Chapter 8: The Last Night
“What happened at the hospital?””
Dad didn’t answer.
I stood so quickly the chair scraped backward.
“What happened?””
“Ava.””
“No.””
My voice shook.
“You don’t get to say my name like that.””
Dad looked at Madison.
“Give us a minute.””
Madison immediately nodded.
She left and closed the door.
I turned back.
“Tell me.””
Dad picked up Mom’s letter.
Folded it.
Unfolded it.
His hands were shaking.
“She changed part of the estate plan three weeks before she died.””
“I know that now.””
“No. Vanessa is talking about something specific.””
“What?””
“The medical directive.””
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with the house?””
“Nothing.””
“Then why is she using it against you?””
Dad looked at me.
“Because it’s the one thing I never told you.””
My chest tightened.
“You said Mom stopped responding at the end.””
“She did.””
“You said she was unconscious.””
“For most of her last day.””
“For most?””
Dad nodded.
My throat dried.
“She woke up?””
“For about twenty minutes.””
I stared at him.
“You never told me that.””
“I know.””
“Was I there?””
“You were at Grandma’s.””
“Why didn’t you call me?””
His face crumpled.
That answer was already enough.
“Why didn’t you call me?””
“Because she asked me not to.””
I froze.
“What?””
Dad reached for me.
I stepped back.
“Don’t.””
His hand dropped.
“Your mother woke up scared and confused.””
“So?””
“She was struggling to breathe.””
“So?””
“She knew you were eleven.””
My vision blurred.
“What did she say?””
Dad’s voice broke.
“She said she didn’t want your final memory of her to be that room.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Ava—”
“No.””
“She asked me to let you remember the previous afternoon.””
I remembered it immediately.
Mom propped against pillows.
Me painting her fingernails badly.
Her laughing because I got polish on her skin.
She made me promise not to tell Grandma I used the expensive bottle.
That was my last memory of her awake.
I had always believed it really was the last.
“She chose that?””
“Yes.””
“And you agreed?””
“Yes.””
I hated how angry I felt.
“You should have called me.””
Dad’s eyes filled.
“I have asked myself that every day.””
“You should have given me the choice.””
“You were eleven.””
“She was my mother.””
“I know.””
“You got twenty minutes.””
Dad flinched.
“And I got nothing.””
“You got the goodbye she wanted you to have.””
“I didn’t know it was goodbye!””
My voice cracked.
“I went home thinking I would see her again.””
Dad covered his mouth.
“I know.””
“I packed a drawing for her.””
His shoulders shook.
“I know.””
“I made her a stupid card.””
“It wasn’t stupid.””
“I wrote SEE YOU TOMORROW.””
The words broke me.
I started crying so hard I couldn’t breathe properly.
Dad came around the desk.
This time I didn’t step away.
He held me.
“I’m sorry.””
I shoved against his chest.
“You should have called me.””
“I know.””
“You should have called.””
“I know.””
I hit his chest once with the flat of my palm.
Not hard.
Just grief finally finding somewhere to go.
“You should have called me.””
Dad held on.
“I know.””
For several minutes, neither of us said anything else.
Eventually I stepped back.
My whole face hurt.
“Why did Vanessa know?””
Dad looked confused.
“She shouldn’t.””
“But she did.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Dad glanced toward Claire’s estate folder.
Then his face changed.
“The letters.””
“What?””
“She found my letter.””
The one Mom wrote him.
“Was it in the safe too?””
“Yes.””
“So she read it.””
“Maybe.””
I wiped my eyes.
“What did Mom change three weeks before she died?””
Dad sat again.
“The original documents gave me broad authority over the trust until you turned twenty-five.””
“And she changed that.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“She met with her attorney privately.””
“You weren’t there?””
“No.””
“That bothered you?””
“At the time?””
He nodded.
“Of course.””
“Did you argue?””
“No.””
I stared.
Dad exhaled.
“Yes.””
“Which one?””
“We argued before she met the attorney.””
I waited.
“She wanted to change the trust.””
“You didn’t.””
“I thought it was unnecessary.””
“Because you wanted control?””
“No.””
He looked directly at me.
“Because I thought she was preparing for me to fail.””
That answer felt painfully human.
“She was dying and you took it personally?””
“Yes.””
His honesty surprised me again.
“I was angry.””
He looked ashamed.
“I was losing my wife. I was terrified about raising you alone. And then she told me she wanted two other people checking major financial decisions.””
“What did you say?””
“Things I regret.””
“Like what?””
Dad rubbed his forehead.
“I asked whether she thought I was incompetent.””
I stayed silent.
“I asked whether she thought I would steal from you.””
“And?””
“She said no.””
Dad gave a sad laugh.
“She said she thought I would love again.””
That sentence again.
“She predicted Vanessa.””
“Not Vanessa.””
He shook his head.
“She predicted life.””
Dad opened another document.
“Claire said, ‘You are going to be lonely. Lonely people don’t make evil choices, David. They make grateful ones. And sometimes gratitude can blind them.’”
I felt a chill.
“She thought you might marry someone because you were grateful not to be alone.””
“Yes.””
“And give that person too much.””
“Yes.””
Dad looked toward the hallway.
“She was right.””
I stared at the paperwork.
“What happened after the argument?””
“She changed the documents.””
“Were you angry?””
“Yes.””
“For how long?””
“A day.””
“That’s all?””
“She explained.””
“And you accepted it?””
“Eventually.””
“What changed?””
Dad smiled faintly.
“She asked one question.””
“What?””
“If Ava grows up and never needs these protections, what have we lost?””
I waited.
“Nothing,” he said.
“And if she does need them?””
“We protected her.””
Dad nodded.
“That was Claire.””
I looked down at the papers.
“But Vanessa implied there was something worse.””
“She wants you suspicious of me.””
“She doesn’t need to try very hard right now.””
Dad nodded.
“That’s fair.””
Another knock interrupted us.
Madison again.
“Sorry.””
“What?””
“Someone’s at the door.””
Dad looked at the clock.
“The dress?””
“No.””
Her face was strange.
“There’s a man downstairs.””
“Who?””
“He says he’s here about Mom.””
Dad stood.
“Did you let him in?””
“No.””
“Good.””
We went downstairs.
Through the glass beside the front door, I saw a man in his fifties wearing a gray jacket.
Dad opened the door halfway.
“Can I help you?””
The man looked at him.
“David Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Eric Shaw.””
Dad’s posture changed.
“Do I know you?””
“No.””
Eric glanced past him.
“Is Vanessa here?””
“No.””
He sighed.
“Of course not.””
Dad’s voice hardened.
“What do you want?””
Eric reached into his jacket.
Dad immediately stepped forward.
The man stopped.
“Relax.””
He slowly removed an envelope.
“I’m not here to cause trouble.””
He held it out.
“I’m here because Vanessa owes money.””
Dad didn’t take it.
“How much?””
“Thirty-two thousand.””
So that part was true.
“What kind of lender are you?””
Eric gave him a tired look.
“Not the kind you’re imagining.””
Dad said nothing.
Eric continued.
“I own a private jewelry business.””
Madison appeared behind us.
“My mom bought jewelry?””
Eric looked at her.
“Not exactly.””
Dad finally took the envelope.
“What is this?””
“Copies of invoices.””
He opened it.
His eyes moved across the pages.
“What the hell?””
“What?”” I asked.
Dad handed me one.
I didn’t understand most of it.
Jewelry descriptions.
Amounts.
Dates.
Then one name jumped out.
Claire Bennett.
My mother.
“What is this?””
Eric looked at me.
“You’re Ava?””
“How do you know my name?””
Vanessa had clearly talked.
He sighed.
“Your stepmother contacted me about eight months ago.””
“For what?””
“She said she inherited a collection of jewelry.””
Dad went rigid.
“She did not.””
“I know that now.””
Eric continued.
“She asked me to sell several pieces privately.””
My skin prickled.
“What pieces?””
He pointed to the invoice in my hand.
A sapphire bracelet.
Diamond earrings.
An antique pendant.
Dad’s face went white.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He stared at the list.
“Those were Claire’s.””
My stomach dropped.
“Where were they?””
“In the safe.””
Everything inside me went cold.
Eric continued.
“Vanessa brought me seven items.””
“Seven?”” Dad whispered.
“She provided documents claiming ownership.””
“Forged?””
“I assume so.””
Dad’s jaw tightened.
“How does she owe you money?””
“Because three pieces were sold.””
I felt sick.
Eric continued.
“Then the original ownership issue surfaced during authentication on a fourth item.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“I froze the transaction.””
“What happened to the money from the first three?””
“I paid Vanessa.””
“How much?””
“Thirty-two thousand.””
Madison whispered, “Oh my God.””
Eric nodded.
“When questions arose, I demanded repayment while the ownership issue was investigated.””
Dad stared at the invoices.
“She spent it.””
“That would be my guess.””
I could barely speak.
“My mother’s jewelry.””
Eric looked uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry.””
“Can we get it back?””
“The unsold pieces, yes.””
“And the sold ones?””
He hesitated.
“Possibly.””
That meant maybe not.
My eyes burned again.
Dad looked ready to break something.
Instead, he took a slow breath.
“Why come here today?””
Eric looked toward the driveway.
“Vanessa called me twenty minutes ago.””
We all froze.
“What did she say?”” Dad asked.
“She said she was leaving town.””
Madison stepped forward.
“What?””
Eric continued.
“She offered me something else as collateral if I would give her more time.””
Dad’s face hardened.
“What?””
Eric looked directly at me.
“The remaining item from Claire Bennett’s collection.””
My heartbeat stopped.
Dad whispered, “There is no remaining item.””
Eric pulled out his phone, then seemed to think better of showing it to us.
“She sent me a description.””
“What description?””
His eyes moved to me.
“A diamond necklace with a blue center stone.””
Dad stumbled backward.
I caught his arm.
“What?””
He stared at Eric.
“That necklace wasn’t in the safe.””
“Where was it?””
Dad turned toward me.
His face had gone completely white.
“Your mother was buried wearing it.””
The entryway went silent.
Then Madison whispered, “Mom wouldn’t.””
But Dad was already moving.
He grabbed his keys.
“Where is Vanessa?””
Eric shook his head.
“I don’t know.””
Dad headed toward the door.
I followed.
“Ava, stay here.””
“No.””
“This isn’t—”
“She stole from my mother.””
“Ava.””
“If Vanessa has that necklace, then I’m coming.””
Madison stepped forward.
“So am I.””
Dad looked at both of us.
Then his phone rang.
He stopped.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
Then his face changed.
“Vanessa?””
I could hear her crying through the phone.
Dad put it on speaker.
“Where are you?””
Vanessa’s breathing came fast.
“David, listen to me.””
“Where did you get Claire’s necklace?””
Silence.
Then Vanessa whispered, “You don’t understand.””
My stomach dropped.
Dad’s voice hardened.
“You opened Claire’s grave?””
Madison made a choking sound.
Vanessa cried harder.
“No.””
“Then how do you have the necklace?””
“I don’t.””
“Eric says you offered it as collateral.””
“He misunderstood.””
Eric shook his head.
Dad stared at the phone.
“Where are you?””
Vanessa whispered, “At the cemetery.””
Nobody breathed.
May you like
Then she said the sentence that sent Dad running for the door.
“And I need you to get here before the police do.””
