Chapter 8: The Target Was Never the Money
Daniel immediately grabbed his phone.
“Ethan!””
He ran toward the staircase.
“Ethan, come downstairs!””
Detective Bennett caught his arm.
“Mr. Carter, stop. We need to secure the house first.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“My son is upstairs!””
“And we need to make sure nobody else is inside.””
Two uniformed officers entered the house moments later.
One went upstairs with Daniel. Another remained with Detective Bennett.
Vanessa stood near the dining table, trembling.
Madison was crying.
Tyler had appeared in the hallway, holding his phone.
“Mom,” he whispered, “what does that message mean?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Daniel reached Ethan's bedroom.
The door was open.
His son sat on the bed, holding a photograph of Sarah.
“Dad?””
Daniel rushed toward him.
“Are you okay?””
Ethan nodded.
“Why are there police downstairs?””
Daniel sat beside him.
“Something happened, sweetheart. I need you to stay with Grandma for a little while.””
“Is Vanessa going to hurt me?””
The question nearly broke him.
Daniel took his son's face gently between his hands.
“No one is going to hurt you again. I promise.””
Ethan looked down.
“Can I ask you something?””
“Anything.””
“If Mom were here, would she let me eat dinner?””
Daniel's eyes filled.
He pulled his son into his chest.
“Your mother would have made you the biggest plate at the table.””
Ethan began crying.
“I miss her.””
“I know, buddy.””
“I don't remember her voice anymore.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
For six years, he had avoided talking about Sarah because he thought it would make Ethan's grief worse.
Now he realized that his silence had taken away another piece of his son's childhood.
“I'm going to find every photograph and recording I can,” Daniel promised.
“You'll know everything about her.””
A knock sounded.
Detective Bennett stood in the doorway.
“Mr. Carter, we found something.””
Daniel stood.
“What?””
She showed him the second phone.
“We recovered deleted messages. There are conversations between Vanessa and Michael dating back several months.””
“About Ethan?””
“About the trust, the property, and your father's estate.””
Daniel looked at the screen.
One message caught his attention.
*Michael:* The old man is gone. Evelyn is still a problem.
*Vanessa:* She has no proof.
*Michael:* She has the recording.
*Vanessa:* Then we need to get it before Daniel watches the rest.
Daniel looked at the detective.
“The rest?””
She nodded.
“Your father's recording may have been divided into several files. We found a reference to a second video.””
Daniel remembered the flash drive.
“Where is it?””
Detective Bennett glanced downstairs.
“Your mother says she knows.””
They returned to the dining room.
Evelyn was standing beside the laptop, holding a small notebook.
She looked exhausted.
“I found the original file,” she said.
Daniel approached her.
“Why didn't you tell me there was another recording?””
“Because Robert instructed me not to release it unless Vanessa attempted to take control of Ethan's trust.””
Daniel looked at the notebook.
“What else did Father know?””
Evelyn opened it.
“Your father discovered that Michael and Vanessa had been working together for years. But he also found evidence that someone had been helping them from inside the family business.””
Daniel frowned.
“Who?””
Evelyn hesitated.
Then she turned the notebook toward him.
A name had been written on the page.
*Richard Carter.*
Daniel stared.
“Uncle Richard?””
Richard was Daniel's older brother.
He had managed several Carter family properties and had access to their financial records.
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“No. Richard had nothing to do with this.””
Evelyn looked at him sadly.
“Your father thought the same thing at first.””
Detective Bennett examined the notebook.
“Is Richard still employed by the company?””
“Yes,” Daniel replied.
“He runs the property division.””
“Does he have access to Ethan's trust?””
“He shouldn't.””
Evelyn pointed toward a handwritten note.
“He was listed as an emergency financial representative on the original paperwork.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“Why would Father do that?””
“Because Richard was his eldest son.””
Daniel stepped away.
He remembered Richard attending Sarah's funeral.
He remembered his brother comforting him and promising that the family would always protect Ethan.
He remembered Richard offering to help with the paperwork afterward.
“Call him,” Daniel said.
Detective Bennett shook her head.
“We need to be careful. If he's involved, we don't want to alert him.””
But Daniel had already taken out his phone.
He called his brother.
Richard answered after two rings.
“Danny! What's going on?””
Daniel forced himself to sound normal.
“Hey, Richard. I need to ask you something about Dad's estate.””
A brief silence followed.
“Sure. What's wrong?””
“Did you ever work with Michael Grant?””
Another silence.
Then Richard laughed.
“Michael? That crook? I haven't spoken to him in years.””
Daniel looked at Detective Bennett.
She signaled for him to continue.
“Did you know he was involved with Vanessa?””
Richard's voice became sharper.
“Why are you asking me this?””
“Because I found some documents.””
“Daniel, listen to me. Whatever Vanessa has told you, don't believe it.””
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“How do you know Vanessa is involved?””
Richard didn't answer.
Then he said something unexpected.
“Your father should have destroyed those files.””
Daniel froze.
“What files?””
Richard exhaled.
“Look, Danny. You're emotional right now. We need to talk in person.””
“Come to the house.””
“Not tonight.””
“Why not?””
“Because I don't want the police involved.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
He hadn't mentioned the police.
Richard continued.
“I'll call you tomorrow.””
The line went dead.
Detective Bennett immediately took the phone.
“Did you record that conversation?””
Daniel nodded.
She listened to the final seconds.
“He knows more than he's admitting.””
Evelyn approached.
“There's something else.””
She opened the second video file.
Robert appeared again, this time sitting in his study.
His voice was stronger.
“Daniel, if you're watching this, it means you've discovered Richard's involvement.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
Robert continued.
“Your brother was the one who introduced Michael to Vanessa. He helped them access Sarah's financial records. He also arranged the original transfer of funds from the Carter family accounts.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No…”
Robert looked directly into the camera.
“I tried to confront Richard, but he denied everything. Then I discovered that he had been secretly transferring ownership of our family properties into companies connected to Michael.””
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Daniel looked toward the detective.
“Can we use this?””
“We'll need to authenticate the recording, but it gives us a direction.””
Robert's voice became quieter.
“There is one more thing, Daniel. Something I discovered about Ethan's mother.””
Daniel leaned closer.
“Sarah was pregnant when she died.””
The room fell silent.
Daniel's lips parted.
“What?””
Robert continued.
“She had discovered the pregnancy shortly before the accident. She wanted to tell you after she resolved the financial problems.””
Daniel's eyes filled.
He had never known.
There had been another child.
Another little Carter who had never gotten the chance to be born.
Robert's final words were barely audible.
“Sarah believed the baby was a girl. She had already chosen a name.””
The recording stopped.
Daniel lowered his head.
Ethan, who had quietly entered the room, stood beside him.
“Dad?””
Daniel turned.
“What's wrong?””
Daniel knelt.
“Your mother was going to give you a little sister.””
Ethan stared.
“Really?””
Daniel nodded.
The boy's eyes filled.
“Would she have lived here too?””
Daniel pulled him close.
“Of course she would.””
Ethan whispered, “Then Vanessa would have charged her rent too?””
Nobody answered.
The detective's phone suddenly rang.
She listened, then straightened.
“Mr. Carter, we have a serious problem.””
Daniel stood.
“What now?””
“Your brother Richard just attempted to transfer ownership of three Carter properties. One of those properties contains the original documents connected to Sarah's accident.””
Evelyn gripped her cane.
“Which property?””
Detective Bennett looked at Daniel.
“The old lake house.””
Daniel remembered the property transfer agreement Vanessa had tried to hide.
And suddenly he understood.
The money had never been the only thing they wanted.
May you like
The lake house was where Sarah had supposedly spent her final afternoon.
And someone had been desperate to sell it before the truth inside could be discovered.
