Part 3
“If you want to know who killed your husband…”
Courtney’s voice came through the hospital door again.
“…you need to let me in.”
For a moment, I couldn’t move.
The room seemed to shrink around me.
My hands were trembling so badly that I nearly dropped my phone.
Samantha was still on the line.
“Victoria,” she said firmly, “don’t open that door.”
I stared at it.
“What if she’s telling the truth?”
“She may be.”
“Then I need to hear her.”
“From behind the door.”
I swallowed.
“Courtney,” I called.
She went silent.
“You have thirty seconds. Tell me why you think Lucas was murdered.”
Her breathing was audible through the door.
Then she said:
“Because your father wasn’t supposed to be driving that day.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“He told me he was going to meet Lucas.”
“When?”
“The afternoon before the accident.”
I stared at the door.
Samantha’s voice sharpened.
“Victoria, put her on speaker.”
I did.
“Courtney,” Samantha said, “this is Samantha Vance.”
There was a long pause.
“I know who you are.”
“Then you know lying to me won’t help you.”
“I know.”
“Start talking.”
Courtney’s voice cracked.
“Charles was angry with Lucas.”
“Why?”
“Because Lucas found out about the money.”
“What money?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“You’d better start being more specific.”
“I heard them arguing.”
“When?”
“The night before Lucas died.”
My heart pounded.
“What did Lucas say?”
Courtney hesitated.
“He said Charles had been stealing from the company.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
My father had always complained that Lucas was selfish.
That Lucas didn’t respect family.
That the company should have remained in Baldwin hands.
I had believed it was jealousy.
Maybe it was something much worse.
“What did Charles say?”
“He said the company was supposed to belong to him.”
“And Lucas?”
“He laughed.”
Courtney’s voice became quieter.
“He told Charles that he would never inherit anything from him.”
“Then what happened?”
“They started shouting.”
“And you?”
“I was upstairs.”
“You expect me to believe you didn’t hear anything else?”
“I heard Charles say, ‘If you don’t give it to me, I’ll take it.’”
I felt a chill run through me.
Samantha said nothing.
Courtney continued.
“The next morning, Lucas left.”
“Where was he going?”
“He said he had a meeting.”
“With whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Charles follow him?”
“No.”
She stopped.
Then added:
“At least, that’s what I thought.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“I saw his truck.”
“What truck?”
“Your father’s.”
My entire body went cold.
“Where?”
“On the highway.”
“When?”
“The day Lucas died.”
Silence.
I couldn’t hear anything except the monitor beside my bed.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“Courtney,” I whispered, “why didn’t you tell the police?”
“Because Charles threatened me.”
“With what?”
“He said if I talked, he’d make sure I disappeared.”
My blood ran cold.
Samantha interrupted.
“Courtney, where is Charles now?”
“I don’t know.”
“He left the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“He went back to your house.”
My heart jumped.
“What?”
“He said he had to find something before you did.”
I looked at Samantha.
“What?”
Courtney whispered:
“Lucas’s safe.”
Two hours later, the contractions had slowed.
The doctors had managed to stabilize me.
Lily was still inside me.
Still fighting.
So was I.
A detective arrived shortly afterward.
His name was Daniel Mercer.
He placed a folder on the table beside my bed.
“We reviewed the security footage from your property.”
I nodded.
“My father assaulted me.”
“Yes.”
“He’s being charged?”
“He will be.”
“Where is he?”
“We’re looking for him.”
My heart sank.
“He went back to the house.”
“We know.”
“Then why haven’t you arrested him?”
“We’re getting a warrant.”
“For what?”
Mercer looked at Samantha.
She nodded.
He opened the folder.
“We found evidence that your father accessed your husband’s office shortly after you were removed from the house.”
“What was he looking for?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Samantha leaned forward.
“There’s a safe.”
Mercer looked at her.
“You knew?”
“Lucas told me there was one.”
I stared at her.
“You never told me.”
“He instructed me not to.”
“Where is it?”
Samantha looked at me.
“Behind the bookcase.”
I suddenly remembered.
Lucas had always kept that particular section of the study locked.
I had asked him about it once.
He’d smiled and kissed my forehead.
“Someday.”
I had laughed.
“Someday what?”
“You’ll understand.”
I had forgotten.
Until now.
Mercer closed the folder.
“We have officers heading to the house.”
I whispered:
“What if Charles gets there first?”
“He won’t.”
But I knew from the look on his face that he wasn’t certain.
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