Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN IN WHITE
Police locked down the estate.
Every door.
Every gate.
Every service road.
The guests were moved into the ballroom and questioned one by one.
Evelyn sat in her father’s old study with Marcus, Chloe, and Detective Lena Hart.
The detective placed Daniel’s phone on the desk.
“The message is real.”
Chloe hugged herself.
“My mother wouldn’t kill someone.”
Detective Hart watched her carefully.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Chloe looked at her.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re thinking it.”
Evelyn leaned back.
“I’m thinking your mother helped my husband build a financial trap around both our families.”
“Ex-husband.”
“Not legally yet.”
Chloe flinched.
Evelyn softened slightly.
“Sorry.”
Chloe stared at the carpet.
“He told me you signed the divorce papers.”
“I signed mine.”
“And him?”
“He stalled.”
“Why?”
Evelyn looked toward Daniel’s phone.
“Because staying legally connected to me gave him access he shouldn’t have had.”
Detective Hart nodded.
“That matches what we’re finding.”
Marcus frowned.
“Finding?”
The detective opened a folder.
“Daniel Mercer has been moving money through at least seven companies.”
“His companies?” Evelyn asked.
“Some.”
“And the others?”
“Connected to Whitmore Capital.”
Chloe looked up.
“No.”
Detective Hart slid a paper across the desk.
Chloe read it.
Her face collapsed.
“My mother’s signature.”
Evelyn leaned over.
Victoria Whitmore had authorized multiple transfers.
Millions.
Marcus whispered, “She was in on it.”
Chloe shook her head.
“No. Someone forged that.”
Detective Hart said, “Possibly.”
Chloe looked hopeful.
“Really?”
Hart’s expression stayed flat.
“Or she signed them.”
The room went quiet.
A knock interrupted them.
An officer stepped in.
“Detective.”
Hart stood.
“What?”
“We found a woman inside the house.”
Evelyn frowned.
“Who?”
“She was hiding in a guest room.”
Chloe stood immediately.
“My mother?”
The officer shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
The officer glanced at Evelyn.
“She says her name is Natalie Shaw.”
Evelyn went cold.
Marcus noticed.
“You know her.”
Evelyn didn’t answer.
Chloe looked between them.
“Who is Natalie Shaw?”
Evelyn stood slowly.
“Daniel’s assistant.”
Marcus frowned.
“Former assistant?”
“No.”
Chloe’s face twisted.
“He told me his assistant was a man.”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Daniel tells people whatever makes the next lie easier.”
They followed the officer upstairs.
Natalie sat in a small sitting room wrapped in a blanket.
She was thirty-two.
Brunette.
Elegant.
Terrified.
Evelyn entered.
Natalie looked up and began crying.
“Mrs. Mercer.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“I’m sorry.”
Detective Hart sat across from her.
“Why were you hiding?”
Natalie looked toward the door.
“Daniel told me to.”
“Why?”
“He said if anything went wrong, I should wait upstairs.”
Evelyn folded her arms.
“What were you doing here?”
Natalie stared at her hands.
“Working.”
“On what?”
No answer.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“Natalie.”
The woman looked up.
“You processed the transfers from Michael’s foundation.”
Natalie started shaking.
“I didn’t know.”
“You had my login.”
“He gave it to me.”
“You knew it wasn’t his.”
Natalie cried harder.
“He told me you approved everything.”
Evelyn’s anger rose.
“You never called me.”
“I was scared.”
“Of me?”
Natalie looked toward the hallway.
“No.”
“Of Daniel?”
Silence.
Evelyn’s voice softened.
“What did he do?”
Natalie touched her wrist.
A faint bruise showed beneath her sleeve.
Chloe stared at it.
Natalie whispered, “Daniel doesn’t like people saying no.”
The room went very still.
Detective Hart leaned forward.
“Did Daniel threaten you tonight?”
Natalie nodded.
“What did he say?”
“He said Evelyn had proof.”
Evelyn’s skin prickled.
Natalie continued.
“He said if you showed it publicly, everything would collapse.”
“What did he tell you to do?”
Natalie looked at Evelyn.
“He told me to go into your bedroom.”
Evelyn stopped.
“My bedroom?”
“And find the blue safe.”
Nobody spoke.
Evelyn’s voice dropped.
“Did you?”
Natalie nodded.
“Was it open?”
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
Natalie began sobbing.
“I heard someone behind me.”
“Who?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“A man?”
“No.”
Natalie looked at Chloe.
“A woman.”
Chloe went pale.
Natalie whispered, “She was wearing white gloves.”
Then she reached into the blanket.
The officers immediately tensed.
Natalie pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
“I found this on the floor after she left.”
Evelyn took it.
May you like
One sentence was handwritten across the page.
EVELYN WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE MICHAEL’S ACCIDENT.
