Chapter 5: The Night Robert Hayes Died
The question followed me all the way back to Jasmine's apartment.
Where was I the night Robert died?
I remembered exactly where I had been.
I remembered the hospital corridor, the smell of disinfectant, the rain tapping against the windows.
And I remembered the last thing Robert had whispered to me.
But Diane had no right to know about it.
Unless someone had been watching.
Unless someone had followed me.
Or unless Robert had told her.
Jasmine placed a glass of water on the coffee table.
“You've been staring at that wall for ten minutes.””
I looked at her.
“Diane knows I visited Robert the night he died.””
Jasmine sat down.
“How?””
“I don't know.””
“Did Marcus know?””
I shook my head.
“No. I told him I had an appointment that evening.””
“Why didn't you tell him?””
I looked down at my hands.
“Because Robert asked me not to.””
Jasmine leaned closer.
“What happened at the hospital?””
I took a breath.
Four years earlier, Robert had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition.
He spent several weeks in and out of the hospital.
Marcus was busy managing the family business, and Diane rarely visited unless there were other people around.
I had gone several times.
Sometimes I brought books.
Sometimes I brought coffee.
Once, I brought Robert a homemade chicken casserole because he complained that hospital food tasted like wet cardboard.
He laughed so hard that a nurse came in to check on him.
The evening before his death, he called me.
His voice sounded weak.
“Nia, sweetheart, could you come by?””
I had gone after work.
When I arrived, he was alone.
His television was turned off.
A small envelope sat on the bedside table.
He looked at me and smiled.
“Thank you for coming.””
“Of course, Robert. How are you feeling?””
“Old.””
I laughed softly.
“That's not an answer.””
He reached for my hand.
“There's something I need to tell you.””
I pulled a chair beside his bed.
“What is it?””
He looked toward the door.
Then lowered his voice.
“Marcus has been signing documents he doesn't understand.””
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of documents?””
“Financial authorizations. Transfers. Agreements.””
I frowned.
“Did you talk to him?””
“I tried.””
“Then why didn't he listen?””
Robert sighed.
“Because Diane tells him what he wants to hear.””
I remembered how tired he looked.
“How much trouble is the company in?””
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he opened the drawer beside his bed and removed a small brass key.
He pressed it into my palm.
“Keep this safe.””
“What does it open?””
“Something I should have dealt with a long time ago.””
I stared at the key.
“Robert, you're frightening me.””
He squeezed my hand.
“I'm sorry, sweetheart.””
Then he looked directly into my eyes.
“If anything happens to me, find Richard. Don't give this key to Marcus. Don't give it to Diane.””
I closed my fingers around it.
“Why?””
“Because I don't know who I can trust anymore.””
A nurse entered to check his medication.
Robert immediately changed the subject.
Before I left, he held my hand one final time.
“Promise me you'll protect yourself.””
I promised.
The next morning, Marcus called me.
His father had died during the night.
I never told him about the key.
I never told him about the conversation.
And I had kept the key in a small jewelry box ever since.
Jasmine listened without moving.
When I finished, she whispered, “Do you still have it?””
I nodded.
I went to my handbag and removed a small velvet pouch.
Inside was the brass key.
Jasmine stared at it.
“Why didn't you tell Mr. Bennett?””
“Because I didn't know what it opened. And after Robert died, everything happened so quickly.””
I turned the key between my fingers.
Then I remembered something.
Robert's former office had a large wooden cabinet with a brass lock.
I had seen it during family dinners.
He never allowed Diane to organize that room.
I grabbed my coat.
“I'm calling Mr. Bennett.””
An hour later, we were back at the Hayes residence.
Mr. Reed met us in the driveway.
When I showed him the key, his eyes widened.
“Where did you get this?””
“Robert gave it to me.””
“When?””
“The night before he died.””
He looked at me for several seconds.
Then he motioned toward the entrance.
“Come with me.””
Marcus was already inside.
He stood near the staircase, holding a glass of water.
When he saw me, he straightened.
“Nia.””
I ignored the greeting.
“Where's the office?””
He looked confused.
“Dad's office?””
“Yes.””
“Down the hallway.””
Mr. Reed led the way.
The office was exactly as I remembered it.
Dark wooden shelves.
Leather chairs.
A large desk positioned beside the window.
The smell of old books and polished furniture.
Mr. Reed examined the cabinet.
“This lock hasn't been opened since Robert died.””
I inserted the key.
It turned.
A quiet click echoed through the room.
Inside were several folders, a small digital recorder, and a sealed envelope.
I reached for the envelope.
My name was written across the front.
*FOR NIA.*
My hands trembled.
Mr. Reed nodded.
“Open it.””
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Dear Nia,
If you've found this, then I was right to worry.
I wish I could have explained everything to you myself.
The money transferred from the family account was not the only thing Diane attempted to control. She has been using Marcus's identity to authorize transactions for years.
I stopped reading.
Marcus stepped closer.
“What does it say?””
I continued.
I discovered that my son had unknowingly become involved in several financial arrangements. I believe Diane used his trust in her to gain access to his signature and personal information.
Marcus sat down heavily.
“That's not true.””
I looked at him.
“Did you give her access to your documents?””
He didn't answer.
I returned to the letter.
However, there is another person involved. Someone outside this family has been helping Diane move the money through private accounts.
I looked at Mr. Reed.
He nodded toward the digital recorder.
“Let's see what's on it.””
He connected it to his laptop.
A few seconds of static filled the room.
Then Robert's voice emerged.
Weak.
But unmistakable.
“If anyone is listening to this, I need you to understand that I did not authorize the transfer of the investment funds.””
A pause.
Then another voice.
A woman's voice.
Diane.
“You're making a mistake, Robert.””
Robert sounded exhausted.
“Give me the documents.””
“I can't.””
“You have no authority to do this.””
“You don't understand what will happen if you expose everything.””
“Then tell me the truth.””
There was a long silence.
Then Diane spoke again.
“It's already too late.””
Robert's voice sharpened.
“Who else knows?””
Diane answered.
“Richard does.””
Mr. Reed froze.
Marcus looked at him.
“What?””
The recording continued.
Diane lowered her voice.
“And so does your son.””
Marcus stood.
“Stop it!””
Mr. Reed paused the recording.
Marcus looked horrified.
“I didn't know anything about this.””
I turned toward him.
“Your mother just said you knew.””
“I don't remember this conversation!””
Mr. Reed restarted the recording.
Robert spoke again.
“Marcus doesn't know what you've done. He's been signing whatever you put in front of him.””
Diane laughed.
“He trusts me.””
“That's exactly why this is dangerous.””
Then came a sentence that made everyone in the room go silent.
Diane said:
“If you change the estate documents, I'll make sure Marcus loses everything.””
Robert replied:
“You've already taken enough.””
The recording ended with a loud thud.
Then silence.
I stared at the laptop.
Mr. Reed slowly closed it.
Marcus was shaking.
“My mother threatened my father?””
Nobody answered.
I looked at the envelope again.
There was one final page tucked beneath the letter.
It contained a list of names.
Several bank accounts.
And a company I recognized immediately.
*HAYES CONSULTING GROUP.*
But the name beside the company wasn't Diane's.
It was my older brother's.
Caleb Williams.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“No.””
Marcus looked at the page.
“What's your brother doing here?””
I shook my head.
“That's impossible.””
Caleb had never worked for the Hayes family.
He had never been involved in their business.
He was a mechanic who spent most of his days repairing cars at a small garage.
He barely understood investments.
I called him immediately.
He answered on the third ring.
“Hey, sis. Everything okay?””
My voice trembled.
“Caleb, I need you to tell me something.””
“What happened?””
“Have you ever heard of Hayes Consulting Group?””
Silence.
May you like
Then he said something that made my knees weaken.
“Nia, I was hoping you would never find out.””
