Chapter 5: The Secret Apartment
Marcus stared at the photograph.
The man beside Vanessa was tall, neatly dressed, and perhaps in his early forties. His hand rested comfortably around her waist.
She wasn't looking at the camera.
She was looking at him.
And she was smiling.
Not the nervous smile she wore when Marcus took family photographs. Not the polite smile she gave his parents during Sunday dinners.
This was different.
It was the smile of someone who believed she had found exactly what she wanted.
“Who is he?”” Marcus asked again.
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“It's not what you think.””
Marcus looked at the photograph.
“Then tell me what it is.””
“He's a real estate agent.””
Evelyn laughed.
“A real estate agent?””
“Yes!”” Vanessa snapped.
“He helped me look at apartments.””
Marcus slowly turned toward his mother.
“Why do you have this photograph?””
“Patricia gave it to me.””
“Why?””
“Because she was worried about what Vanessa was doing.””
Vanessa shook her head furiously.
“That woman was spying on me!””
Evelyn continued.
“She told me Vanessa had been visiting that apartment several times a week. She also said she saw her carrying envelopes.””
Marcus looked at his wife.
“What envelopes?””
Vanessa remained silent.
“Vanessa.””
She finally looked up.
“Your mother is manipulating you.””
“Answer my question.””
“I was trying to find somewhere to live.””
The words hit him harder than he expected.
“Somewhere to live?””
“Yes. I wanted a place of my own.””
“Why?””
Vanessa laughed through her tears.
“Because I'm tired, Marcus! I'm tired of living in a house where your father controls everything. I'm tired of being treated like a guest. I'm tired of waiting for you to notice that I have needs!””
Marcus stared at her.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because you never listen!””
He shook his head.
“You could have asked for a separation. You could have left. You could have told me you were unhappy.””
“And walk away with nothing?””
The room went silent.
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Evelyn stepped forward.
“That's enough. You've said enough.””
But Marcus had heard it.
He had heard the one sentence that explained more than all her crying.
“Walk away with nothing?”” he repeated.
Vanessa started shaking her head.
“I didn't mean it like that.””
“Then what did you mean?””
“I meant I needed financial security!””
“So you planned to take my father's money?””
“No!””
Evelyn suddenly interrupted.
“Don't pretend you're innocent, Vanessa. You were the one who suggested making Robert look dangerous.””
Vanessa spun around.
“You agreed to it!””
“I agreed because you told me it would be temporary!””
Marcus stepped backward.
“Temporary?””
Evelyn's voice cracked.
“You said we only needed to delay him until the property paperwork was processed. You said nobody would get hurt.””
Vanessa pointed at her.
“You told me the police would believe us!””
Marcus felt sick.
“Both of you planned this?””
Neither woman answered.
He pulled out his phone.
“I'm leaving.””
Vanessa rushed toward him.
“Marcus, wait!””
He stepped away.
“Don't touch me.””
“Please. We can talk about this.””
“About what? The man in the photograph? The stolen money? The false accusation?””
“He means nothing to me!””
“Then why are you holding his hand?””
Vanessa burst into tears.
“Because you stopped being my husband a long time ago!””
Marcus looked at her.
For a moment, he remembered their wedding day.
He remembered the way she had squeezed his hand during the ceremony and whispered that she would never leave him.
He remembered carrying her across the threshold of their first apartment.
He remembered the nights she stayed awake beside him when his construction company nearly went bankrupt.
Had any of it been real?
“What's his name?”” Marcus asked.
Vanessa looked away.
“Daniel.””
“Daniel what?””
She didn't answer.
Evelyn spoke instead.
“Daniel Carter. He owns the apartment.””
Marcus looked at his mother.
“How do you know?””
“Because I found the rental agreement.””
“Where?””
“In Vanessa's handbag.””
Vanessa's face turned red.
“You had no right to search my belongings!””
Evelyn ignored her.
“The apartment is paid for six months in advance. The deposit was made from an account connected to your father's retirement savings.””
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
“Did you use Dad's money to rent an apartment for yourself and another man?””
“No! It wasn't like that!””
“Then show me the bank records.””
“I don't have them!””
“Why?””
“Because your mother has everything!””
Evelyn laughed.
“Now it's my fault?””
The two women began shouting over each other.
Marcus walked out.
He went downstairs and found Robert sitting beside the window, staring at the garden.
“Dad.””
The old man looked up.
“Did you find out something?””
Marcus sat beside him.
“I'm sorry.””
Robert frowned.
“For what?””
“For not believing you immediately.””
Robert reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder.
“You were shocked. I understand.””
Marcus swallowed.
“Dad, they tried to take your money.””
Robert closed his eyes.
“I suspected it.””
Marcus turned.
“You knew?””
“Not everything. But I found some bank statements missing from my desk last week. When I asked your mother, she said she'd put them away.””
Robert looked toward the stairs.
“Then I found the power-of-attorney document.””
“Why didn't you call the police?””
Robert gave a sad smile.
“Because I wanted to believe my wife of forty-three years wouldn't betray me.””
Marcus lowered his head.
“I should have listened.””
Robert shook his head.
“Your mother has been your mother for thirty-eight years. It's difficult to imagine someone you love could do something terrible.””
He paused.
“But there's something else I haven't told you.””
Marcus looked up.
“What?””
Robert reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small USB drive.
“I found this inside the study drawer two days ago.””
Marcus examined it.
“What is it?””
“Patricia gave it to me before she left.””
“Why?””
“She said she had copied some documents because she was afraid someone would destroy the originals.””
Marcus stared at the device.
“What's on it?””
“I don't know. I don't have a computer anymore.””
Marcus took out his laptop.
They opened the drive.
There were several folders.
One contained bank statements.
Another contained photographs of legal documents.
The third was labeled:
*OCTOBER 28 — VOICE RECORDINGS.*
Marcus clicked it.
A recording began.
At first, there was only background noise.
Then Evelyn's voice emerged.
“Once Robert signs, everything will be much easier.””
A second voice answered.
It was Vanessa.
“What if he refuses?””
Evelyn laughed.
“He won't have a choice.””
Marcus stopped breathing.
The recording continued.
Vanessa asked, “And Marcus?””
Evelyn replied, “Marcus will believe whatever we tell him. He's always believed me.””
Then came a sentence that made Robert cover his mouth.
“After Robert is out of the picture, we can finally sell the house and divide the money.””
Marcus stared at the screen.
There was more.
A third voice entered the recording.
A man's voice.
“Ladies, I need my payment before Friday.””
Marcus paused the audio.
He looked at his father.
“Who is that?””
Robert shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Marcus replayed the last few seconds.
The man's voice sounded familiar.
He had heard it somewhere.
Perhaps at a business meeting.
Perhaps on the phone.
Then the recording continued.
The man laughed.
“Don't worry. I've already handled the medical report.””
Marcus's eyes widened.
“Medical report?””
Evelyn answered.
“Good. Once the doctor signs it, Robert won't be able to challenge the transfer.””
The man spoke again.
“And what about the assault accusation?””
Vanessa answered.
“I'll take care of that.””
Marcus stopped the recording.
His hands were shaking.
Someone outside the family had helped orchestrate the entire scheme.
And whoever that man was, he had access to medical documents that could destroy Robert's independence.
Marcus picked up his phone and called Daniel Brooks.
“Daniel, I have a recording. I need you to identify a voice.””
He played the audio through the phone.
Daniel listened without interrupting.
When the recording ended, he was silent for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
“Marcus, I recognize that voice.””
“Who is it?””
Daniel hesitated.
“It's Dr. Samuel Reed.””
Marcus frowned.
“Dad's doctor?””
“Yes.””
The room seemed to tilt.
Robert slowly stood.
“Samuel?””
Marcus looked at his father.
“Dad, you know him?””
Robert nodded.
“He's been my physician for almost twelve years.””
Daniel spoke again.
“Marcus, don't confront him yet. There's something else you need to know. The medical assessment used to question your father's mental capacity was signed by Dr. Reed.””
Robert sank back into his chair.
His own doctor.
The man who had promised to look after his health.
The man who knew his medical history better than almost anyone.
Had been helping the people trying to take his house.
Then Daniel added quietly:
“And according to the document I just received, Dr. Reed claims your father has been suffering from severe cognitive impairment for nearly a year.””
Marcus looked at Robert.
His father had never been diagnosed with anything like that.
May you like
But the document was already signed.
And someone had apparently been building a medical case against him long before the accusation in the bedroom.
