Chapter 3 - Callum Had an Alibi for Half the CrimeCallum arrived at the hospital furious.
Not frightened.
Not guilty.
Furious.
“You gave police my prescription records?”
Genevieve stared at him.
“They found your medication beside my son.”
“I keep the bottle at Mom’s house.”
“Why?”
“Because I stay there sometimes.”
“You were at my house today.”
“For twenty minutes.”
“You went upstairs.”
“To get Dad’s old tax binder.”
“You asked Maribel about Dad’s study.”
Callum’s face tightened.
“Because I thought she might have moved things.”
“She’s a tutor.”
“She’s also in the house five days a week.”
Genevieve crossed her arms.
“Where were you between two and three?”
“Office.”
“Can anyone confirm?”
“Twenty people.”
Detective Morgan checked.
Callum had chaired a video conference from 2:08 until 3:04.
More than a dozen executives saw him continuously.
Maribel’s tea was likely drugged around 2:15.
Unless Callum prepared it before leaving—
he could not have physically added the medication.
But he could have arranged for someone else to.
“Who else has access to your prescription?” Morgan asked.
Callum looked annoyed.
“My mother.”
“Anyone else?”
“My assistant sometimes picks it up.”
“Name?”
“Sebastian Reed.”
Genevieve knew Sebastian.
Callum’s chief of staff.
Thirty-six.
Quiet.
Efficient.
Almost invisible at family events.
“Was Sebastian at my house?”
Callum frowned.
“No.”
Genevieve remembered seeing a black sedan when she left that morning.
Sebastian drove one.
Detective Morgan asked:
“Where is the bottle now?”
Callum called Beatrice.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Genevieve’s stomach tightened.
“Where is Mom?”
Callum checked his phone.
“She was supposed to meet Laurel for dinner.”
Genevieve called her sister.
Laurel answered immediately.
“Hey.”
“Is Mom with you?”
“No.”
“She canceled.”
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
“Did she say why?”
“She said she felt sick.”
Genevieve looked at Callum.
“Where?”
“Home, I assumed.”
Police went to Beatrice’s townhouse.
Empty.
No sign of forced entry.
Her purse was gone.
Car gone.
Callum’s medication bottle was found inside the bathroom cabinet.
Empty.
Pharmacy records showed thirty tablets dispensed two days earlier.
Callum swore he took only two.
Twenty-eight missing.
Enough to matter.
Detective Morgan asked Genevieve about family conflict.
She almost laughed.
Callum and Everett fought constantly during Everett’s final year.
Callum wanted to expand into international logistics.
Everett wanted to reduce debt.
Laurel wanted to sell several properties.
Genevieve wanted nothing to do with daily operations after her husband died.
Wait.
Morgan noticed.
“Your husband?”
“Adrian.”
“When did he die?”
“Six years ago.”
“Before your father?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Plane crash.”
The detective paused.
“Private aircraft?”
“Yes.”
“Any connection to Ashford Meridian?”
“He worked there.”
“What role?”
“Chief financial officer.”
Morgan looked up.
Genevieve understood the significance only when she saw the detective’s expression.
Her husband had managed Everett’s finances.
Then died.
Two years later Everett recorded a warning about family secrets.
Then Everett died.
Genevieve had never connected them.
Why would she?
Adrian’s crash had been attributed to mechanical failure.
Everett’s death to cardiac arrest.
Two separate tragedies.
Now she wasn’t sure.
Callum seemed to realize the same thing.
“Don't.”
Genevieve looked at him.
“What?”
“Don't turn Adrian’s accident into some conspiracy.”
“I didn't.”
“You’re thinking it.”
“So are you.”
Callum looked away.
Genevieve remembered something.
After Adrian’s death, Everett became obsessed with reviewing old financial statements.
He said he wanted to understand what Adrian had been working on.
Callum called it grief.
Maybe it wasn't.
“What was Adrian investigating before he died?” Genevieve asked.
Callum shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“You answered too quickly.”
“He was CFO. He investigated numbers every day.”
“Dad changed after Adrian died.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because his son-in-law died.”
“No.”
Genevieve stared at him.
“He started locking files.”
Callum became still.
“He stopped discussing board matters at home.”
No answer.
“He hired an outside forensic accountant.”
Callum looked at her sharply.
Genevieve had forgotten that.
A woman named Vivian Cole.
She worked for Everett for three months.
Then suddenly left.
“What happened to Vivian?”
Callum shrugged.
“Dad fired her.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me.”
Genevieve felt something shift.
Everyone in this family seemed to remember Everett telling them something different.
She called Rachel Foster, the former family attorney who handled Everett’s estate.
“Do you remember Vivian Cole?”
Silence.
Then:
“Why?”
Genevieve’s pulse accelerated.
“Was she fired?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Rachel hesitated.
“Everett sent her away.”
“Why?”
“He believed someone was watching her.”
Genevieve stared.
“Who?”
“He never told me.”
“Where is she now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did she have any of Dad’s files?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Financial.”
“Did she have a recorder?”
Rachel went silent.
Genevieve stood.
“Rachel.”
“I saw one.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Silver?”
“Yes.”
Same recorder.
The one found in Maribel’s bag.
“Did Everett give it to her?”
“I think so.”
“Then Vivian may have given it to Maribel.”
Rachel sounded confused.
“Who is Maribel?”
Genevieve froze.
The family lawyer who knew Everett’s secrets had never heard of the tutor.
So the recorder had traveled through at least one unknown person before reaching the house.
Then Callum’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed immediately.
“What?”
Genevieve watched.
Callum lowered the phone.
“That was Mom.”
“Where is she?”
“She won't say.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes.”
“What does she want?”
Callum looked toward Genevieve.
“She said the recorder should never have come back.”
The room went silent.
Genevieve stared.
“How does she know it came back?”
Callum swallowed.
“She said…”
May you like
His voice lowered.
“…because she was the one who gave it away four years ago.”
Related Stories
