Chapter 4 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Die

Adrian stared at Vanessa as if he no longer recognized the woman sitting across from him.

“What did you say?”

Vanessa’s attorney leaned toward her.

“Do not answer that.”

She did anyway.

“I said Malcolm never expected you to reach the wedding.”

Olivia stepped closer to her father.

Clara held Emma more tightly.

Adrian’s voice was controlled, but only barely.

“Explain.”

Vanessa looked at the attorney beside her.

“Can I tell them what I know without incriminating myself?”

“You can tell the truth. I cannot promise the truth will not incriminate you.”

Vanessa laughed bitterly.

“Wonderful.”

Adrian said, “Start with Malcolm.”

“I met him before I met you.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“When?”

“Seven years ago.”

“Grace was still alive.”

“Yes.”

Olivia whispered, “You knew my mother?”

Vanessa looked at her.

“Not personally.”

“You worked for her?”

“No.”

“Then how did you know Malcolm?”

“I was an events coordinator at a private club downtown. Malcolm was a member.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“He recruited you?”

“At first he hired me to arrange dinners and private meetings.”

“For him?”

“For clients.”

“What clients?”

“I didn’t ask.”

Clara said, “You eventually did.”

Vanessa looked at her.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And I learned Malcolm had been moving money through holding companies connected to estates he managed.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“Grace’s estate?”

Vanessa swallowed.

“Not then. At least not that I knew.”

“Why tell me now?”

“Because I thought I could walk away from him.”

Olivia laughed sharply.

“You pushed Emma toward a staircase because you were walking away?”

Vanessa flinched.

“No.”

“Then don’t make yourself sound brave.”

“I am not trying to.”

“Good.”

Adrian put one hand on the back of a chair.

“How did you become involved with me?”

Vanessa looked at the floor.

“Malcolm introduced us at the foundation dinner two years ago.”

“I thought you were seated next to me by accident.”

“You were supposed to think that.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

Clara watched the confession strike him in layers.

The woman he had planned to marry had not simply lied that afternoon.

Their entire relationship had been arranged.

“Why?” he asked.

Vanessa’s voice grew quieter.

“Because Malcolm needed someone close to you.”

“To steal from me?”

“To know what you were doing.”

“With the trust?”

“With everything.”

Olivia crossed her arms.

“And you agreed because?”

“Money.”

The answer was immediate.

For the first time, Vanessa did not soften it.

“I was thirty-two. I had debt. My mother needed assisted care. Malcolm offered me more money than I had ever seen.”

Clara said, “And then?”

“And then I fell in love with Adrian.”

Olivia rolled her eyes.

Vanessa looked at her.

“You do not have to believe me.”

“I don’t.”

“I know.”

Adrian’s voice became cold.

“Did Malcolm ask you to kill me?”

“No.”

“Did he suggest I would die?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Vanessa hesitated.

Her attorney said, “Careful.”

She ignored him again.

“Three months ago, Malcolm asked whether your cardiologist still prescribed propranolol for stress.”

Adrian frowned.

“He knew about that medication.”

“He knew about all your medications.”

“Why?”

“Because he said if something happened naturally, no one would question it.”

Clara felt sick.

“What did he ask you to do?”

“Nothing at first.”

“At first?” Adrian repeated.

Vanessa looked at him.

“Last month he gave me a small bottle.”

Olivia’s face drained.

“What was in it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where is it?”

“I threw it away.”

“Where?”

“In a public trash bin near Lake Shore Drive.”

Adrian’s voice rose.

“You accepted a bottle from a man who was talking about my death?”

“I was afraid of him.”

“You were engaged to me.”

“I know.”

“You slept beside me.”

“I know.”

“You let him believe you might use it.”

“Yes.”

Adrian turned away.

Clara watched his shoulders rise and fall once.

Olivia whispered, “Dad.”

He looked back.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“No.” He corrected himself. “I’m not.”

Marcus entered again.

“Daniel Frost is not answering.”

Adrian looked at him.

“Where is he?”

“His security vehicle left the property at 4:26.”

“After the trunk opened.”

“Yes.”

“So he took the envelope.”

“Likely.”

“Find him.”

“We are trying.”

Marcus paused.

“There is another problem.”

Adrian gave a humorless laugh.

“Of course there is.”

“Daniel accessed the medical safe in your home office four days ago.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“My medication?”

“Possibly.”

Vanessa stared at Marcus.

“I did not know that.”

Marcus looked at her.

“I did not ask.”

Adrian walked toward the door.

Clara said, “Where are you going?”

“To the office.”

“No.”

He turned.

She held Emma against her shoulder.

“You do not know whether anything in that safe was changed.”

“I am not taking medication.”

“That is not what I mean.”

“Then what?”

“You are angry, frightened, and trying to outrun the feeling by doing something.”

Adrian stared.

Clara continued.

“That is exactly what happened in the foyer.”

The words hurt him.

She saw it.

She did not take them back.

He nodded slowly.

“What do you suggest?”

“Call the police.”

Vanessa’s attorney spoke immediately.

“My client will cooperate through counsel.”

Adrian looked at Vanessa.

“You should have called them yourself the moment Malcolm gave you that bottle.”

“I know.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because there is nothing else to say.”

Olivia sat beside Clara.

“Dad, what if the trust copy in Mom’s box is not current?”

Adrian looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

“If Malcolm has controlled the paperwork for six years, could he have changed it?”

Vanessa answered before anyone else.

“He tried.”

Adrian turned.

“How do you know?”

“Because the missing envelope was supposed to contain the original codicil that stopped him.”

Clara frowned.

“Grace changed the successor trustee?”

“I think so.”

“Who replaced him?”

“I don’t know.”

“You risked Emma for a document you never read and whose contents you do not know?”

Vanessa’s expression crumpled.

“I was told if the original reached Adrian, everything Malcolm had done could be exposed.”

“Then why not give it to Adrian?”

“Because Malcolm had proof of what I did for him.”

“What did you do?” Olivia asked.

Vanessa looked at her.

“I lied to your father about people he trusted.”

“Who?”

“His former CFO. A board member. Two foundation employees.”

Adrian stared.

“You helped me fire Celia Morgan.”

Vanessa nodded.

“She was asking questions about transfers from the Grace Vale Foundation.”

“And Thomas Reed?”

“I told you he was leaking documents to the press.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No.”

Adrian’s mouth tightened.

Clara whispered, “Malcolm isolated you.”

Vanessa looked at her.

“Yes.”

“Why Clara?” Adrian asked.

Everyone turned toward him.

He pointed at Vanessa.

“Why did you frame Clara?”

Vanessa’s eyes moved to the nanny.

“Because Malcolm hated that you trusted her.”

Adrian’s face hardened.

“I did trust her.”

Clara looked away.

Vanessa continued.

“He said she noticed things.”

“I do,” Clara said.

“He said she had access to the nursery, the family schedule, the house office, and Olivia.”

Olivia frowned.

“So?”

“So Clara could become a witness.”

“To what?”

“To the trust. To the cameras. To the medical safe. To me.”

Clara felt the pieces shifting.

“Today was not the first attempt to get me fired.”

Vanessa looked at her.

“No.”

Adrian’s expression changed.

“What other attempts?”

Clara answered before Vanessa could.

“The missing bracelet.”

Olivia stared.

“What bracelet?”

“Your grandmother’s diamond bracelet disappeared two months ago. Vanessa said she saw me near the jewelry room.”

Adrian remembered.

“We found it in the laundry chute.”

Clara nodded.

“After I had already been questioned by security.”

Vanessa whispered, “I put it there.”

Adrian’s face went cold.

Clara continued.

“And the medication mix-up in Emma’s diaper bag.”

Vanessa shut her eyes.

Adrian looked from one woman to the other.

“What medication mix-up?”

Clara stared at him.

“I told you.”

He frowned.

“When?”

“Six weeks ago. I found adult sleeping tablets in the outer pocket of Emma’s bag before we left for the pediatrician.”

Adrian’s face blanked.

“I never saw that message.”

“I texted you a photograph.”

Vanessa began crying.

Olivia looked at her father.

“Who had your phone that day?”

Adrian knew.

He looked at Vanessa.

“You did.”

She covered her face.

Adrian’s voice was barely audible.

“You deleted Clara’s message.”

“Yes.”

Clara’s anger sharpened.

“Why were the pills in the bag?”

“I put them there.”

“Why?”

“To make it look like you were careless.”

“And if Emma had swallowed one?”

Vanessa began shaking.

“I thought the pocket was zipped.”

Clara stepped toward her.

“You thought?”

“Clara,” Adrian said quietly.

She turned on him.

“No. Do not calm me down.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

She looked surprised.

He continued.

“I was going to tell you that you are right to be angry.”

The room went silent.

A few minutes later, the police arrived.

Detective Rachel Monroe listened without interrupting as Adrian described the stroller incident and the hidden envelope.

She watched Olivia’s video twice.

Then she looked at Vanessa.

“You understand I need to speak to you separately.”

Vanessa’s attorney nodded.

“We will cooperate.”

The detective looked at Malcolm’s name on Grace’s letter.

“And this Mr. Pierce?”

Adrian said, “Former family attorney.”

“Former as of today?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Do not contact him again unless I tell you to.”

Adrian frowned.

“Why?”

“Because if he believes you know less than you do, that helps us.”

Clara spoke from across the room.

“He already knows about the box.”

The detective looked at her.

“Who are you?”

“Clara Bennett. Emma’s nanny.”

Vanessa looked down.

Olivia said, “The nanny Vanessa tried to frame.”

Detective Monroe looked at Clara’s cheek.

The mark from Adrian’s slap had darkened.

Her gaze moved to him.

“What happened to your face?”

Clara answered.

“Adrian hit me before he saw the video.”

Adrian did not look away.

“That is true.”

The detective studied him.

“Do you want to make a report?” she asked Clara.

The entire room became still.

Clara looked at Adrian.

He did not plead.

He did not explain.

He only said, “Whatever you choose, I will accept it.”

Clara looked back at the detective.

“Not tonight.”

“That does not waive your right to do so later.”

“I understand.”

Detective Monroe nodded.

Then Marcus’s phone rang.

He answered.

His face changed.

“Where?”

Everyone watched him.

He disconnected.

Adrian stepped closer.

“What?”

“Daniel Frost’s vehicle was found abandoned near the river.”

Olivia whispered, “Is he dead?”

“No sign of him.”

“Was the envelope in the car?”

Marcus shook his head.

“No.”

Detective Monroe asked, “Anything unusual?”

Marcus looked at Adrian.

“There was one thing in the passenger seat.”

“What?”

“A photograph.”

“Of who?”

Marcus swallowed.

“Clara.”

Clara felt Emma stir against her shoulder.

The room seemed to narrow.

Adrian’s expression changed from shock to something colder.

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Detective Monroe looked at Clara.

“Ms. Bennett, I think you and the baby are going to need protection tonight.”