Chapter 5 - THE DEPUTY WHO HELPED BURY MY HUSBAND’S SECRET
Deputy Harlan took Daniel’s recorder first.
Then he took the bank key.
I watched him slip both into a plastic evidence bag while another deputy tightened handcuffs around my wrists.
“Those belong to me,” I said.
Harlan smiled.
“They belong to an active investigation.”
“What investigation?”
“The murder of your husband.”
Caleb stepped forward.
“She didn’t kill Dad.”
Harlan did not even look at him.
“Son, you’ve had a difficult night.”
“I lied.”
That finally got Harlan’s attention.
Caleb’s voice shook, but he continued.
“The crash wasn’t her fault. I cut the brake line.”
The younger deputy beside me stared at him.
Harlan’s expression barely changed.
“You’re in shock.”
“I know what I did.”
“Caleb,” Harlan warned.
“My uncle told me to do it.”
Silence.
Harlan slowly walked toward him.
“Be very careful what you say next.”
Caleb looked at me.
Then at Martin.
For the first time since the crash, he stood straighter.
“Warren Mercer told me how to cut the brakes.”
Harlan slapped him.
It happened so quickly that none of us reacted until Caleb staggered backward.
The younger deputy looked horrified.
Martin lunged forward.
Two officers grabbed him.
Harlan stared at Caleb.
“You are confused.”
Caleb touched his bleeding lip.
“No.”
“You are seventeen years old and emotionally traumatized.”
“You’re scared.”
Harlan’s eyes narrowed.
Caleb almost smiled.
“That means I’m right.”
They put us in separate vehicles.
I was transported to the county sheriff’s station.
Martin disappeared somewhere else.
Caleb was taken through another entrance.
For three hours, nobody told me anything.
Then Nathan Sloane walked into the interview room carrying a leather briefcase.
Daniel’s attorney had aged badly.
His once-black hair had gone gray at the temples, and sweat darkened the collar of his expensive shirt.
“Claire.”
“Nathan.”
He placed his briefcase on the table.
“I’m here to help you.”
I laughed.
He looked offended.
“You forged Daniel’s will.”
His face remained expressionless.
“I did no such thing.”
“You helped Warren manipulate Caleb.”
“Again, I have no idea what you mean.”
I leaned closer.
“Daniel named you on a recording.”
Nathan’s fingers stopped moving.
There.
The smallest reaction.
But enough.
He recovered quickly.
“Where is this recording?”
“Harlan took it.”
Nathan relaxed.
That told me everything.
“You already knew.”
He opened his briefcase.
Inside were documents.
“I have a practical solution.”
“Of course you do.”
“Transfer the Miller’s Ridge property to the Mercer family trust.”
I stared at him.
“You mean Warren.”
“The trust.”
“And in return?”
“The district attorney may be persuaded that tonight’s crash was a tragic misunderstanding.”
I laughed again.
This time Nathan did not pretend to be offended.
“You are facing serious problems, Claire.”
“My stepson confessed.”
“An emotionally unstable minor made contradictory statements after a traumatic incident.”
“He implicated Warren.”
Nathan folded his hands.
“Warren was trying to protect him.”
“From what?”
“You.”
The room became quiet.
I stared at the papers.
“You people still think I don’t understand what this is about.”
Nathan tilted his head.
“The cabin is worthless compared with Mercer Construction.”
For the first time, Nathan looked genuinely interested.
I continued.
“Daniel found the missing pension money.”
His eyes changed.
“He kept an original ledger.”
Nothing.
“Martin knows where the duplicate is.”
Still nothing.
“Box three-seventeen.”
Nathan’s face lost all color.
I had him.
Only for a second.
Then he stood and gathered the papers.
“You should sign.”
“Why?”
“Because refusing would be extremely unfortunate for Caleb.”
Anger flooded through me.
“What did you say?”
Nathan leaned across the table.
“You still care about that boy after he tried to kill you?”
“He’s a child you manipulated.”
“He is almost eighteen.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Nathan smiled faintly.
“Warren is his uncle. Warren will take care of him.”
“No.”
Nathan’s smile vanished.
“That cabin should have been sold three years ago.”
There it was again.
The cabin.
I suddenly understood something.
“You don’t know where Daniel hid the original ledger.”
Nathan said nothing.
“You searched the cabin tonight.”
Silence.
“But you didn’t find it.”
Nathan picked up his briefcase.
“We’re finished.”
“No, Nathan.”
He turned.
“Daniel didn’t hide the ledger in the cabin, did he?”
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
Then the door opened.
Harlan entered.
“Transport’s ready.”
I looked between them.
“Transport where?”
Harlan pulled me to my feet.
“County detention.”
Nathan left without another word.
Instead of taking me toward the public booking area, Harlan walked me through a service corridor.
That was when I knew Martin had been right from the beginning.
There were no cameras in that hallway.
At the end waited Warren.
Caleb stood beside him.
His hands were bound.
Blood had dried beneath his nose.
My heart nearly stopped.
“What are you doing?”
Warren smiled.
“Cleaning up a family problem.”
Harlan removed my handcuffs only long enough to replace them with plastic restraints.
Caleb whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Warren shoved him toward the exit.
We were put inside a black SUV.
Harlan drove.
Nathan sat in the passenger seat.
Warren sat between Caleb and me in the back.
“You should have signed,” Nathan said.
I looked out the window.
We were heading toward Miller’s Ridge.
Back to the cabin.
Caleb slowly moved his bound hands against mine.
His fingers touched my palm.
Something cold slid between them.
A tiny memory card.
I did not react.
Caleb stared straight ahead.
Warren said, “Daniel made everything difficult.”
I looked at him.
“You killed your brother.”
Warren’s eyes moved toward me.
Nathan spoke immediately.
“Don’t engage.”
But Warren was angry.
Angry men hated unanswered accusations.
“You think Daniel was innocent?”
“I think you murdered him.”
“You have no idea what your husband did.”
“He found out you were stealing from your employees.”
Warren’s face hardened.
“He was going to destroy everything our father built.”
“You mean expose you.”
“He was weak.”
Caleb flinched.
Warren noticed.
“Your father would have left all of us with nothing.”
Caleb stared at him.
“You told me Dad wanted me protected.”
“He did.”
“You told me Claire killed him.”
Warren was silent.
“Did she?”
Nathan turned around.
“Stop talking.”
Caleb’s voice became louder.
“Did Claire kill my dad?”
Warren looked at him.
“No.”
One word.
Caleb went completely still.
I closed my eyes.
Everything that had happened since the brakes failed had begun with a lie.
Caleb whispered, “You knew.”
Warren sighed.
“Your father became a problem.”
Caleb’s face collapsed.
“You made me try to kill her.”
“I gave you a chance to correct what Daniel should have corrected himself.”
I felt Caleb’s shoulder shake beside me.
But his fingers pressed firmly against my hand.
The memory card.
He wanted me to remember it.
We reached the cabin shortly before dawn.
Smoke already hung between the trees.
Someone had poured gasoline across the porch.
Inside, the living room had been stripped apart.
The old stone fireplace was partially dismantled.
Nathan pointed toward it.
“Where is the ledger?”
“I don’t know.”
Warren slapped his hand against the mantel.
“Daniel said you would.”
“No. He said I knew the cabin better than anyone.”
Nathan stared at me.
“That means something.”
I looked around.
Photographs.
Fishing rods.
Daniel’s old chair.
The stone fireplace.
Then I remembered a joke Daniel used to make every winter.
If the house ever burns down, save the ugly duck first.
For years, I thought he meant a wooden carving Caleb had made in elementary school.
An ugly little duck.
I looked toward the bookshelf.
The carving was gone.
My stomach tightened.
Nathan noticed my face.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Warren walked toward me.
“You remembered something.”
“No.”
He grabbed my injured shoulder.
Pain tore through me.
Caleb lunged at him.
Harlan struck Caleb from behind.
“Stop!”
I screamed.
Caleb fell to his knees.
Warren crouched beside him.
“You’re exactly like your father.”
Caleb looked up.
For the first time, there was no admiration left in his face.
Only disgust.
Warren stood.
“Search the woodshed.”
Nathan left with Harlan.
A minute later, Nathan shouted.
“Found it!”
He returned carrying the wooden duck.
Its bottom had been broken open.
Inside was a rolled sheet of paper and a small flash drive.
Warren began laughing.
“That’s it.”
Nathan took the drive.
Warren poured gasoline across the floor.
My blood went cold.
Caleb stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
Warren removed a silver lighter.
“Finishing this.”
“You said you weren’t going to hurt me.”
Warren looked at him almost sadly.
“Caleb, you were supposed to die in the car.”
The boy beside me stopped breathing.
May you like
Warren flicked the lighter open.
And dropped it onto the gasoline.
