Chapter 3 - The Doctor Told Me My Wife's Death Wasn't an Accident—Then Lucy Showed Me a Photograph That Proved ItSamuel came to my mansion at eight the next morning.
Lucy was eating pancakes.
She waved.
“Hi, Doctor.”
Samuel smiled.
“Hello, Lucy.”
He looked at me.
“We need to talk.”
We moved into my office.
He closed the door.
“Anna Parker came to see me eighteen months ago.”
“Why?”
“She had been diagnosed with cancer.”
I stared.
“What kind?”
“Lung cancer.”
My stomach tightened.
“She knew she was dying?”
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
Samuel sat down.
“She wanted me to contact you.”
“Why didn't you?”
“She was afraid.”
“Of me?”
“No.”
He looked toward the door.
“Of the people who had killed your wife.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Claire was murdered?”
Samuel nodded.
“That's what Anna believed.”
I stood.
“Why?”
“Because Anna worked for a company that transported medical equipment.”
“What does that have to do with Claire?”
“Three weeks before the accident, Anna discovered financial records connected to one of your companies.”
I stared at him.
“What records?”
“Payments.”
“To whom?”
Samuel hesitated.
“Several shell companies.”
I knew what that meant.
Money laundering.
But there was more.
Samuel said,
“One of those companies was connected to a private security firm.”
My hands tightened.
“Which firm?”
He gave me the name.
I recognized it.
It had been hired by my own brother.
Ethan.
My younger brother had always been the respectable one.
He stayed away from my darker business.
At least that's what I'd believed.
Samuel continued.
“Anna told me Claire had discovered something.”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why do you think she was killed?”
“Because Anna said Claire was planning to leave you.”
I felt something inside me collapse.
“What?”
“She had been preparing documents.”
“Divorce?”
“Yes.”
I sat down.
Claire had never told me.
Samuel handed me an envelope.
“Anna gave me this.”
Inside was a photograph.
Claire.
Standing beside Anna.
And another man.
Ethan.
My brother.
I stared.
There was a date on the photograph.
Three days before Claire died.
I called Ethan.
He answered immediately.
“Vincent?”
“Come to the mansion.”
“What happened?”
“Just come.”
He arrived forty minutes later.
He walked into my office.
“What is this about?”
I placed the photograph on the desk.
He stopped.
His face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
I stood.
“That's my question.”
He looked at me.
“Vincent, I can explain.”
I laughed.
“You always could.”
Then Lucy walked into the room.
She held her stuffed rabbit.
She looked at Ethan.
Then froze.
“That's him.”
I turned.
“Who?”
Lucy pointed at Ethan.
“My mommy said never let that man take me.”
The room went silent.
Ethan's face became pale.
I stepped between them.
“Why did Anna warn her about you?”
Ethan backed away.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
He shook his head.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
He looked at Lucy.
“She can't stay.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because if they know she's with you, they'll come.”
“Who?”
Ethan whispered,
“The people who killed Claire.”
Then the front window shattered.
A bullet slammed into the wall beside my head.
I grabbed Lucy.
Ethan dove behind the desk.
Marcus shouted from the hallway.
“DOWN!”
More shots exploded outside.
Lucy screamed.
I pulled her against my chest.
And suddenly I understood.
May you like
The week I'd promised her wasn't going to end peacefully.
Someone had found us.
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