Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN BEFORE THE CRASH
Adrian replayed the recording until Rachel took the device away.
“Enough.”
“No.”
“You heard it.”
“I want to hear her voice.”
Rachel’s expression softened.
“That’s exactly why you need to stop.”
Adrian looked toward Sophie’s room.
He lowered his voice.
“Vanessa killed my wife.”
Mercer sat against the wall, pressing a towel to his bleeding side.
“She hit Emily’s car.”
“Why wasn’t that on the police report?”
“Because I removed it.”
Adrian crossed the room and punched Mercer in the face.
Mercer fell sideways.
Rachel stepped between them.
“Adrian!”
“He buried my wife’s murder!”
Mercer wiped blood from his lip.
“I deserve worse.”
“You’re damn right.”
“But if you kill me, Lucas wins.”
That stopped him.
Mercer continued.
“The crash didn’t kill Emily immediately.”
Adrian stared.
“What?”
“She survived the first impact.”
“I know. She died later from internal injuries.”
Mercer shook his head.
“No.”
The room became silent.
“Explain.”
“When paramedics found her, she was conscious. Stable enough to speak. Her injuries were serious, but the doctors thought she’d survive.”
Adrian’s mouth went dry.
“That’s not what I was told.”
“I know.”
“Then what happened?”
Mercer looked away.
“Someone visited her before you arrived.”
Adrian’s heart slammed against his ribs.
“Who?”
“Vanessa.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“No.”
“She used a visitor badge belonging to a hospital administrator.”
“What did she do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Mercer looked ashamed.
“I was outside the room.”
“And you let her in?”
“Lucas told me it was just to scare Emily into silence.”
Adrian grabbed him by the shirt.
“My wife died in that room.”
“I know.”
“What did Vanessa do?”
Mercer whispered, “After she left, Emily crashed.”
Rachel turned pale.
“You think Vanessa finished the job?”
“I think she made sure Emily couldn’t talk.”
Adrian released him.
The rage inside him became colder.
Sharper.
Deadlier.
Rachel walked to the window.
“We need hospital records.”
“Three years old,” Mercer said. “Some may be gone.”
“Security footage?”
“Deleted.”
Adrian pulled out Emily’s old phone.
“Maybe Emily knew.”
He searched messages from the day of the crash.
Nothing.
Then Sophie came into the room holding the teddy bear.
The bear had been partially dried and wrapped in a pillowcase.
“Daddy?”
“You should be sleeping.”
“I heard Mommy’s voice.”
Adrian crouched beside her.
“I’m sorry.”
Sophie hugged the bear.
Then frowned.
“There’s something else inside.”
Rachel looked over.
“What?”
Sophie squeezed one of the bear’s legs.
A hard shape pressed beneath the fabric.
Adrian carefully opened the already torn seam.
He reached inside.
His fingers found plastic.
A tiny memory card.
Rachel inhaled sharply.
They inserted it into a laptop.
One video file.
Date: the night before Emily’s crash.
Emily appeared on screen.
She looked exhausted.
Scared.
But determined.
“If you’re watching this, I couldn’t stop them.”
Adrian covered his mouth.
Emily continued.
“Vanessa is stealing money with Lucas.”
Then she paused.
“But the money isn’t the worst part.”
Adrian leaned closer.
Emily looked directly into the camera.
“Adrian, Vanessa didn’t choose you after I died.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“She chose you before.”
May you like
Then Emily said something no one in the room expected.
“She was sleeping with Lucas the entire time.”
