Chapter 8 - THE MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO KNEW EVERYTHING
Diane Walsh had spent three years calling me weak.
Soft.
Too sensitive.
A woman who couldn't survive without her husband.
And now I was looking at a photograph suggesting she'd been connected to the people who destroyed my career.
Ryan stared at the screen.
“My mother?”
His voice was barely audible.
I looked at him.
“Did you know?”
He shook his head immediately.
“No.”
I believed him.
But I could see how much it hurt.
For years, he'd defended me against his family.
Now he was discovering that the cruelty might have been more than ordinary resentment.
Detective Mitchell examined the photograph.
“Do you recognize where this was taken?”
Ryan leaned closer.
“Yes.”
I turned toward him.
“Where?”
“My mother's old investment office.”
He swallowed.
“She used to run a private sports investment fund.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of investments?”
“Gyms. Supplement companies. Training facilities.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The pieces were finally beginning to fit.
Derek hadn't built his company alone.
Diane had helped finance it.
And Marcus Vale had used their money to expand his training empire.
Mitchell opened financial records obtained during the investigation.
Large transfers connected Diane's investment fund to Vale Performance Holdings.
Ryan looked devastated.
“She told me she retired years ago.”
The detective nodded.
“Her involvement appears to have continued through several entities.”
I stared at the records.
Then asked the question that mattered most.
“Did she know what happened to Samantha?”
Mitchell remained careful.
“We're still investigating her knowledge and actions.”
I nodded.
But the thought made me sick.
For three years, I'd sat across from Diane at family dinners.
Listened to her criticize my clothes.
My career.
My marriage.
And all that time, she may have known exactly why I'd abandoned the sport.
Ryan stood abruptly.
“I need to talk to her.”
Mitchell shook his head.
“Not yet. We don't want to compromise the investigation.”
Ryan looked furious.
“She's my mother.”
“I understand.”
But Ryan knew the detective was right.
That evening, Diane called.
Ryan put the phone on speaker.
“Hello, Mom.”
Her voice sounded cheerful.
“Sweetheart, I hope Claire has calmed down after yesterday's little incident.”
I stared at the phone.
Ryan's jaw tightened.
“Mom, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Marcus Vale.”
Silence.
Then Diane laughed nervously.
“Who?”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“Don't.”
Another pause.
Then her voice changed.
“Ryan, where are you?”
“At home.”
“Is Claire there?”
“Yes.”
Diane lowered her voice.
“Listen to me carefully.”
My heart began racing.
“Tell Claire to stop talking to the police.”
Ryan stared at the phone.
“Why?”
A long silence followed.
May you like
Then Diane whispered:
“Because Marcus knows what happened to her father.”
