Chapter 7: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Detective Harris kept his weapon trained on Rose.
“Step away from the table.””
Rose didn’t move.
Daniel stood between them, breathing hard.
“Jessica said you killed my father.””
Rose looked at him.
“She’s lying.””
“Why should I believe you?””
“You shouldn’t.””
That answer seemed to surprise everyone.
Rose slowly raised her hands.
“But you shouldn't believe Jessica either.””
Detective Harris moved closer.
“Rose Carter, you're going to explain yourself.””
Rose glanced at me.
“Not here.””
“Here is exactly where you're going to explain yourself.””
“No.””
Her eyes moved toward the ceiling.
“She has eyes in this room.””
Harris frowned.
“Who?””
“Melissa.””
A sharp click came from somewhere above us.
The lights flickered.
Rose ducked.
“DOWN!””
A glass panel beside the door shattered.
Daniel pulled me to the floor.
Detective Harris fired once toward the ceiling.
People screamed outside.
The hotel erupted into chaos.
Rose grabbed Daniel by the collar and dragged him behind the desk.
“Stay down!””
Daniel shoved her hand away.
“Don't touch me!””
“Then die standing.””
She reached into her coat.
Harris raised his weapon again.
“Don't!””
Rose froze.
She slowly pulled out a small metal device.
“It's a signal jammer.””
Harris stared.
“You carry a jammer?””
“I carry whatever keeps Melissa from listening.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Who is Melissa?””
Rose answered.
“Your father's mistress.””
My stomach turned.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“You said she was your sister.””
“She is.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Then why would she kill Dad?””
“Because he discovered what she was doing.””
“What was she doing?””
Rose looked at me.
“She wasn't having an affair with your father.””
Silence.
“She was blackmailing him.””
I felt the room spin.
“Why?””
“Money. Information. Access.””
“To what?””
“His company.””
My husband had owned a small construction business. Nothing enormous. But it had grown quickly before his death.
Daniel shook his head.
“Dad wasn't rich enough for that.””
Rose gave him a sad smile.
“You never knew how much he had.””
I remembered the night my husband died.
The briefcase.
The receipts.
The strange phone calls.
The way he had started locking his office door.
I had thought he was having an affair.
Maybe he had been hiding something else.
Detective Harris lowered his weapon slightly.
“What did Melissa want?””
“Control.””
“Of what?””
Rose answered:
“Everything your father owned.””
Daniel stared at her.
“And Jessica?””
“She found out.””
“Found out what?””
“That Melissa had arranged the accident.””
I covered my mouth.
“No.””
Rose nodded.
“She tampered with your husband's car.””
Detective Harris asked, “Do you have proof?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Rose reached into her coat again.
This time she pulled out a flash drive.
“Everything is on here.””
Harris held out his hand.
Rose didn't give it to him.
“Not yet.””
His jaw tightened.
“You don't get to negotiate.””
“I do if you want the evidence.””
“What are your conditions?””
Rose looked at me.
“Evelyn comes with me.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
“Because the evidence won't make sense without you.””
Harris shook his head.
“Absolutely not.””
Rose looked toward the broken window.
“Then we're all dead.””
A second shot struck the wall.
Everyone ducked.
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“Mom, we have to go.””
Rose pointed toward the service hallway.
“There.””
Harris nodded.
“Move.””
We ran.
The service corridor smelled like bleach and hot metal.
Behind us, guests screamed.
Hotel security alarms blared.
Daniel stayed beside me.
Rose ran ahead.
Harris brought up the rear.
We reached a steel door.
Rose entered a code.
The lock clicked.
Inside was a narrow maintenance room filled with electrical panels.
Daniel stared at her.
“How do you know this place?””
Rose looked at him.
“Because I designed part of it.””
“What?””
She ignored him.
She pulled a laptop from a cabinet.
“Your wedding wasn't supposed to happen here.””
Daniel froze.
“What does that mean?””
“Jessica chose this hotel.””
“Why?””
“Because Melissa had access.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Jessica knew?””
“Yes.””
“She brought us here knowing Melissa was watching?””
“She thought she could expose her.””
Daniel shook his head.
“So the whole wedding…”
“Was a trap.””
I thought about Jessica tearing her dress.
The necklace.
The cameras.
The accusation.
The police.
Everything suddenly seemed connected.
“She needed me to look guilty.””
Rose nodded.
“Why?””
“Because Melissa needed Daniel to hate you.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Why me?””
Rose hesitated.
“Because your father left you something.””
“What?””
“Something worth killing for.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“I don't have anything.””
“You do.””
“What?””
“Your father's company.””
“That was sold after he died.””
“No.””
Daniel went still.
“What?””
“It was never sold.””
I looked at Rose.
“What are you saying?””
“The paperwork was forged.””
Daniel shook his head.
“That’s impossible.””
Rose opened the laptop.
“Your father created a trust before he died.””
She clicked a file.
Daniel stared at the screen.
His name appeared.
*BENEFICIARY: DANIEL CARTER.*
Underneath was a figure.
Daniel's mouth fell open.
“That can't be real.””
“It is.””
“How much?””
Rose looked at him.
“Enough for Melissa to kill your father.””
Daniel sank against the wall.
I couldn't speak.
All those years, I had believed my husband left us with debts.
I had worked extra shifts.
I had sold my jewelry.
I had struggled to keep Daniel in college.
And apparently my husband had left his son a fortune.
A fortune someone had hidden.
“Why didn't you tell me?”” Daniel asked.
Rose looked at me.
“Because we didn't know who we could trust.””
Daniel stared at me.
“Mom.””
“I swear I didn't know.””
“I believe you.””
The words broke something inside me.
After everything that had happened, my son finally believed me.
Then the laptop chimed.
A new file appeared.
No sender.
No title.
Just one sentence.
*YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.*
Rose's face went pale.
“She's inside the system.””
Harris stepped closer.
“Can you trace her?””
“I can try.””
“Try faster.””
Rose typed rapidly.
Daniel watched her.
“Where is Jessica?””
Rose stopped.
“I don't know.””
“She called me.””
“I know.””
“She warned me about you.””
Rose looked at him.
“She was trying to keep you alive.””
“Then why did she lie?””
“Because she was terrified.””
“Of Melissa?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Rose's hands stopped moving.
“Because Jessica knows what happened the night your father died.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What happened?””
Rose looked at me.
“She was there.””
I felt cold.
“Jessica was there?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“She followed Melissa.””
“And saw the accident?””
Rose shook her head.
“She saw something worse.””
“What?””
Rose opened another file.
A video appeared.
The timestamp read:
*10:14 PM.*
Daniel leaned toward the screen.
A dark staircase filled the frame.
A young Daniel stood at the top.
He was barefoot.
He looked frightened.
Behind him was a woman.
My mother's face.
Rose whispered:
“That wasn't your grandmother.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Who was it?””
Rose didn't answer.
The woman in the video slowly turned toward the camera.
Her face came into focus.
It wasn't Rose.
It wasn't Melissa.
It wasn't Jessica.
It was me.
Daniel recoiled.
“No.””
I stared at the screen.
My own face stared back.
Same hair.
Same glasses.
Same dress I had worn that night.
But I remembered being downstairs.
I remembered waiting for my husband.
I remembered hearing the crash.
I remembered calling the police.
I had never gone upstairs.
The video continued.
The woman touched Daniel's shoulder.
Then she whispered:
“Your mother will never know.””
Daniel turned toward me.
“Mom…”
“I don't understand.””
Rose closed the laptop.
“We need to find Jessica.””
“Why?””
“Because she's the only person who can explain why there were two of you that night.””
Before anyone could move, the maintenance-room door clicked.
Rose looked up.
Someone was standing outside.
A woman's voice came through the door.
“Looking for me?””
Jessica.
Daniel rushed toward the door.
Rose grabbed him.
“Wait.””
Jessica whispered:
“Daniel, don't let Rose open that door.””
Harris raised his weapon.
“Jessica, step away from the door.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because Melissa is standing behind me.””
A second voice laughed.
And I recognized it immediately.
Melissa.
Then she said:
May you like
“Hello, Evelyn.””
The door began to open.
