Chapter 5: The Woman in the Pink Dress
Vanessa read the message three times.
Her hands shook so badly that she nearly dropped her phone.
Detective Brooks noticed.
"Ms. Cole, let me see that.""
Vanessa hesitated, then handed it over.
Brooks photographed the screen before placing the phone inside a protective evidence sleeve.
"Do you recognize the number?""
"No.""
"Have you received messages like this before?""
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
He was staring at her with a mixture of suspicion and anger.
"No," she said.
"Never.""
Marcus stepped closer.
"What do you mean, both of you?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"I don't know.""
"Who is threatening you?""
"I just told you I don't know!""
"Then why does the message say both of you?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Maybe because whoever sent it knows we're here.""
Detective Walker took out his notebook.
"Ms. Cole, I need you to walk us through the last forty-eight hours. Start with your arrival in Miami.""
Marcus immediately interrupted.
"This has nothing to do with her.""
Walker looked at him.
"That's for us to determine.""
Vanessa folded her arms over her chest.
"We arrived Friday afternoon. Marcus said he had a meeting with a potential investor, but it got canceled. We went shopping, had dinner, and stayed at the hotel.""
"Did you know his daughter was ill?"" Brooks asked.
Vanessa looked down.
"He told me she had a health problem. He said she was receiving treatment.""
"What exactly did he tell you?""
"That she was stressed and needed rest. He said Danielle was overreacting because Aaliyah had always been a little dramatic.""
Danielle stood near the memorial table.
"My daughter was not dramatic.""
Vanessa looked at her.
"I know that now.""
"Did Marcus tell you Aaliyah had asked for him?""
"No.""
"Did he tell you I had called fifty-one times?""
Vanessa's lips trembled.
"No.""
Danielle stared at the woman who had walked into her home carrying designer bags while her daughter's photograph stood among funeral flowers.
"Did you know he was married when you started seeing him?""
Vanessa nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
The answer hurt more than Danielle expected.
Vanessa continued quickly.
"But he told me you were separated. He said you lived in different parts of the house and that the divorce papers were being prepared.""
Danielle gave a hollow laugh.
"We shared a bedroom until three months ago.""
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Marcus stepped forward.
"Danielle, this is not the time.""
She turned on him.
"You don't get to decide what time it is anymore.""
Detective Walker raised his hand.
"Let's stay focused.""
He turned toward Vanessa.
"Did you ever visit Aaliyah in the hospital?""
"No.""
"Did you know Graham Ellis?""
"Only by name. Marcus mentioned him as his business partner.""
"Did you communicate with him?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"Not directly.""
"Think carefully.""
She looked toward the front door, then back at the detectives.
"There was one time he called me.""
Marcus's expression changed.
"When?""
"About a month ago.""
"What did he say?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"He asked whether Marcus had been talking about selling the Ashford Avenue property. I told him I didn't know anything about it.""
Marcus stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought it was a business question, and I didn't want to get involved.""
Detective Brooks wrote something down.
"Did he say why he was asking you?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"No. But he sounded angry.""
Marcus paced toward the fireplace.
"This is ridiculous. Graham deals with dozens of properties. Of course he'd ask questions.""
"Then why did he call Vanessa?"" Danielle asked.
"Because he had her number.""
"How?""
Marcus stopped.
Vanessa looked at him.
"You gave him my number?""
"I don't remember.""
"Marcus, you introduced us at a charity dinner. You told him I was a friend.""
"And?""
"And three days later, he called me and asked whether you were keeping documents at home.""
Marcus turned sharply.
"What?""
Vanessa's voice trembled.
"He asked if you had a safe. I told him I didn't know.""
Detective Walker exchanged a glance with Brooks.
"When was this?""
"About two weeks ago.""
"Did he mention Aaliyah?""
Vanessa hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"He asked if she spent much time at the house.""
Danielle felt cold.
"What did you say?""
"I told him she was at college most of the time.""
"Why would he ask about my daughter?""
"I don't know!""
Vanessa began crying.
"I swear I don't know. I thought he was just making conversation.""
Marcus pressed his palms against the fireplace mantel.
For a moment, he looked as though he might collapse.
Then he straightened.
"You're making it sound like everyone was conspiring against my daughter.""
Danielle stepped closer.
"No, Marcus. We're trying to understand why she was afraid.""
He turned toward her.
"You think I wanted this?""
"I think you wanted something more than you wanted to be her father.""
His eyes reddened.
"That's not fair.""
"Neither was making her wait for you while she was dying.""
He looked away.
Detective Brooks interrupted.
"Ms. Cole, there's something else we need to ask you. The maintenance request at the hospital was submitted using your information. Has anyone had access to your driver's license, passport, or personal documents?""
Vanessa frowned.
"My passport was missing for a few days last month.""
Marcus turned toward her.
"You never told me that.""
"Because I found it again!""
"Where?""
"In your study.""
The room fell silent.
Vanessa looked between them.
"It was on your desk, inside a folder. I thought you'd picked it up when we were planning the trip.""
Detective Brooks leaned forward.
"Was the folder blue?""
Vanessa's face went pale.
"I think so.""
Marcus took a step toward her.
"You went into my study?""
"I was looking for the printer. You told me I could use it.""
"What else did you see?""
"Nothing!""
"Vanessa, what else did you see?""
She backed away.
"Why are you asking me that? What's in that folder?""
Marcus said nothing.
The detectives exchanged another look.
Walker spoke carefully.
"Ms. Cole, did you notice any other documents in the folder?""
Vanessa pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"There was a photocopy of a driver's license. I thought it belonged to one of his clients.""
"Whose license?""
"I don't know.""
"Male or female?""
"Female.""
Danielle gripped the edge of the memorial table.
"Was it mine?""
Vanessa looked at her.
"I couldn't tell.""
Marcus suddenly slammed his hand against the mantel.
"Enough!""
Everyone jumped.
"You have no right to search my office, question my girlfriend, or drag my daughter into some ridiculous conspiracy.""
Walker didn't raise his voice.
"Nobody has accused you of a crime. But your daughter left evidence suggesting financial documents may have been falsified. Your business partner appears to know about a missing folder, and someone used Ms. Cole's identity to submit a hospital maintenance request.""
Marcus's face reddened.
"Those things are unrelated.""
"Then the investigation should establish that.""
Walker turned toward Brooks.
"We need to verify the maintenance request, secure the flash drive, and arrange interviews with the hospital staff.""
Brooks nodded.
Marcus reached for his phone.
Walker stopped him.
"Please don't contact Mr. Ellis.""
"I'm calling my attorney.""
"That's fine.""
Marcus made the call and walked toward the far end of the room.
Danielle watched him.
For years, she had believed that Marcus's greatest weakness was his pride. He needed to win arguments, control conversations, and make sure every room acknowledged his importance.
Now she wondered whether his pride had only been a cover for something far more dangerous.
Vanessa approached Danielle cautiously.
"I know you hate me.""
Danielle didn't answer.
"I deserve some of it," Vanessa continued.
"I should have asked more questions. I should have realized something was wrong.""
"You should have realized he was still married.""
Vanessa flinched.
"Yes.""
Danielle looked at her.
"Did you love him?""
Vanessa's eyes filled again.
"I thought I did.""
"And now?""
Vanessa glanced toward Marcus.
"Now I don't know who he is.""
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Vanessa reached into her handbag and pulled out a small receipt.
"I found this in my purse when we got home. I thought it was from the hotel.""
She handed it to Danielle.
It was a printed receipt from a private document-storage facility in Miami. The transaction had been made three weeks earlier. The payment was linked to a corporate account belonging to Reed Development Group.
At the bottom, someone had written a storage-unit number.
*B-214.*
Danielle looked up.
"Why do you have this?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"I don't know. It must have been slipped into my bag.""
"By whom?""
"I don't know.""
Detective Walker took the receipt.
"Did you visit this facility?""
"No.""
"Did Marcus?""
Vanessa looked toward him.
"I don't know.""
Walker photographed the receipt and passed it to Brooks.
"We'll verify the account and the facility.""
Marcus returned from his phone call.
"What is that?""
Walker folded the receipt into an evidence sleeve.
"Potentially relevant information.""
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
"You need to stop giving them things you don't understand.""
Vanessa's expression hardened.
"You need to stop telling me what to do.""
He stepped toward her.
"You have no idea what you're involved in.""
"Then tell me!""
For the first time, Marcus looked genuinely frightened.
Not angry.
Frightened.
He glanced at the detectives, then lowered his voice.
"Some things are better left buried.""
Vanessa stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
Marcus turned away.
Danielle felt a fresh wave of dread wash over her.
The storage facility. The blue folder. The falsified signature. The flash drive hidden in the greenhouse.
Aaliyah had been pulling at a thread, and every time someone followed it, another secret emerged.
Detective Brooks's phone rang.
She answered, listened, and slowly turned toward Marcus.
"Mr. Reed, we just verified something with the hospital.""
He stared at her.
"What?""
"The maintenance request wasn't submitted from Ms. Cole's phone or computer.""
Vanessa released a shaky breath.
"Then somebody used my identity.""
"Yes," Brooks said.
"And we traced the request to an email account connected to Reed Development Group.""
Marcus went completely still.
Walker stepped closer.
"Do you know who has access to that account?""
Marcus looked at the memorial portrait.
Then he looked at Danielle.
His voice was barely audible.
"Graham.""
Before anyone could respond, Brooks's phone rang again.
She listened for several seconds, then her face hardened.
"We have another development.""
Walker waited.
"The storage facility has confirmed that Unit B-214 was rented under a false name. The rental agreement was paid through the same corporate account.""
"What's inside?"" Walker asked.
Brooks looked at Marcus.
"According to the facility manager, someone tried to empty it this morning.""
Danielle's stomach tightened.
"Who?""
Brooks paused.
Then she answered.
"An employee of Reed Development Group.""
May you like
Marcus closed his eyes.
And Vanessa realized that whatever had happened to Aaliyah, someone was still moving through the city, trying desperately to erase the evidence.
