Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEADDaniel took Lucas somewhere private.
Not home.
Not the Whitmore estate.
Not anywhere connected to his family.
He chose a hotel under another name.
Robert followed.
“You can't just believe everything this kid says.”
Daniel looked at him.
“He has her ring.”
“That can be stolen.”
“He has medical records.”
“Could be forged.”
“He knows my daughter's name.”
Robert went silent.
Daniel turned toward Lucas.
“Tell me everything.”
Lucas sat on the edge of the bed.
He looked too young for the story he was carrying.
“My mother told me not to tell anyone about you.”
“Why?”
“She said you had enemies.”
Daniel frowned.
“I have competitors.”
Lucas shook his head.
“Not competitors.”
“Then who?”
“My uncle.”
Daniel froze.
“Marcus?”
Lucas nodded.
“He said Uncle Marcus was dangerous.”
Daniel sat down.
Marcus Whitmore was his younger brother.
They had built their first company together.
Marcus handled operations.
Daniel handled finance.
They had trusted each other.
Or Daniel had thought they did.
After Eleanor's death, Marcus became the person who kept Daniel functioning.
He handled legal matters.
Business.
Funeral arrangements.
Everything.
Daniel remembered something.
Marcus had insisted on identifying the body.
Daniel had been too broken to go.
Marcus had told him:
“It's her.”
Daniel had believed him.
Now his stomach twisted.
“What did your mother say about Marcus?”
Lucas looked down.
“She said he wanted you to believe she was dead.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Think.”
Lucas swallowed.
“She said he was taking something from you.”
“What?”
“The company.”
Daniel stared.
That made no sense.
Marcus already owned twenty percent.
He was chief operating officer.
He had influence.
But not enough to control the company.
Unless…
Daniel suddenly remembered the old shareholder agreement.
Eleanor had owned twelve percent.
If she died, her shares would pass into a trust.
Daniel's daughter had another eight percent.
If both were legally dead…
The shares would be distributed differently.
Daniel stood.
“Where is the paperwork?”
Robert looked confused.
“What paperwork?”
“The original trust.”
Robert pulled out his phone.
“I can have legal send it.”
“No.”
Daniel looked at Lucas.
“I need to know what happened five years ago.”
Lucas nodded.
“My mother told me the night she disappeared.”
“Tell me.”
“She was going to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“She wouldn't say.”
“What happened?”
“She came home bleeding.”
Daniel's face changed.
“Bleeding?”
Lucas nodded.
“She said someone had tried to kill her.”
“Why didn't she go to the police?”
“She said the police would look at your family first.”
“My family?”
Lucas nodded.
“She said your brother had people everywhere.”
Daniel's mind raced.
Then Lucas said something else.
“She told me something about the funeral.”
“What?”
“She said the woman they buried wasn't her.”
Daniel stared.
“How would she know?”
Lucas reached into his bag.
Another photograph.
This one showed Eleanor's hand.
The ring was visible.
Daniel looked closely.
The ring in the photograph was different.
His wife's ring had a tiny scratch on the left side.
The ring buried with her had no scratch.
Daniel remembered.
He had scratched it himself years earlier.
He had repaired it.
The funeral ring had been a perfect copy.
Daniel sat down.
He felt sick.
Someone had created a fake ring.
A fake body.
A fake death.
And had convinced him.
Robert whispered:
“Daniel…”
Daniel looked up.
“Call the police.”
Lucas immediately stood.
“No!”
“Why?”
“Because my mother said not to.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Your mother also told you to find me.”
Lucas nodded.
“She said you would know what to do.”
Daniel stared at the boy.
For the first time, Lucas looked afraid.
“I don't know where she is.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You will.”
“How?”
“Because I'm going to find her.”
But before they could leave, Daniel's phone rang.
Marcus.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
Marcus's voice came through.
“Daniel.”
“What do you want?”
“I heard you left the restaurant.”
Daniel's blood chilled.
“How?”
A pause.
Then Marcus laughed softly.
“You know how quickly news travels in our family.”
Daniel looked at Lucas.
Marcus continued:
“Come home.”
“Why?”
“Because we need to talk.”
Daniel tightened his grip on the phone.
“About Eleanor?”
Silence.
A long silence.
Then Marcus said:
“Who told you that name?”
May you like
Daniel's heart stopped.
The line went dead.
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