Chapter 9 - The Woman Evelyn Wanted Gone
Danielle moved out of the mansion that afternoon.
Not permanently.
Not yet.
She took Mia, Cooper, two suitcases, and the folder containing Robert’s letter.
Lucas stayed.
That hurt.
He said he needed access to the company records.
Danielle told herself she believed him.
She checked into a suite at a hotel in White Plains under her maiden name.
Mia thought it was an adventure.
“Is this our new house?”
“No, baby.”
“Where’s Daddy?”
“Working.”
“Where’s Grandma?”
Danielle paused while unpacking pajamas.
“At home.”
Mia considered this.
“Is Grandma in trouble?”
Danielle knelt.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Daddy had his mad eyebrows.”
Despite everything, Danielle laughed.
“Yes. Daddy had his mad eyebrows.”
Mia smiled.
Then her expression changed.
“Grandma said you get mad too much.”
Danielle stopped.
“When did she say that?”
“At the pool.”
“Yesterday?”
Mia nodded.
“What else did she say?”
Mia played with the stuffed rabbit’s ear.
“She said Mommy sleeps too much.”
Danielle felt a slow burn in her chest.
“Anything else?”
“She said maybe I sleep at Grandma’s house if Mommy gets tired.”
There it was.
Not just an attack.
A story being built around it.
Danielle pulled Mia onto her lap.
“Listen to me. You never have to keep secrets from Mommy or Daddy, okay?”
Mia nodded.
“Even Grandma secrets?”
“Especially grown-up secrets that make you feel funny inside.”
Mia thought.
“Grandma said yellow-jacket secret.”
Danielle went still.
“What yellow-jacket secret?”
“She said don’t bother Mommy.”
Danielle forced her voice to remain calm.
“What happened?”
Mia shrugged.
“Grandma fixed it.”
“Fixed what?”
“My dolphin jacket.”
Danielle’s heartbeat quickened.
“How?”
Mia made a vague pinching motion.
Then became distracted by Cooper climbing onto the carpet beside them.
Three-year-olds were terrible witnesses.
But they were sometimes honest in ways adults couldn’t survive.
Danielle did not ask more.
She called Ortiz.
The detective listened.
“That’s useful,” she said, “but don’t repeatedly question her. We don’t want to influence her memory.”
“What happens now?”
“I’m consulting with the district attorney’s office.”
“Is Evelyn going to be arrested?”
“I can’t answer that yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because suspicion isn’t enough. We need evidence connecting her to the damage.”
Danielle stared at the hotel wall.
“She was there.”
“Yes.”
“She lied about the vest.”
“Yes.”
“She lied about her phone.”
“Yes.”
“She cleared the nanny out today.”
“Yes.”
“She benefits financially if Mia dies.”
Ortiz paused.
“That last part is important.”
“You spoke to Keene?”
“He contacted us through counsel.”
Danielle exhaled.
“How much evidence do you need?”
“As much as it takes to survive a defense attorney.”
After the call, Danielle sat on the bed.
Cooper placed his chin on her knee.
“You’re the only one who saw it.”
He sighed.
“Very helpful.”
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
A man said, “Is this Danielle Carter?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Mark Harlan.”
She knew the name.
Chief financial officer of Carter Residential Holdings.
“What do you want?”
“To talk.”
“About?”
“Project Harbor.”
Danielle stood.
“How did you get my number?”
“Robert gave it to me.”
“When?”
“Before he died.”
“Why haven’t you called until now?”
Silence.
“Because I was afraid.”
Danielle looked at Mia.
The child was feeding imaginary soup to Cooper.
“Of Evelyn?”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
Mark breathed slowly.
“She has something on everyone.”
“What does she have on you?”
“That’s easier to explain in person.”
“I’m not meeting you alone.”
“Good.”
Danielle frowned.
“What?”
“You shouldn’t trust me either.”
That sounded more honest than anything she had heard all day.
“Where?”
“There’s a diner on Central Avenue. Public. Cameras everywhere.”
“When?”
“Forty minutes.”
Danielle looked at Mia.
“I can’t.”
“Then tomorrow morning.”
“What’s the emergency?”
Mark went quiet.
When he answered, his voice had changed.
“Halcyon has to repay a private lender on Monday.”
“How much?”
“Twelve million.”
“I thought nine point seven was transferred.”
“That was interest and collateral support.”
Danielle’s mouth went dry.
“What happens Monday?”
“If they don’t pay, the lender starts collection.”
“Against whom?”
“That’s why I’m calling.”
Danielle waited.
Mark said, “Evelyn pledged Carter family assets she didn’t legally own.”
“Which assets?”
Another pause.
“Mia’s trust.”
Danielle closed her eyes.
“That’s impossible.”
“It should be.”
“Should be?”
“Robert found out.”
Danielle gripped the phone.
“And?”
Mark’s next words landed like a door slamming shut.
May you like
“He found out three days before the heart attack that killed him.”
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