Chapter 3 - THE BROTHER WHO WANTED THE TRUST
Michael was found two hours later.
He was sitting in his truck outside an abandoned warehouse.
When police approached, he didn't run.
He simply raised his hands.
“I knew you'd find me.”
Detective Collins sat across from him in the interrogation room.
I watched from behind the glass.
Michael looked exhausted.
Not dangerous.
Not angry.
Just broken.
Collins placed the smartwatch recording on the table.
“You want to explain this?”
Michael stared at it.
“I can explain.”
“Start with the money.”
Michael sighed.
“Evelyn discovered the trust had been growing for years.”
“How?”
“Investments.”
“How much?”
“Almost twelve million.”
“Where is it?”
Michael looked down.
“Some of it was stolen.”
“By whom?”
Michael didn't answer.
Collins leaned forward.
“Was it you?”
“No.”
“Daniel?”
“No.”
“Evelyn?”
Michael swallowed.
“Not exactly.”
I watched through the glass.
Collins looked confused.
“What does that mean?”
Michael finally said:
“Evelyn was being blackmailed.”
“By whom?”
“The person who controls the money.”
Collins froze.
“Who?”
Michael looked directly toward the observation window.
Toward me.
“Your husband.”
My heart stopped.
Daniel had stolen Lily's inheritance?
Michael continued.
“Daniel created a shell company years ago.”
“Why?”
“To move money from the trust.”
“How much?”
“Almost nine million.”
I felt dizzy.
“But why would he need that much money?”
Michael's answer was quiet.
“Because he was paying someone.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Collins slammed his hand on the table.
“You expect me to believe you don't know?”
Michael shook his head.
“I only know what Evelyn told me.”
“What did she tell you?”
“She said Daniel had made a deal years ago.”
“What deal?”
Michael stared at the table.
“He traded something for money.”
“What?”
Michael finally looked up.
“Your daughter's medical records.”
I felt my knees weaken.
“What?”
Michael continued.
“Lily's peanut allergy wasn't an accident.”
I covered my mouth.
“She was diagnosed when she was two.”
“Yes.”
“Daniel knew.”
“Yes.”
“So why?”
Michael's voice cracked.
“Because someone wanted to test whether the emergency protocol worked.”
Detective Collins stared at him.
“Who would do that?”
Michael shook his head.
“People who sell medical data.”
My blood ran cold.
Lily wasn't just an inheritance beneficiary.
She had been used.
Her medical history had been sold.
Her allergy had become valuable information.
And someone had deliberately created a situation where her reaction could be monitored.
Collins stood.
“Where's Daniel?”
Michael looked frightened.
“I don't know.”
“Think.”
Michael whispered:
“He's going to the old clinic.”
“What clinic?”
“The one where Lily was diagnosed.”
I immediately thought of Lily's first allergy specialist.
Dr. Harris.
A respected pediatric physician.
A man Daniel had trusted for years.
Detective Collins grabbed his phone.
Then Michael said something that made all of us freeze.
“There's one more thing.”
“What?”
“Dr. Harris isn't the person who ordered the test.”
“Then who?”
Michael looked at me.
“Your mother-in-law.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Michael's expression hardened.
“Evelyn didn't want Lily dead.”
“Then what did she want?”
“She wanted Lily's trust.”
“And Daniel?”
Michael whispered:
“Daniel wanted both.”
Suddenly Collins's phone rang.
He listened for five seconds.
Then his face changed.
“What's wrong?”
He looked at me.
“Your husband just entered the clinic.”
I stood.
“Then we go.”
Collins shook his head.
“No.”
“That's my daughter we're talking about.”
“Exactly.”
He looked toward the interrogation room.
May you like
“Because we just found out the clinic has a second basement.”
And nobody had told us what was stored there.
