Chapter 5 - THE BROTHER IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Adrian Hale arrived at the hospital just after sunset.
He wore a navy suit and carried a bouquet of white lilies. His expression was carefully arranged into concern.
“Richard. I heard about Emily.”
Richard stood between him and the hospital room.
“Don't go in.”
Adrian's eyes moved past him. “I just want to see her.”
“You've seen her before.”
For a fraction of a second, Adrian's face emptied. Then he smiled sadly.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I know about the guesthouse.”
Adrian set the flowers on a chair. “You've been listening to a traumatized woman. You need to be careful.”
Detective Singh stepped out of the adjoining room. “Mr. Hale, we'd like to ask you some questions.”
“Of course.”
He looked at Richard. “We can discuss this as a family.”
“We stopped being family when you put her in a room and told the world she was dead.”
Adrian's jaw tightened. “You don't understand what was at stake.”
“Then explain it to the police.”
Detective Singh led him to a private interview room. He did not resist, but he asked for his lawyer before answering anything.
Richard returned to Emily's bedside. She had heard the exchange.
“Was that Adrian?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Did he come alone?”
“Security says he did.”
Emily looked frightened. “He never comes alone.”
Richard called Daniel. The security chief reviewed the hospital cameras and found a man in a delivery uniform waiting near the parking garage. The man left when Adrian entered the building.
Detective Singh was informed. Officers located the vehicle outside a nearby hotel. It belonged to a private security company that had received payments from the foundation.
The next morning, forensic accountants examined the ledger. The foundation had lost more than twenty million dollars over three years. Some of the money had gone into offshore accounts. Other payments had funded the purchase of the lakeside guesthouse and the renovations at Hale House.
The flower wall had not been an impulsive idea. It had been planned and paid for months in advance.
Olivia gave a second statement. She described Vanessa's instructions, the torn renovation plan, and the moment she heard Emily call her name. Detective Singh told her that her testimony could be important.
Olivia worried about her brother.
“Vanessa knows where I live,” she said.
“We can arrange protection.”
“I don't want to be treated like a witness in some television show. I just want my brother to be safe.”
Detective Singh nodded. “Then we'll start there.”
Richard offered to pay for Ben's medical care, but Olivia refused to accept money without a written agreement. She did not want another person deciding that help gave them ownership over her.
Richard respected that. He arranged for the hospital's charity office to review Ben's case independently and made sure Olivia could continue working if she chose.
At the hospital, Emily asked Richard to sit with her.
“Do you still love me?” he asked.
She took a long time to answer.
“I don't know what I feel yet. I know I was alone for fourteen months. I know I listened to you promise another woman forever through a wall. I know I heard the guests applaud.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“I am sorry.”
“I believe you are. But I need more than an apology.”
“You'll have it.”
She looked toward the window. “Don't make promises because you're frightened of losing me.”
He nodded.
Outside, Adrian's lawyer issued a statement claiming that the family was the victim of a “private dispute and misunderstanding.” Vanessa had not yet been located. Her phone was switched off, and her apartment was empty.
Detective Singh brought Richard a new photograph. It showed Vanessa entering a private airport terminal with a small suitcase.
“She may be trying to leave the country,” the detective said.
May you like
Richard looked at the image.
“Then find her before she disappears again.”
