Chapter 9 - Someone Wanted Conrad to Believe the Fake DNA TestThe photograph was old.
Six years old, according to the timestamp printed on the back.
Elise stood outside a restaurant in downtown Chicago.
Beside her was a tall dark-haired man Conrad recognized immediately.
Dr. Nathan Cole.
Elise's college boyfriend.
Conrad stared.
Maureen knew that history.
Everyone did.
Elise and Nathan had dated for four years before she met Conrad.
They remained friendly.
Nathan eventually became a pediatric surgeon.
The photograph showed nothing romantic.
He was touching Elise's arm.
She was smiling.
That was all.
Yet after a fake DNA report, the image became poison.
Officer Ellis placed the photograph into evidence.
"Anyone else have access to the house?"
"Staff."
"Your mother?"
"Her code was disabled."
"Could she have had another key?"
"Possibly."
Security footage should have solved it.
Instead, the system had gone offline for forty-three minutes that afternoon.
Conrad stared at the outage log.
"Who can disable cameras remotely?"
"Me."
"Anyone else?"
Marisol answered from the doorway.
"Mrs. Whitaker used to."
Conrad turned.
"Elise?"
"No."
Marisol swallowed.
"Your mother."
Conrad felt anger rise.
"Why?"
"She had administrator access when you traveled."
He had forgotten.
Years earlier, Maureen complained the house cameras were confusing, so he gave her permissions.
He never revoked them.
Officer Ellis requested logs.
Conrad gave everything.
Then he called Nathan Cole.
Nathan answered after surgery.
"Conrad?"
"I need to ask you something uncomfortable."
"That sounds promising."
"Did you have an affair with Elise?"
Silence.
Then Nathan said:
"No."
No hesitation.
"Ever?"
"No."
"After we married?"
"Absolutely not."
"Did you meet her six years ago at Larkin's?"
Nathan thought.
"Yes."
Conrad's stomach tightened.
"Why?"
"She asked for medical advice."
"About Wren?"
"No."
"About what?"
Nathan became quiet.
"Your mother."
Conrad stopped.
"What?"
"Elise thought Maureen might be having cognitive problems."
"Why?"
"Paranoia. Fixation. Anger. Elise said Maureen had become convinced people were stealing from the family."
Conrad frowned.
"Did you evaluate her?"
"No. I told Elise I couldn't diagnose someone I'd never treated."
"Anything else?"
"Elise asked whether prolonged stress could make someone fabricate accusations."
Conrad looked at the fake DNA report.
"When?"
"That lunch."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Elise asked me not to."
Everyone had protected him through silence.
He hated it.
Nathan continued:
"Conrad, what happened?"
He told him enough.
Nathan swore softly.
"That picture."
"What about it?"
"Your mother saw us."
Conrad froze.
"How do you know?"
"She confronted Elise in the parking lot."
"About me?"
"She accused us of having an affair."
There it was.
The seed.
"Did Elise tell her the truth?"
"Yes."
"Did Maureen believe her?"
"No."
Nathan paused.
"She said she'd prove Wren wasn't yours."
Conrad closed his eyes.
Six years ago.
Wren had been two.
Maureen's obsession hadn't begun around Everett's trust challenge.
It predated it.
"Why would she care that much?"
Nathan answered carefully.
"Elise thought Maureen hated losing influence over you."
Conrad didn't respond.
"Your marriage changed your relationship with your mother."
That was true.
Before Elise, Conrad called Maureen every day.
Asked her opinion about everything.
After marriage, boundaries formed.
Maureen called Elise controlling.
Elise called Maureen intrusive.
Conrad stood between them and repeatedly chose peace over clarity.
Now he saw what peace had cost.
His phone buzzed.
Henry Lawson.
"Conrad, I found something."
"What?"
"Leonard Pike's companies received seven point eight million dollars from the foundation over nine years."
Conrad sat.
"Seven?"
"Almost eight."
"Services?"
"Consulting. Administrative management. Event planning."
"Legitimate?"
"Some. Not all."
"How much questionable?"
"At least five million."
Conrad stared at the photograph.
"Where is Leonard now?"
"Unknown."
"What does that mean?"
"He missed a meeting this afternoon. His office says he's traveling."
"Where?"
"They won't say."
Conrad's suspicion sharpened.
Then Henry added:
"Your mother filed documents for tomorrow's board meeting."
"What documents?"
"A petition questioning your fitness as CEO."
Conrad laughed.
"On what basis?"
"Emotional instability."
There it was again.
The same tactic Maureen used on Wren.
Make the target unbelievable.
"Anything else?"
Henry hesitated.
"She included the DNA report."
Conrad stood.
"What does Wren's paternity have to do with my job?"
"Nothing directly."
"Then why?"
"Because she claims you concealed a family inheritance dispute that may affect company voting shares."
Of course.
Maureen was moving first.
If Conrad produced Everett's evidence, she would be accused of fabricating a DNA report and misusing foundation money.
So she would make the entire conflict look like a bitter son attacking his mother over paternity.
Conrad looked again at the photograph planted in his house.
It wasn't meant to convince police.
It was meant to hurt him emotionally.
To make him doubt Elise.
To make him hesitate.
His phone vibrated with an email from the board.
Attached were Maureen's allegations.
Conrad opened the final page.
One statement made him stop breathing.
I have reason to believe Conrad Whitaker knew for years that Wren Whitaker was not his biological child.
Conrad stared.
Then beneath it:
I can produce a witness who heard Elise Whitaker admit the truth before her death.
Conrad immediately called Henry.
"Who is the witness?"
Henry's voice was grim.
"You aren't going to like it."
May you like
"Who?"
"Marisol Vega."
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