Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Helped Them
Patricia Bennett arrived at our house shortly after midnight.
She did not knock.
She still had a key.
The officers had already left.
Daniel remained.
Rachel had taken the children upstairs.
Patricia entered the kitchen and stopped when she saw the files spread across the island.
Her face collapsed.
“Claire.”
“You signed the affidavit.”
She closed her eyes.
“Please let me explain.”
I waited.
Patricia slowly removed her coat.
“Michael told me you were planning to leave.”
“Did you believe him?”
“He showed me recordings.”
“Edited recordings.”
“I know that now.”
“Did you?”
My voice became colder.
“Or did you know before you signed?”
Patricia began crying.
“I was scared.”
“For Michael?”
“For everyone.”
She sat down.
Six months earlier, Michael had confessed the company was nearly insolvent.
Hundreds of employees could lose their jobs.
Investors could sue.
Banks could call their loans.
Patricia believed losing Bennett Development would destroy what her late husband built.
“So you helped him destroy me instead.”
“I never thought he would actually take the children.”
“Your signature helped him try.”
She covered her face.
“I am sorry.”
I had known Patricia for seventeen years.
I had held her hand when her husband died.
I had cooked Thanksgiving dinner when she could barely leave bed.
I had never imagined she would testify against me.
Then she said something unexpected.
“Vanessa pushed this.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“How?”
Patricia looked terrified.
“She found out Michael was moving money.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“She threatened him?”
Patricia nodded.
“She said if he didn’t protect the company, she would expose everything.”
I frowned.
“Why would Vanessa care that much about Michael’s company?”
Patricia looked at me strangely.
“You really don’t know?”
My stomach tightened.
“Know what?”
Patricia glanced toward the doorway.
“Vanessa owns part of it.”
“No.”
“She does.”
“That makes no sense.”
I had reviewed the company structure when I invested my inheritance.
Vanessa owned nothing.
Patricia whispered.
“Not officially.”
Daniel asked for details.
Patricia explained that years earlier, Michael’s father created a private holding company.
After his death, control should have passed equally to Michael and me because my investment had been converted into equity.
Instead, Michael secretly transferred part of my interest to Vanessa.
Daniel stared at her.
“With whose authorization?”
Patricia looked at me.
“Claire’s.”
My blood turned cold.
“I never authorized that.”
Patricia nodded sadly.
“I know.”
Another forged signature.
Then headlights swept across the windows.
A car stopped outside.
Patricia stood suddenly.
“That’s Michael.”
Daniel told me to stay inside.
But Michael did not come to the front door.
Instead, we heard glass shatter downstairs.
May you like
Someone had entered through the basement.
And the first thing they went looking for was the locked office.
