nodded.
But before he could call Isaiah back from the swings, another message arrived.
It was from an unknown number.
There was no photograph this time.
Only one sentence.
If you want to know why Renee never told you about Tasha, ask who paid for the wedding.
Malcolm read it twice.
Then he looked toward the park entrance.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
The driver's window was open.
A man sat behind the wheel.
Even from a distance, I recognized his face.
Daniel Price.
May you like
He was watching my grandson.
And when Malcolm started toward the road, the SUV pulled away.
