Chapter 6 - The Man Arthur Trusted Most
Thomas Grant had stood beside Arthur at his wife’s funeral. He had held Daniel as an infant.
He had attended Lily’s baptism.
For thirty-two years, Thomas had been more than Bennett Foods’ chief financial officer.
He had been family without the blood.
That made Rachel’s warning devastating.
Arthur did not confront him immediately.
Instead, he invited Thomas to dinner.
The Bennett estate felt strangely peaceful that evening.
Lily played piano badly in the music room.
Margaret roasted chicken.
Arthur opened a bottle of wine he had been saving for no particular occasion.
Thomas arrived at seven.
He hugged Arthur.
That nearly broke him.
“How’s Lily?”
“Better.”
“God, what Daniel allowed…”
Thomas shook his head.
“I still can’t believe it.”
Arthur remembered Rachel’s sentence.
Do not trust the person who tells you Daniel acted alone.
Thomas sat at the dining table.
“Have police made progress?”
“Some.”
Arthur poured wine.
Thomas watched him.
“What kind?”
Arthur sat.
“They found old financial transfers.”
Thomas’s hand paused beside his glass.
Barely.
But Arthur saw it.
“Daniel?”
“Possibly.”
Thomas sighed.
“I always worried about that boy.”
Arthur looked at him.
“You never told me.”
“What could I say? He was your son.”
“And?”
Thomas leaned back.
“He wanted what you built without understanding what it cost.”
Arthur studied his oldest friend.
“How long have you believed that?”
“Years.”
“And yet you never warned me.”
Thomas’s expression changed.
“I’m warning you now.”
Arthur almost smiled.
Too late.
Exactly as Rachel had predicted.
Lily entered the dining room.
“Grandpa, Margaret says I have to ask before dessert.”
Thomas smiled warmly.
“There she is.”
Lily stopped.
Arthur noticed.
She did not approach Thomas.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Lily moved closer to Arthur.
Thomas’s smile faded slightly.
“You remember Uncle Thomas.”
Lily nodded.
Arthur looked at her.
Something was wrong.
“Lily?”
She whispered, “He was at our house.”
Thomas became very still.
Arthur felt every muscle in his body tighten.
“When?”
Lily looked at Thomas.
“The night Mommy cried.”
Thomas put down his glass.
“Arthur, she was three.”
Arthur did not look away from Lily.
“What do you remember?”
“Mommy was yelling.”
“At Thomas?”
Lily nodded.
Thomas stood.
“This is absurd.”
Arthur raised one hand.
Thomas stopped.
Lily continued.
“Mommy said she was telling Grandpa.”
Arthur’s chest tightened.
“What did Thomas say?”
Lily frowned, struggling.
“He said…”
She looked at Thomas again.
“‘Then everybody loses.’”
Thomas’s face drained of color.
Arthur sent Lily upstairs with Margaret.
The moment she disappeared, Thomas stood.
“I’m leaving.”
Arthur remained seated.
“If you walk out that door, police will be waiting.”
Thomas turned.
Two detectives entered from the hallway.
Ruiz was one.
Thomas stared at Arthur.
“You set me up.”
“No.”
Arthur’s voice remained quiet.
“Rachel did.”
He placed a copy of her letter on the table.
Thomas read the first lines.
His shoulders sagged.
Ruiz stepped forward.
“We’d like you to answer some questions.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“You think Daniel created six million dollars in fake vendors by himself?”
Arthur looked at him.
“No.”
Thomas stared back.
For thirty-two years, Arthur had trusted that face.
Now he saw fear.
And relief.
As if Thomas had been waiting years for the lie to collapse.
“I never wanted Rachel dead.”
Arthur’s voice changed.
“Then why was Vanessa following her?”
Thomas looked at Ruiz.
“I want an attorney.”
Arthur stood.
“You can have ten attorneys.”
He moved closer.
“But answer one thing as my friend.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Was Rachel’s death an accident?”
Thomas’s eyes filled with something Arthur could not identify.
“I don’t know.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“You’re lying.”
“I said I don’t know.”
“You knew Vanessa.”
Thomas said nothing.
Arthur understood.
“How?”
Thomas sat again.
The detectives waited.
Finally, Thomas spoke.
“Vanessa worked for one of the shell vendors.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“She met Daniel through you.”
Thomas nodded.
Arthur turned away.
The entire history of his family rearranged itself.
Vanessa had not accidentally met Daniel after Rachel died.
She had entered his life through the fraud.
Rachel discovered both.
Thomas continued.
“Daniel was drowning in gambling debt.”
Arthur turned.
“What?”
“He owed nearly two million.”
Arthur had never known.
“I showed him how to move money temporarily.”
“Temporarily?”
“That’s how it started.”
Thomas laughed without humor.
“Every crime begins with a word that makes it sound smaller.”
Arthur stared at him.
“Then?”
“Vanessa handled vendor accounts. Daniel started seeing her.”
“And Rachel discovered it.”
“Yes.”
“What happened the night she died?”
Thomas looked down.
“I went to their house because Rachel called me.”
“Lily remembers.”
“She confronted me. She had copied the records.”
Arthur waited.
“I begged her not to go to you.”
“Why?”
“Because I would lose everything.”
Arthur’s voice hardened.
“So you threatened her.”
“I told her everyone would lose.”
Thomas rubbed his face.
“She left.”
“And you called Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“Daniel and Vanessa followed her.”
Arthur’s breathing slowed.
“Did you tell them to?”
Thomas looked at him.
“I told Daniel to get the drive back.”
Arthur clenched his jaw.
“I didn’t tell anyone to hurt her.”
“But you sent them after a terrified woman on a stormy highway.”
Thomas looked away.
Ruiz interrupted.
“What happened on the road?”
“I wasn’t there.”
Arthur believed that part.
“What did Daniel tell you afterward?”
Thomas hesitated.
“He said Vanessa tried to force Rachel to pull over.”
“How?”
“Driving close behind her.”
Arthur’s stomach turned.
“And?”
“Rachel accelerated.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Vanessa followed.”
Arthur knew what came next.
“The bumper.”
Thomas nodded.
“She hit Rachel’s SUV.”
“On purpose?”
“She claimed she only meant to scare her.”
Arthur stared at him.
“The guardrail?”
Thomas whispered, “Rachel lost control.”
Silence filled the room.
Arthur walked to the window.
For four years, he had imagined rain.
A slippery road.
Bad luck.
Now he saw headlights.
Fear.
A mother racing through darkness after hiding her child somewhere safe.
A black SUV behind her.
And people Arthur had trusted turning greed into tragedy.
Thomas spoke again.
“There’s something else.”
Arthur turned.
“What?”
“Daniel tried to call 911.”
Ruiz leaned forward.
Thomas continued.
“Vanessa stopped him.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“She said if they called immediately, police would connect them to the crash.”
“So they left Rachel there?”
Thomas nodded.
Arthur shut his eyes.
Daniel had not pushed Rachel’s SUV through the guardrail.
But he had followed her.
He had participated in frightening her.
And when she crashed, he had chosen himself.
Arthur thought he had reached the bottom.
Thomas proved him wrong.
“Vanessa recorded the crash.”
Arthur opened his eyes.
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against Daniel?”
“Against everyone.”
Thomas nodded toward Rachel’s letter.
“That black phone doesn’t just contain the aftermath.”
Arthur’s heart pounded.
May you like
“What does it contain?”
“The whole thing.”
