Chapter 4: The Man Nathan Warned Me About
I stared at the photograph until the edges began to blur.
Nathan had written those words himself.
If anything happens to me, Claire must never trust Daniel.
Daniel Price.
The same man who had called me from Northbridge. The same man who had told me about the sedatives. The same man who had supposedly helped identify my husband when Margaret brought him to the facility.
Why would Nathan warn me about him?
I looked through the glass toward Nathan's hospital room.
The medical team was still working around his bed.
I needed answers.
And I needed them before anyone else got the chance to bury my husband again.
"Mrs. Harper?""
I turned.
A security guard stood several feet away.
"Your mother-in-law asked us to escort her out. She said there was a family disagreement.""
I almost laughed.
"She can leave. I'm not the one causing problems.""
The guard nodded and walked away.
I slipped the photograph into my purse.
Then I called Daniel.
He answered almost immediately.
"Mrs. Harper?""
"I need to see you.""
"Of course. Is Nathan stable?""
"Don't pretend you care about my husband.""
Silence.
I continued.
"I found a photograph of you and Nathan. On the back, he wrote that I should never trust you.""
Daniel didn't respond.
"Well?""
"Where did you get that photograph?""
"From Margaret.""
Another pause.
"Mrs. Harper, you need to be very careful about what you believe.""
"That's funny. My husband said the same thing about you.""
"Can we meet?""
"Where?""
"Northbridge. There's something you need to see.""
I looked toward Nathan's room.
"I'm not leaving him.""
"Then I'll come to St. Mary's.""
"No. You'll meet me in the hospital cafeteria. In fifteen minutes.""
I hung up.
When Daniel arrived, he was carrying a leather folder.
He looked younger than I remembered from the photograph. Perhaps thirty-eight. Dark hair, expensive watch, and the kind of calm expression that made it difficult to tell what he was thinking.
He sat across from me.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet.""
"Don't thank me. Explain yourself.""
He placed the folder on the table.
"Nathan and I worked together for seven years.""
"At Harper Financial?""
"Yes.""
"And you were at Northbridge when he was admitted?""
Daniel nodded.
"I was consulting on a neurological research project there.""
"Convenient.""
His jaw tightened.
"Mrs. Harper, I understand you're upset.""
"Stop calling me that. You were apparently close enough to my husband to take photographs together, so you can call me Claire.""
He nodded.
"Claire, Nathan discovered something about the company.""
"What?""
"Someone had been transferring money through accounts belonging to several inactive clients.""
"How much?""
"Approximately twelve million dollars.""
I stared at him.
"Twelve million?""
"Over eighteen months.""
"Who was doing it?""
Daniel opened the folder.
Inside were printed financial statements, transaction records, and photographs of handwritten notes.
"Your husband believed the transfers were being authorized by someone inside the executive office.""
"Who?""
Daniel slid a page across the table.
At the top was the name Margaret Harper.
I looked at it twice.
"His mother?""
"She was the majority shareholder before Nathan inherited the controlling interest.""
"But why would she steal from her own company?""
"Because Nathan was preparing to expose the transfers and remove her from the board.""
I felt sick.
"Did you help him?""
"Initially, yes.""
"Then why did he warn me about you?""
Daniel looked down.
For the first time, his confidence seemed to disappear.
"Because I made a mistake.""
"What mistake?""
"I told Margaret that Nathan had found the missing money.""
I stared at him.
"You what?""
"I thought she already knew. I believed she was involved in the investigation.""
"And you told her?""
"Yes.""
I stood.
"Do you understand what happened after that?""
Daniel remained seated.
"Three days later, Nathan was poisoned.""
"I know.""
"Then he was taken to your hospital.""
Daniel's face changed.
"Wait. What do you mean?""
"You didn't know?""
He shook his head.
"I knew he had been admitted as an unidentified patient. I didn't know Margaret had arranged his transfer.""
I studied him.
"Why should I believe you?""
He pulled another document from the folder.
"Because I kept a copy of the original admission record.""
I took it.
The date was correct.
The patient's identity had initially been listed as unknown.
But there was something else.
Under the emergency contact section, someone had entered a phone number.
I recognized the last four digits.
My own.
I looked up.
"Why is my number here?""
Daniel leaned forward.
"It was entered by the person who brought him in.""
"Who?""
He turned the document around.
The signature was almost illegible.
But beneath it was a printed name.
*Robert Hayes.*
I didn't recognize it.
"Who is Robert Hayes?""
Daniel closed the folder.
"Margaret's personal driver.""
A chill ran through me.
"Her driver brought Nathan to Northbridge?""
"That's what the records indicate.""
I thought about Margaret's message.
You don't understand what he did.
I remembered her standing beside Nathan's coffin.
Her black dress.
Her perfectly arranged flowers.
Her tears that never seemed to reach her eyes.
Then I remembered something else.
At the funeral, she had insisted that Ellie stay away from the coffin.
At the time, I thought she was protecting her granddaughter.
Now I wondered whether she was afraid Ellie would discover something.
I looked at Daniel.
"Why did you really contact me?""
He hesitated.
"Because Nathan left something in my possession.""
"What?""
"A recording.""
"Of what?""
"His final conversation with Margaret.""
My heart began pounding.
"Play it.""
Daniel glanced around the cafeteria.
"Not here.""
"Why?""
"Because I believe someone is monitoring your phone.""
I stared at him.
He opened his laptop.
A small audio file appeared on the screen.
The date was the night before Nathan's accident.
Daniel pressed play.
At first, there was static.
Then Nathan's voice.
"Mom, I'm giving you one last chance.""
Margaret answered.
"You've become paranoid, Nathan.""
"I have the bank statements.""
"You don't understand how complicated the business is.""
"I understand that twelve million dollars disappeared.""
"Lower your voice.""
"No. I'm done protecting you.""
There was a long pause.
Then Margaret spoke again.
"You have a daughter to think about.""
Nathan's voice became colder.
"Don't you dare bring Ellie into this.""
"Then stop making decisions that will destroy her future.""
Another pause.
And then Nathan said something that made my blood run cold.
"If anything happens to me, Claire gets everything.""
The recording ended.
I stared at the laptop.
"Is there more?""
Daniel nodded.
He clicked another file.
But before he could play it, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His face changed.
"What's wrong?"" I asked.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he stood and looked toward the cafeteria entrance.
A man in a gray jacket had just walked in.
Daniel recognized him.
And judging by the way his hands began shaking, so did I.
"Claire," he whispered.
"We need to leave.""
"Who is that?""
Daniel closed his laptop.
"Robert Hayes.""
May you like
Margaret's driver.
And he was walking straight toward us.
