Chapter 14 - The Visitor at the GateRichard wanted Thomas arrested immediately.
Detective Alvarez stopped him.
“For what?”
“He financed Marcy.”
“We’re investigating that. It isn’t enough to arrest him standing outside your property.”
“He helped a woman who assaulted my daughter.”
“Then let me talk to him.”
Thomas remained at the gate.
Lily watched through the monitor.
He looked almost ordinary.
That unsettled her more.
Men involved in nineteen-year conspiracies were supposed to look dangerous.
Thomas looked like someone who might manage a bank.
Alvarez went outside with two officers.
Richard and Lily watched the body-camera feed from the security room.
“Mr. Keane,” Alvarez said.
“Detective.”
“You know why police are here?”
“I can guess.”
“Why don’t you?”
Thomas looked toward the house.
“Marcy finally lost control.”
Richard’s hands tightened.
Alvarez asked, “When did you last speak to her?”
“Yesterday.”
“And you sent her fifty thousand dollars.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She threatened me.”
Lily leaned closer.
Alvarez’s voice remained neutral.
“With what?”
“Evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“Financial records from nineteen years ago.”
“Records showing you helped steal from the Catherine Bennett Children’s Fund?”
Thomas sighed.
“This is why I came.”
“Explain.”
Thomas looked toward the camera.
“I want to speak to Richard.”
“No.”
“Then he’ll continue believing the wrong person murdered his wife.”
The room went silent.
Richard’s face drained.
Lily whispered, “He knows.”
Alvarez asked Thomas, “Who murdered Catherine Bennett?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Marcy caused the crash.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“But,” Thomas continued, “Richard needs to understand why.”
Alvarez told him to start talking.
Thomas did.
Nineteen years earlier, Marcy had been stealing.
At first small amounts.
Then more.
Thomas discovered it.
Instead of reporting her, he offered help.
He had gambling debts.
Private debts Richard never knew about.
Together, Thomas and Marcy created shell accounts.
They moved foundation money.
Then company money.
Catherine noticed.
“She confronted Marcy first,” Thomas said.
“And you?”
“I received a call from Catherine that afternoon. She said we needed to talk the next morning.”
“But there was no next morning.”
“No.”
“What happened that night?”
“Marcy panicked.”
Thomas stared at the pavement.
“She followed Catherine.”
“With intent to kill her?”
“She told me she only wanted the folder.”
“Do you believe her?”
“No.”
Richard stepped away from the monitor.
Lily caught his arm.
“Stay.”
He looked at her.
“You need to hear it.”
So did she.
Thomas continued.
“Catherine called Richard while driving. Marcy followed. They stopped at a gas station. They argued. Catherine left. Marcy followed again.”
“And the crash?”
“Marcy hit Catherine’s car.”
Lily stopped breathing.
“Intentionally?” Alvarez asked.
“Yes.”
Richard’s eyes filled.
“One impact. Maybe she intended to force her off the road, maybe frighten her. Catherine lost control on the wet curve.”
Thomas swallowed.
“I arrived ten minutes later.”
Alvarez’s voice sharpened.
“You were there?”
“I had been following both of them.”
“Why?”
“To recover the evidence.”
“And instead of calling police?”
“I took Catherine’s bag.”
Richard made a sound Lily had never heard from him.
Raw disgust.
Thomas continued.
“I thought she was dead.”
“Thought?”
“I didn’t check carefully.”
Lily covered her mouth.
Alvarez asked, “Was she alive?”
Thomas stared down.
“I heard her breathing.”
Richard turned away.
Lily felt cold everywhere.
“You left her,” she whispered, though Thomas couldn’t hear.
Thomas said, “I took the folder and left.”
“Why come back now?”
“Because the trust activates soon. Catherine created redundant records. I knew Marcy had infiltrated Richard’s household to locate them.”
“You knew she was working here?”
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing.”
“I paid her to leave.”
“Fifty thousand?”
“Yes.”
“She didn’t.”
“No.”
Thomas finally looked directly at the gate camera.
“Because Marcy discovered something I didn’t know.”
Alvarez waited.
“What?”
“Catherine survived the crash longer than the police report says.”
Richard snapped his head toward the screen.
Thomas continued.
“She was conscious when paramedics arrived.”
Richard whispered, “No.”
“I recently obtained a copy of an unfiled responder report. Catherine spoke.”
Lily’s heart hammered.
“What did she say?” Alvarez asked.
Thomas reached slowly into his coat.
Officers immediately ordered him to stop.
He raised his hands.
“There’s a copy in my inner pocket.”
An officer retrieved a folded document.
Alvarez read it.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Thomas looked toward the house.
“Catherine named the person who hit her car.”
Lily grabbed Richard’s hand.
Thomas continued.
“But she didn’t say Marcy.”
Richard stared at the monitor.
“Who did she name?”
Alvarez looked up from the report.
The answer was visible on her face before she spoke.
May you like
“Richard.”
Lily slowly released her father’s hand.
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