Chapter 14 - The First Body in the LakeThomas Bell’s death had barely made local news.
Foundation accountant.
Forty-six.
Found floating near the north bank after a Whitmore charity weekend.
Toxicology showed alcohol.
Cause: accidental drowning.
No signs of violence.
Case closed.
Daniel found the old report.
Thomas had supposedly been drinking alone after the event.
But one witness said he had argued with Robert Whitmore earlier that evening.
That statement disappeared from later summaries.
The witness?
Nolan Pierce.
Daniel confronted Nolan in his hospital room.
“You saw Thomas argue with Dad.”
Nolan looked tired.
“Yes.”
“What about?”
“Money.”
“Bellmere?”
“Yes.”
“Why was that removed from the report?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were the family attorney.”
“I advised cooperation.”
“That is not an answer.”
Nolan looked away.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Did Dad kill Thomas?”
“No.”
“Rachel?”
“I don’t know.”
“Margaret?”
“No.”
“Richard?”
Nolan’s silence changed.
Daniel stared.
“Richard was there.”
“Yes.”
“He wasn’t on the guest list.”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Nolan rubbed his face.
“Thomas had discovered Richard was signing Robert’s name on transfers.”
“Forgery.”
“Yes.”
“He threatened to report it.”
“Yes.”
“Then he drowned.”
Nolan’s eyes filled.
“I told myself it was coincidence.”
“For seven years?”
“I was afraid.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Fear has funded half this family.”
Nolan flinched.
“Did you see Richard near the lake?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“After midnight.”
“Thomas died around midnight.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell police?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Robert asked me not to.”
Daniel stared.
“Dad protected Richard.”
“Yes.”
“Even after murder.”
“We didn’t know it was murder.”
“You suspected.”
“Yes.”
Daniel stepped away.
Claire had uncovered not just financial fraud.
She had uncovered a suspicious death.
Maybe that was why Rachel and Richard were so desperate.
If the master ledger connected payments around Thomas Bell’s death, it could expose everyone.
Officer Shaw arrived with an update.
Wildlife teams had reached the island vault.
Inside:
Nothing.
Empty shelves.
Fresh footprints.
Someone had already removed the ledger.
“When?” Daniel asked.
“Likely within the last week.”
Richard was in police custody.
Margaret claimed she had never accessed the island.
Nolan was hospitalized.
Rachel remained missing.
“Rachel,” Daniel said.
Shaw nodded.
“Most likely.”
Then a technician found one surviving item.
A small memory card wedged behind a shelf.
Video file.
Recorded by Robert.
Seven years earlier.
Daniel watched.
His father appeared older than Daniel remembered at that time.
Angry.
“If you are seeing this, then Thomas Bell is dead.”
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
Robert continued.
“He confronted Richard tonight.”
A pause.
“I followed them.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
“Richard struck Thomas.”
Margaret covered her mouth beside him.
“Thomas fell into the water.”
Robert looked haunted.
“He was conscious.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“Richard could have pulled him out.”
A long pause.
“He didn’t.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Thomas Bell had not been murdered by a blow.
He had been left to drown.
Robert continued.
“I helped Richard hide what happened.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
His father confessed.
“I told myself I was protecting my brother.”
Robert looked directly into the camera.
“I was protecting myself. If Richard talked, Bellmere ended. My name ended.”
Daniel felt disgust.
Then Robert said:
“Margaret does not know.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
She was crying.
For once, perhaps truthfully innocent.
“Rachel knows.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“She saw us move Thomas’s phone.”
So Rachel had been involved from the beginning.
Robert continued.
“Nolan suspects.”
Another pause.
“If Claire ever finds this…”
Daniel stopped.
Robert already knew Claire was suspicious seven years ago?
“She asked questions about Thomas’s missing work files.”
Daniel had not realized Claire’s investigation began so long ago.
His father sighed.
“I lied to her.”
Then:
“I should have told her then.”
The file ended.
Officer Shaw looked grim.
“This changes everything.”
Richard would now face investigation for Thomas Bell’s death.
Robert was dead.
Rachel could face obstruction.
Nolan too.
Margaret sat silently.
Daniel looked at her.
“Did you know Claire had been investigating for seven years?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Daniel believed her.
Which somehow made everything worse.
Claire had carried this alone.
For years.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A video call request.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Rachel Vale appeared.
Brown hair.
Same woman from the hospital.
Sophie’s red bracelet around her wrist.
Daniel stood.
“Where are you?”
Rachel smiled faintly.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“You went near my daughter.”
“She has something I need.”
“You touch her again—”
“Relax.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Wrong word.”
Rachel’s smile disappeared.
“Richard is lying.”
“About what?”
“Claire.”
Daniel froze.
Rachel leaned toward the camera.
“Richard didn’t just meet Claire before the crash.”
A pause.
“He was in her car.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
“And when Claire went through the guardrail…”
May you like
Rachel’s voice became quiet.
“…Richard was sitting beside her.”
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