Chapter 8 - The First Truth Charlotte ToldNobody trusted Charlotte enough to get into her car.
So they talked inside the library's security office with two uniformed officers present.
Charlotte looked furious about the arrangement.
Lena seemed delighted.
“Start talking,” the detective said.
Charlotte looked at Mia.
“Your mother contacted me six days ago.”
Mia's heart jumped.
“How?”
“Encrypted email.”
“Show me.”
Charlotte opened her phone.
Message.
From an address Mia didn't recognize.
You found her trail. Stop looking. If Victor gets Mia, Julian died for nothing.
Mia read it twice.
“That's Mom?”
“I believe so.”
“Why?”
“Because attached was something only Anna could have.”
Charlotte opened an image.
A photograph of Julian asleep on a couch.
Young.
Unposed.
Mia looked at June.
June nodded slowly.
“Anna took that.”
Charlotte continued.
“I traced the email.”
Lena's voice sharpened.
“You what?”
“I hired someone.”
“Of course.”
“It bounced through multiple servers. Last physical connection was near a property in Topanga Canyon.”
“And?”
“My people found signs someone had been held there.”
Mia stopped breathing.
“Mom?”
“Maybe.”
“Who owns it?”
Charlotte hesitated.
“Graham Reed.”
Everyone became silent.
Mia remembered the lawyer touching her guitar case.
Lena typed something into her phone.
“I want the address.”
Charlotte gave it.
“Why didn't you call police?” June demanded.
“Because Graham has friends in places that make police reports disappear.”
Lena looked offended.
“Some of us are still inconveniently honest.”
Charlotte ignored her.
Mia asked,
“Why did Mom email you if she hates you?”
Charlotte looked down.
“Because she hates Victor more.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“No.”
Charlotte breathed slowly.
“Anna and I were friends. Real friends. Before Julian.”
June laughed bitterly.
“Before money.”
Charlotte looked at her.
“You always hated me.”
“I watched my sister disappear because of your family.”
Charlotte didn't answer.
Mia interrupted.
“What happened the night Julian died?”
Charlotte closed her eyes.
Lena leaned back.
Finally.
Charlotte said,
“Julian planned to leave.”
“With Mom?”
“Yes.”
“He had evidence Victor and Graham were stealing royalties from artists.”
“What's royalties?”
“Money musicians are paid when people use their songs.”
Mia understood enough.
“Julian wanted to tell police?”
“Federal investigators.”
“Then?”
“I told Victor where Julian was meeting Anna.”
Mia stared.
“Why?”
“Because Victor told me Julian was having a breakdown.”
“You believed him?”
“I wanted to.”
That sentence sounded true.
Charlotte continued.
“I followed Julian's car into Laurel Canyon.”
Mia's heart pounded.
“Why?”
“To stop him.”
“How?”
Charlotte hesitated.
Lena watched carefully.
“There was an argument before he left. He told me Victor had been using me my entire life.”
“Was he right?”
“Yes.”
Mia waited.
Charlotte continued.
“I drove after him. Graham followed me.”
“Mom?”
“Anna was waiting farther down the canyon.”
“What happened?”
Charlotte's voice dropped.
“Julian's brakes failed.”
Mia stopped.
“Failed?”
“He lost control.”
“Did Graham do it?”
Charlotte's eyes shifted.
“I don't know.”
Lena said,
“You told investigators mechanical failure caused the crash.”
“I lied.”
“About what?”
“I knew someone had been near Julian's car earlier.”
“Who?”
Charlotte looked toward the floor.
“Graham.”
Mia's throat tightened.
“Then Mom was right.”
“Yes.”
“About you too.”
Charlotte looked at her.
“Yes.”
No excuses.
That was more frightening than excuses.
Mia asked,
“Why do you want the drive?”
Charlotte's expression changed.
“To destroy Victor.”
Lena laughed.
“Try again.”
Charlotte glared at her.
Lena continued.
“If the drive contains evidence against Victor, you hand it to law enforcement.”
“My name may be on it too.”
There.
Mia understood.
“You want to know how bad it is.”
Charlotte looked at her.
“Yes.”
“You want to save yourself.”
“Yes.”
“And Mom?”
Charlotte's eyes softened.
“I don't know what Anna has become after eight years.”
June stood.
“She became a mother.”
Charlotte looked wounded.
Mia almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Lena's phone rang.
She answered.
Listened.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Everyone looked at her.
She ended the call.
“Topanga property is empty.”
Mia's hope collapsed.
Lena continued.
“But we found something.”
“What?” Mia asked.
“A mattress. Restraints. Blood.”
June covered her mouth.
“And a phone.”
Mia stood.
“Mom's?”
“We don't know.”
Lena looked at Charlotte.
“One unsent text was recovered.”
“To who?”
Lena stared at Mia.
“To you.”
Mia stopped breathing.
“What did it say?”
Lena read:
Mia, if Charlotte finds you, don't let her hear how the song ends. She was driving the second car.
May you like
Mia slowly turned toward Charlotte.
Charlotte's face had gone white.
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