Chapter 4 - Maria Had Recorded More Than ScreamingDaniel did not show Vanessa the message.
He slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Who is Caleb Ross?”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
“You know who Caleb is.”
“I know he’s Whitmore Development’s general counsel.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Does he work for Northline?”
“No.”
“Does he work for your family?”
“No.”
Margaret interrupted.
“He prepared the documents.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“The trust papers. Caleb’s name was on them.”
Vanessa snapped, “Because he’s your lawyer.”
“He’s the company’s lawyer,” Daniel said. “He doesn’t handle my mother’s personal estate.”
“He was helping.”
“Without telling me?”
Vanessa’s tone sharpened.
“You’re acting like everyone is conspiring against you.”
Daniel looked at his mother’s ruined hair.
“At this point, I’m considering the possibility.”
Maria moved toward the door.
“I think I should leave.”
Daniel turned.
“Please don’t.”
“I’ve worked here three years. Today your wife assaulted your mother and you hit me for trying to stop her.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
Maria continued.
“I don’t want to be part of whatever this is.”
Margaret reached for her hand.
“Maria.”
Maria stopped.
“You cannot leave yet.”
“Mrs. Whitmore…”
“You have the recording.”
Vanessa went completely still.
Daniel looked at Maria.
“What recording?”
Maria closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want to get involved.”
“What recording?”
Maria reached into the pocket of her cardigan.
She removed her phone.
Vanessa lunged.
Daniel caught her arm.
“Give me that!” Vanessa shouted.
That reaction answered the question before Maria played anything.
“Let go of me!”
Daniel did.
But he stepped between Vanessa and Maria.
Maria unlocked the phone.
“Mrs. Whitmore asked me last week to start recording whenever Mrs. Vanessa came into this room alone.”
Daniel stared at his mother.
“You were that afraid of her?”
Margaret looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Sunday dinner.”
Daniel remembered.
Margaret had asked to speak privately.
Vanessa developed a headache.
Daniel drove her home early.
He had promised to call his mother the next morning.
He never did.
Work happened.
Meetings happened.
Life happened.
Or perhaps Vanessa had simply learned how to make sure the conversation never occurred.
Maria pressed play.
At first there was only room noise.
Then Vanessa’s voice.
“You’re going to sign it eventually.”
Margaret replied, “No.”
“You really think Daniel will choose you over me?”
“I’m not asking him to choose.”
“He already has.”
Daniel swallowed.
The recording continued.
Margaret: “You’re stealing from him.”
Vanessa: “Be very careful.”
Margaret: “Is that a threat?”
Vanessa laughed.
Then she said something that made Daniel’s skin go cold.
“Old women fall. Old women forget. Old women say things nobody believes.”
No one in the bedroom moved.
Maria stopped the recording.
Vanessa’s face had lost its color.
Daniel stared at her.
“You threatened my mother.”
“It was an argument.”
“You threatened to make people think she was senile.”
“That is not what I said.”
Maria replayed the sentence.
Old women fall. Old women forget. Old women say things nobody believes.
Vanessa snapped, “Turn it off!”
Daniel’s voice became quiet.
“Why?”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Because this is ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous?”
“Your mother has hated me since the day we met. Now she gets Maria to secretly record me and suddenly I’m some criminal mastermind?”
“You shaved her hair.”
Vanessa looked away.
“Why?”
No answer.
“WHY?”
His shout made Margaret flinch.
Daniel immediately lowered his voice.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“She was hiding something.”
“The bank records?”
“I didn’t know what.”
“You cut an elderly woman’s hair because she wouldn’t tell you where she put an envelope?”
“She was provoking me.”
Maria stared at her.
“That is your explanation?”
Vanessa turned.
“You stay out of this.”
“No.”
The single word surprised everyone.
Maria stepped forward.
“No. You blamed me. You made him believe I hurt her. You stood behind him while he hit me.”
Vanessa’s mouth tightened.
“And if Mrs. Whitmore hadn’t spoken, you would have let him fire me or call the police.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Maria was right.
Vanessa would have watched it happen.
Perhaps she had planned exactly that.
Margaret spoke softly.
“That was the purpose.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“She needed Maria gone.”
“Why?”
“Because Maria controls my medication.”
Silence.
Maria turned toward the bedside table.
Her face changed.
She walked to the pill organizer.
“Mrs. Whitmore, did you take your morning tablets?”
“Yes.”
Maria opened Monday’s compartment.
Empty.
Then Tuesday.
Wednesday.
She looked confused.
“These aren’t the pills I prepared.”
Daniel moved closer.
“What do you mean?”
“The colors are wrong.”
Vanessa laughed nervously.
“Generic medications look different all the time.”
“I filled this organizer yesterday.”
Maria opened the drawer and removed several prescription bottles.
One bottle was missing.
“Where is her donepezil?”
Daniel frowned.
“My mother doesn’t take donepezil.”
Maria slowly looked at him.
“No. She doesn’t.”
Margaret whispered, “What is it?”
Maria’s face had gone pale.
“It’s commonly prescribed for dementia.”
Daniel turned toward Vanessa.
Vanessa took a step backward.
May you like
And suddenly the accusation that Margaret was “confused” looked less like an observation.
It looked like preparation.
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