Chapter 6 - Caleb Found The Hidden Letters
Caleb discovered Rebecca’s letters in William’s office.
Dozens.
Birthdays.
Christmases.
Apologies.
Requests for contact.
Proof she had not simply disappeared.
He confronted William.
The argument became physical.
The next morning, $80,000 was missing from a business account.
William accused Caleb.
Caleb fled.
For years, Ethan believed guilt explained the disappearance.
Rebecca shook her head.
“Caleb came to me.”
Ethan leaned forward.
“When?”
“Two days later.”
“Did he have the money?”
“No.”
“Then who took it?”
“I don’t know.”
Caleb stayed with Rebecca for several months.
He was angry.
Unstable.
Lost.
Then he left again.
They maintained occasional contact.
Six years ago, communication stopped.
Rebecca assumed he wanted distance.
Then, five months ago, Caleb called.
He said he finally knew who stole the money.
“Who?”
Rebecca looked directly at Ethan.
“He said Vanessa did.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“That’s impossible. I didn’t meet Vanessa until years later.”
“I told him that.”
“What did he mean?”
“He said not your Vanessa.”
The stolen money had allegedly gone through an account controlled by a
woman named Vanessa Reed.
Ethan’s Vanessa was Vanessa Reed.
Same full name.
But she had been twenty at the time and living in another state.
Detective Kim immediately investigated.
There were two women named Vanessa Reed.
The second was fifty-eight.
And she had worked as William Carter’s bookkeeper.
The coincidence was not a coincidence at all.
Ethan’s Vanessa had been named after her aunt.
Vanessa Reed.
The former bookkeeper was her mother’s sister.
Ethan stared at the family connection.
“Vanessa knew?”
Detective Kim answered carefully.
“We don’t know yet.”
When confronted, Vanessa broke down.
She knew her aunt had worked for William.
She claimed she did not know about the missing money when she began
dating Ethan.
May you like
But she admitted something worse.
Her aunt introduced them.
