Chapter 8: My Wife's Last Confession
Vanessa was waiting in an interview room when I arrived.
She looked different without her expensive clothes and perfect makeup.
Her hair was tied back loosely. Her eyes were swollen, and her hands were clasped tightly in front of her.
When she saw me, she stood.
“Marcus.””
I didn't respond.
Detective Collins remained near the door.
“You have fifteen minutes,” he said.
“I'll be outside.””
I rolled my wheelchair toward the table.
Vanessa sat down.
For a moment, we simply looked at each other.
Then she whispered, “I'm sorry.””
I almost laughed.
“That's becoming your favorite sentence.””
She lowered her eyes.
“I know you hate me.””
“Hate is a strong word.””
“Then what do you feel?””
I thought about it.
“Disappointment.””
She began crying.
I watched her wipe her cheeks.
“You don't have to pretend you care,” I said.
“I'm not pretending.””
“Then tell me the truth.””
She nodded.
“About what?””
“Everything.””
She took a shaky breath.
“Adrian contacted me about six months before your accident.””
I frowned.
“Six months?””
“He knew about your company. He knew you had a lot of money invested in property and business accounts. He said he could introduce investors who would help us expand.””
“And Ethan introduced you?””
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Ethan said you would refuse. He said you didn't trust outside investors.””
“I had reasons.””
“I know that now.””
“No. You knew that then. You simply didn't care.””
She looked down.
“Adrian started visiting the house. He was charming. He made me feel important.
He remembered things you forgot. He listened when I talked.””
“And then you slept with him.””
She flinched.
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Before the accident.””
The answer hit harder than I expected.
I looked toward the wall.
“So while I was building our future, you were already planning another one.””
“Marcus, I didn't know what he was capable of.””
“Did you know about the brakes?””
She nodded slowly.
“When?””
“Two days before the accident.””
I felt my fingers tighten.
“Explain.””
“Adrian called me. He said he had arranged something that would force you to step away from the company. He told me your car would have a mechanical problem.””
“And you agreed?””
“I thought it would be a minor accident.””
“You thought a car losing its brakes at highway speed would be minor?””
She started crying harder.
“He told me the truck driver would make sure you survived.””
I stared at her.
“Who was driving the truck?””
“I don't know.””
“Did you know the driver?””
“No.””
“Did you ever speak to him?””
She hesitated.
Then she reached into her pocket and removed a small folded piece of paper.
“I kept this.””
I opened it.
It contained a telephone number and a name.
Thomas Reed.
I looked at her.
“Who is Thomas Reed?””
“The truck driver.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“Where did you get this?””
“Adrian gave it to me after the accident. He told me never to contact him.””
“Why did you keep it?””
“Because I was afraid Adrian might turn against me.””
I handed the paper to Detective Collins, who had quietly returned to the room.
He examined it.
“Do you know where this man lives?””
Vanessa nodded.
“He used to work at a trucking company outside Columbus.””
The detective immediately stepped into the hallway to make a call.
I turned back to Vanessa.
“Why did you report me dead?””
She covered her face.
“Adrian said it was necessary.””
“Necessary for what?””
“To release the insurance money.””
I stared at her.
“Five million dollars?””
She nodded.
“Adrian promised me half.””
The room seemed to spin.
“Half?””
“He said we would leave the country. Start over somewhere nobody knew us.””
I looked at her left hand.
The diamond ring was gone.
I wondered when she had removed it.
“Did you ever think about what would happen to me?””
She looked up.
“Every day.””
“Then why?””
“Because I was selfish.””
I waited.
She continued.
“After the accident, I visited you in the hospital. The doctors said your vision might never return. Adrian told me the insurance money would solve everything. He said we could finally have the life we wanted.””
“And you believed him.””
“I wanted to believe him.””
I shook my head.
“You didn't want a better life, Vanessa. You wanted my life without me in it.””
She sobbed.
“I know.””
I looked at her for a long moment.
Then I asked the question that had been burning inside me since the accident.
“Did you ever hope I would recover?””
She didn't answer immediately.
Her lips trembled.
Finally, she whispered, “At first.””
“And later?””
She closed her eyes.
“I was afraid you would.””
I felt something inside me go quiet.
Not anger.
Not grief.
Something closer to acceptance.
The woman I had married was gone.
Or perhaps she had never existed in the way I remembered.
Detective Collins returned.
“Mrs. Hale, we need to discuss Thomas Reed.””
Vanessa straightened.
“What happened?””
“We located his former employer. He left the company shortly after your husband's accident.””
“Is he alive?””
The detective exchanged a glance with his partner.
“We don't know yet.””
Vanessa began shaking.
Then she whispered, “Adrian said Thomas was dead.””
I looked at her.
“Why would he say that?””
“Because Thomas wanted more money. Adrian told me he had become a problem.””
Detective Collins leaned forward.
“Did Adrian say he killed him?””
Vanessa nodded slowly.
“He said he had taken care of it.””
The detective immediately left the room.
I sat quietly.
Then Vanessa reached across the table.
“Marcus, please. I need you to understand something.””
I looked at her hand.
She pulled it back.
“I was going to tell you everything.””
“When?””
“Tonight.””
“Before or after Adrian disappeared?””
She began crying again.
“I was scared.””
I stood up.
Well, tried to.
My legs were still weak, and Daniel had arranged for me to remain in the wheelchair until my doctors completed another assessment.
I settled back.
“Vanessa, there's nothing left to explain.””
She looked at me desperately.
“Can you ever forgive me?””
I studied her face.
“I don't know.””
For the first time, that answer was completely honest.
As Detective Collins escorted her away, my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
You have the wrong man. Thomas Reed is alive. But if you want to know who paid him, look at your mother's old safety deposit box.
I stared at the screen.
My mother had died five years earlier.
She had never mentioned a safety deposit box.
I showed Daniel.
He read the message twice.
“Do you know anything about this?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
He looked thoughtful.
“Your mother handled some of the early paperwork for your company, didn't she?””
“Yes.””
“Then perhaps there's something she kept.””
I stared at the message.
The sender had included a photograph.
It showed an old brass key.
On its metal tag were the numbers:
*417.*
May you like
And beneath the photograph were seven words.
Your mother knew who wanted you dead.
