Chapter 3: The Man in the Midnight Photograph
Tasha pulled into the parking lot of a closed pharmacy and put the car in park.
Neither sister spoke for several seconds.
The photograph filled Nia's phone screen. It was grainy, washed out by the security light above the garage, but the license plate was clear.
Darius's black sedan.
Parked outside Samuel Williams's house.
At 11:47 p.m.
The date beneath the image was six months old.
The night her grandfather died.
Tasha leaned closer.
“Where did this come from?””
“I don't know.””
“Who sent it?””
“An unknown number.””
“Call them.””
Nia pressed the number.
The call went straight to voicemail.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Tasha took the phone from her hand, enlarged the photograph, and studied the background.
“Look at the porch,” she said.
Nia leaned in.
The porch light was on. The front door stood slightly open.
A figure appeared behind the sedan, blurred by motion.
It looked like a man wearing a dark jacket.
Nia's mouth went dry.
“Could that be Grandpa?””
“I can't tell.””
“He was sick that week. He barely got out of bed.””
Tasha looked at her.
“Did Darius ever tell you he visited him?””
“No.””
“Did you ask?””
Nia hesitated.
She remembered that night now, though she had spent months trying not to think about it.
She had been sitting on the living room floor, sorting through old photographs for a family memorial. Darius had received a phone call and walked into the garage to answer it.
When he returned, he had said he needed to run an errand.
He had come home after midnight.
Nia had been half asleep on the couch.
She remembered asking where he'd been.
Work, he'd said.
She remembered the smell of rain on his jacket.
She remembered him showering immediately, then placing his phone beneath his pillow instead of on the nightstand.
The next morning, he had brought her coffee and kissed her forehead.
Two days later, her grandfather was dead.
Nia pressed her fingertips against her lips.
“I remember that night.””
Tasha turned toward her.
“What do you remember?””
“Darius left the house. He said it was work.””
“Did he say where he went?””
“No.””
“Did you ever check?””
Nia shook her head.
She had trusted him.
That was the part that hurt most.
Not that he had lied. Not even that he might have concealed something about her grandfather's death.
It was that she had built her life around a man who could stand in front of her every morning and look completely innocent.
Tasha put the car in reverse.
“We're going to the police station.””
“Wait.””
“Nia—”
“If we go now, all we have is a photograph and a message from an anonymous number.””
“And the fact that he beat you.””
“We should absolutely report that. But I want the lawyer to explain the estate first. I want to know why Darius was contacting them.””
Tasha stared at her.
“You're still trying to make this make sense.””
Nia looked at the picture.
“Wouldn't you?””
Tasha's anger softened.
“Yes,” she said.
“I would.””
She drove them to her apartment, a second-floor unit above a bakery that opened at five in the morning. The smell of yeast and cinnamon drifted through the stairwell as they climbed.
Tasha unlocked the door.
“Shoes off. Sit down. I'm getting ice for your back.””
“I'm okay.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Nia sat on the couch.
A minute later, Tasha returned with an ice pack wrapped in a towel and a glass of water. She placed both on the coffee table, then crouched in front of her sister.
“Can I look?””
Nia nodded.
Tasha gently lifted the edge of Nia's blouse enough to inspect the injured area. Her expression tightened when she saw the marks.
“Oh, Nia.””
“Please don't.””
“Don't what?””
“Look at me like that.””
Tasha sat back on her heels.
“Like what?””
“Like you wish you could take it away.””
Tasha's eyes filled with tears.
“I do wish that.””
Nia looked down at her hands.
“I kept thinking if I could just get him through whatever was wrong, he'd go back to being the man I married.””
“He showed you who he was.””
“I know.””
“No, I don't think you do.”” Tasha took her hand.
“You keep talking about the man you married. But the man who stood in that room tonight is also Darius. You don't have to keep waiting for one version of him to erase the other.””
Nia swallowed hard.
For a moment, she was twenty-two again, sitting on her grandfather's porch while he repaired a broken radio.
She remembered asking him how he knew which parts to replace.
He had smiled and said, “A thing can sound fine on the outside and still be broken where nobody can see. You have to look at what it does, not what it promises.””
At the time, she had thought he was talking about radios.
Now she wasn't so sure.
Her phone rang.
The number belonged to an Atlanta area code she didn't recognize.
Nia answered cautiously.
“Hello?””
“May I speak with Ms. Nia Williams?””
“Speaking.””
“My name is Evelyn Brooks. I'm an attorney with Brooks, Palmer and Associates. I believe you received a letter concerning your grandfather's estate.””
Nia sat straighter.
“Yes. I have it.””
“Good. I was hoping we could speak before the end of the evening.””
“Why?””
There was a pause.
“Because the matter has become urgent.””
Nia glanced at Tasha.
“Someone told me my husband contacted your firm.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“I'd prefer to discuss that in person, but I can tell you this much: Mr. Carter did not contact us as your representative.””
Nia's stomach tightened.
“What did he want?””
“He requested information that we were not authorized to release to him.””
“What information?””
“Details about the estate's assets, the terms of the trust, and the identity of the person designated to receive its controlling interest.””
Nia gripped the phone.
“Controlling interest in what?””
“Your grandfather established a private trust many years ago. The trust holds a majority ownership stake in a property management and commercial real estate company.””
Nia blinked.
“My grandfather owned a company?””
“He did. Williams Urban Holdings.””
Tasha's mouth fell open.
Nia shook her head.
“That can't be right. Grandpa fixed radios in his kitchen.””
“Mr. Williams had a modest lifestyle,” Evelyn replied.
“That was a personal choice. His business interests were managed separately.””
Nia stared at the wall.
She had spent summers in her grandfather's small house, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and watching old westerns. She had never seen a mansion or a sports car. He wore the same brown coat every winter and repaired his shoes instead of buying new ones.
She had assumed he was comfortable, perhaps a little better off than most retirees.
Not wealthy.
“How much is the company worth?”” she asked.
“An independent valuation last year placed its assets at approximately thirty-eight million dollars, though that is not the same as the value of the trust or the amount you may ultimately receive.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Tasha whispered, “Thirty-eight million?””
Nia barely heard her.
“My grandfather never told me.””
“He had his reasons.””
“What reasons?””
“I can't speak for him. But I can explain what he arranged.””
Evelyn's voice became more deliberate.
“Your grandfather named you as the primary beneficiary of the controlling interest. He also appointed an independent trustee to protect that interest until you completed certain legal formalities.””
Nia closed her eyes.
Thirty-eight million dollars.
It was a number so large that it felt imaginary.
But she wasn't thinking about money.
She was thinking about Darius.
His expensive watches.
The sudden insistence that she transfer her savings into their joint account.
The way he had begun asking whether her grandfather kept important papers at home.
The night he had left without explanation.
“Ms. Brooks,” Nia said, “did Darius know about this before my grandfather died?””
“I can't establish what your husband knew or when he learned it. I can tell you that he contacted our office three weeks ago and claimed you had authorized him to act on your behalf.””
“I didn't.””
“We suspected as much. We requested written authorization. He did not provide it.””
“What happened next?””
“He contacted us again yesterday. This time, he threatened to challenge the trust if we refused to disclose the information he requested.””
Nia's fingers went numb.
“He threatened you?””
“He stated that the family had reason to believe your grandfather lacked the capacity to make decisions during his final weeks. He also suggested that you might be unable to manage a substantial inheritance independently.””
Nia felt something inside her go very still.
“He's trying to make me look incompetent.””
“That is one possible interpretation. I would rather not speculate about his motives.””
“Did he mention my grandfather's death?””
“Yes.””
Nia's breath caught.
“What did he say?””
“He asked whether the trust could be challenged on the grounds of undue influence, financial misconduct, or suspicious circumstances surrounding the beneficiary's designation.””
Tasha stood up abruptly.
“He's trying to steal her inheritance!””
Evelyn paused.
“I'm sorry. Who is that?””
“My sister.””
“Ms. Williams, I need you to understand something. The trust has safeguards, and we have preserved the relevant communications.
But if you suspect that Mr. Carter may have obtained or concealed documents, you should not confront him alone.””
Nia looked at the photograph on her phone.
“Did my grandfather die naturally?””
The question seemed to hang in the air.
Evelyn did not answer immediately.
“When your grandfather died, his attending physician certified the death as natural. However, several weeks later, the trustee received information suggesting that someone may have attempted to access his financial records shortly before his death.””
Nia's pulse hammered.
“What information?””
“A request was made to a financial institution using credentials associated with your grandfather. The request was denied, but the attempt raised concerns.””
“Who made it?””
“We have a name associated with the request, but I would rather show you the original documentation in person.””
“Was it Darius?””
“I cannot confirm that over the telephone.””
Nia stood.
“Ms. Brooks, I need you to tell me if my husband was involved in my grandfather's death.””
“I don't know whether he was. I will not tell you something we cannot substantiate. What I can tell you is that your grandfather anticipated the possibility of a dispute and left instructions for a particular document to be released only to you.””
“What document?””
“A sealed letter.””
Nia's heart stumbled.
“What does it say?””
“I haven't opened it. Your grandfather specifically instructed us not to disclose its contents to anyone else.””
“Not even you?””
“Not even me.””
Nia looked at Tasha.
Her sister had gone pale.
“When can I see it?”” Nia asked.
“Tomorrow morning, at nine. Please bring identification. And, Ms. Williams?””
“Yes?””
“Do not sign anything your husband or his representatives present to you. Do not authorize anyone to access the trust on your behalf. If you have reason to fear for your safety, contact the authorities.””
Nia swallowed.
“I understand.””
When the call ended, the apartment fell silent.
Tasha sat beside her.
“Thirty-eight million dollars,” she said quietly.
Nia looked at the floor.
“I don't care about the money.””
“I know.””
“I just want to know why he did this.””
Tasha wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Then tomorrow, we'll find out what Grandpa left you.””
Nia nodded.
For the first time since leaving Darius, she felt the smallest flicker of hope.
It didn't last long.
Her phone rang again.
This time, the caller ID displayed Darius's name.
She let it ring.
He called again.
Then a text appeared.
You need to come home. We have a serious problem.
Nia stared at the message.
Another followed.
Your grandfather's lawyer is lying to you.
Then a third.
I can explain everything, but you need to listen before you destroy this family.
Tasha read over her shoulder.
“Don't answer him.””
Nia didn't.
A fourth message appeared.
The police are going to contact you tomorrow. When they do, remember that you were the one who attacked me.
Nia's stomach tightened.
He was already preparing his story.
Then the phone rang one final time.
Not Darius.
An unknown number.
Nia answered.
A man's voice came through, low and unsteady.
“Ms. Williams? My name is Daniel Price. I used to work for your grandfather.””
Nia sat up.
“What do you want?””
“I saw your husband's car outside Samuel's house the night he died.””
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“The photograph?””
“I sent it to you.””
“Why?””
“Because I kept quiet when I should have spoken up.””
“Tell me what happened that night.””
Daniel breathed shakily.
“I didn't see your grandfather die. I need you to understand that. But I saw Darius enter the house, and I saw him leave carrying a black folder.””
“What was in it?””
“I don't know.””
“Then how do you know it's important?””
“Because your grandfather called me earlier that evening. He told me if anything happened to him, I was supposed to find you.””
Nia's throat tightened.
“Why didn't you call me six months ago?””
“Because your husband called me the next morning.””
“What did he say?””
Daniel went silent.
Then he whispered, “He told me that if I ever contacted you, he'd make sure my daughter lost everything.””
Nia felt sick.
“Who is your daughter?””
Daniel gave her a name.
May you like
And when Nia heard it, the phone nearly slipped from her hand.
Because Darius had spent the last four years telling her that the woman with that exact name was dead.
