Chapter 5 - CLAIRE’S LAST NIGHT
Daniel wanted to kill him.
Not metaphorically.
Not in anger.
For one dark second, he actually imagined wrapping his hands around his brother’s throat.
Then Mia touched his arm.
“Dad?”
Her voice pulled him back.
Daniel crouched beside her.
“Stay with Rachel.”
“No.”
“Mia.”
“I’m staying with you.”
He almost argued.
Then stopped.
Claire had said the same thing all the time.
I’m staying with you.
Even when life got ugly.
Especially then.
Daniel stood.
“Eric, if you know anything about Claire’s death, tell me.”
Eric pointed at the papers.
“Signature.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“You don’t have to play his game.”
Eric laughed.
“You don’t even know the game.”
Vanessa looked furious now.
“This was not part of our agreement.”
Eric snapped toward her.
“You keep saying that like I care.”
She slapped him.
Hard.
The room gasped.
Eric’s head turned.
Slowly, he looked back at her.
Vanessa immediately seemed to regret it.
Eric smiled.
“You should be careful.”
“You used me.”
“You used Daniel.”
“That was different.”
“Of course.”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“How long?”
She didn’t answer.
“How long have you been working with him?”
Her eyes filled.
“Daniel—”
“How. Long?”
“Eight months.”
His chest tightened.
They had been engaged for ten months.
Eric had introduced them.
Of course he had.
Daniel laughed once.
It sounded broken.
“You picked her.”
Eric shrugged.
“She was available.”
Thomas said, “She’s always available when money’s involved.”
Vanessa spun.
“Shut your mouth!”
Thomas didn’t blink.
Daniel looked at Eric.
“Claire.”
Eric’s smile faded.
“That night, she called me.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“Two hours before the crash.”
“You told me you hadn’t spoken to her.”
“I lied.”
Mia squeezed Daniel’s hand.
Eric continued.
“She found something.”
“What?”
“Financial records.”
Daniel stared.
“Whose?”
“Mine.”
The chapel disappeared around Daniel.
All he could see was Eric.
“What financial records?”
“I’d been moving money out of the company.”
Daniel’s mother began crying.
“Eric…”
He ignored her.
“Small amounts at first. Then larger.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You were stealing from me?”
“From the company.”
“That company was our father’s.”
“And he gave you control.”
“Because you didn’t want it!”
Eric laughed bitterly.
“No. He didn’t trust me.”
Daniel said nothing.
Eric stepped closer.
“Claire found the transfers. She told me she was going to tell you.”
Daniel’s hands curled into fists.
“What did you do?”
Eric’s eyes flickered.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
“I told her she was making a mistake.”
“What did you do?”
“She left.”
“ERIC!”
His brother’s composure finally cracked.
“I FOLLOWED HER!”
Mia flinched.
Silence swallowed the chapel.
Eric breathed hard.
Daniel felt cold all over.
“You followed Claire?”
“In my car.”
“Why?”
“To talk.”
“At seventy miles an hour?”
“She wouldn’t stop.”
Daniel’s jaw trembled.
“And then?”
Eric looked away.
It was enough.
Daniel grabbed him by the jacket.
“What happened?”
“She lost control.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“I didn’t touch her car.”
“Why did she lose control?”
Eric’s eyes met his.
“I got close.”
Daniel’s face went empty.
“How close?”
Eric swallowed.
“Too close.”
Daniel slammed him against the wall.
Guests screamed.
Mia cried out.
Daniel pressed his forearm to Eric’s throat.
“You ran my wife off the road.”
“No!”
“You killed her!”
“I didn’t mean for her to crash!”
Daniel pulled his fist back.
Then Noah shouted.
“STOP!”
Daniel froze.
Noah pointed at his camera bag.
“There’s more.”
Everyone turned.
Noah crouched and pulled out a small black external recorder.
“I use backup audio during weddings.”
Eric’s face changed.
Noah looked at Daniel.
“The camera caught Eric and Vanessa.”
He swallowed.
“But this caught another conversation.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“With who?”
Noah looked straight at Vanessa.
“With your bride.”
May you like
Vanessa stared at him.
“And someone she called Claire’s killer.”
