Chapter 2 - The Man in the Black Car
Adrian did not ask how Emma knew whose car had stopped outside.
He looked at Vanessa.
Her expression answered for her.
“Don’t open that door,” Emma said.
Adrian took out his phone.
Vanessa found her voice.
“This is ridiculous.”
“No,” Adrian said.
“This is my father.”
“I know.”
“He probably came because I called him.”
Adrian’s gaze sharpened.
“When?”
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Emma’s stomach tightened.
Before Adrian could speak again, the doorbell rang.
Once.
No one moved.
It rang again.
Longer this time.
Then Richard Bellamy knocked.
Three calm strikes.
As if he owned the house.
“Vanessa?”
His voice came through the wood.
“Open the door.”
Adrian looked toward one of the security cameras mounted near the ceiling.
He tapped his phone.
A moment later, the live feed appeared.
Richard Bellamy stood beneath the portico.
Sixty-two.
Silver hair.
Expensive overcoat.
No umbrella despite the rain.
He looked exactly as Emma remembered.
Older.
Heavier.
But unmistakable.
Her fingers went numb.
Seven years disappeared.
She was twenty-one again.
Barefoot on freezing concrete.
Hiding behind a support column in a parking garage.
Arthur Vale staggering through yellow light.
A black sedan rolling to a stop.
Richard Bellamy climbing from the passenger side.
Vanessa leaving the driver’s seat.
Emma remembered Richard grabbing Arthur by the coat.
She remembered Vanessa shouting.
She remembered Arthur trying to push past them.
Then a sharp metallic sound.
And blood.
Emma had never known which of them had caused it.
She had only known that Arthur had still been alive when they forced him into the sedan.
Three hours later, police found him dead.
Adrian’s voice pulled her back.
“Emma.”
She realized he was watching her.
“That’s him?”
She nodded.
“Passenger side.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
The doorbell rang again.
Richard called, “Adrian?”
Vanessa moved toward the door.
Adrian caught her wrist.
She spun.
“Let go.”
“You called him.”
“My father.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re scaring me.”
He released her as if touching her disgusted him.
“You were throwing a woman’s belongings across the floor when I came home.”
“I fired an employee.”
“You accused her of theft without evidence.”
Vanessa’s chin lifted.
“That doesn’t make me a murderer.”
“No one said murderer.”
Vanessa stopped breathing.
Emma closed her eyes.
Another mistake.
Richard knocked again.
“Vanessa, open this door.”
Adrian walked toward the security panel.
Vanessa followed.
“What are you doing?”
“Disabling exterior access.”
“You can’t trap my father outside.”
“I can trap anyone outside my house.”
He entered a code.
A soft electronic click moved through the foyer.
The estate doors locked.
Emma glanced toward the side hallway.
“Does he have another way in?”
Vanessa’s silence gave the answer.
Adrian looked at her.
“What code does he know?”
“He doesn’t know any.”
“Vanessa.”
“He used to have temporary access.”
“When?”
“When we were planning the engagement party.”
Adrian looked at the camera feed.
Richard was no longer standing at the front door.
Emma’s heart lurched.
“Where did he go?”
Adrian switched camera angles.
East lawn.
Empty.
Garage.
Empty.
Service entrance.
For one second, empty.
Then Richard Bellamy appeared from the darkness.
He moved directly toward the staff entrance.
Not searching.
Not confused.
He knew exactly where he was going.
Adrian’s face hardened.
“What access does he have?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“None.”
Richard raised one hand toward the keypad.
Five seconds later, the door opened.
Emma felt cold all over.
Adrian’s voice became very quiet.
“You gave him a permanent code.”
Vanessa said nothing.
Richard disappeared inside.
Adrian typed rapidly into his phone.
“Marcus.”
A man answered instantly.
“Sir?”
“Service corridor.”
Adrian’s head lifted toward the hallway.
“Richard Bellamy entered without authorization.”
“On it.”
“Bring two men.”
“Yes, sir.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You’re calling security on my father?”
“He broke into my house.”
“He didn’t break in.”
Adrian turned.
“That’s worse.”
Footsteps sounded somewhere beyond the kitchen.
Emma’s pulse hammered.
Vanessa stepped toward Adrian.
“Please.”
It was the first time she had sounded genuinely desperate.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“My father was trying to protect your family.”
“From what?”
Vanessa looked at Emma.
“From people like her.”
Emma almost smiled.
“People like me?”
“Women who saw the Vale name and thought it was a lottery ticket.”
Adrian’s expression darkened.
Emma answered before he could.
“My mother never asked Arthur for money.”
“That’s a lie.”
“You don’t know anything about my mother.”
“I know exactly what she was.”
Emma crossed the space between them before she realized she had moved.
Adrian stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Vanessa pointed around him.
“Ask her why she came back.”
“I already did.”
“No.”
Vanessa’s eyes burned into Emma’s.
“Ask her why she took a job cleaning floors instead of going to the police.”
Adrian looked at Emma.
It was a fair question.
A dangerous one.
Emma slowly released a breath.
“Because I went to the police seven years ago.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
Adrian frowned.
“What happened?”
“They said I was confused.”
“Who?”
“Detective Howard Pike.”
Adrian’s eyes changed.
He knew the name.
Emma noticed.
“Pike?”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked almost disbelieving.
“He handled my father’s accident.”
“I know.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Everything I just told you.”
“And?”
“He said there was no black sedan.”
Emma remembered the interview room.
The cold coffee.
Detective Pike leaning back in his chair.
Twenty-one-year-old Emma shaking so hard she could barely hold a paper cup.
You’re traumatized.
You saw Mr. Vale earlier.
Your mind filled in the rest.
No camera caught him entering that garage.
No witness saw him return.
His car was found at Ridgeway Bridge.
Go home, Miss Carter.
Emma’s hands curled.
“I told him Vanessa and Richard Bellamy were in the garage.”
Adrian stared at Vanessa.
“What did Pike say?”
“That Richard was attending a charity dinner downtown.”
Vanessa spoke.
“He was.”
Emma turned.
“Then why did the valet log disappear?”
Vanessa said nothing.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
Emma continued.
“I checked.”
“You were twenty-one,” Vanessa snapped.
“And angry.”
“I was terrified.”
“You wanted someone to blame.”
“I wanted someone to listen.”
“Your story changed.”
“No.”
“Yes, it did.”
Emma stared.
“How would you know?”
Vanessa froze.
Adrian’s head turned.
Emma felt her pulse jump.
“I never spoke to you.”
Vanessa’s eyes flickered.
“I read the report.”
Adrian asked, “Why?”
“Because my father was questioned.”
Emma laughed without humor.
“Richard Bellamy was interviewed for eleven minutes.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I have the report.”
Now Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
Emma’s heart beat harder.
She had not planned to reveal everything tonight.
But nothing about tonight had followed the plan.
“My aunt kept copies.”
“Of the police report?”
“Of everything.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“Emma.”
“No.”
His expression sharpened.
“You came into my home with evidence connected to my father’s death.”
“I came into your home because every official record that could help us disappeared.”
“Us?”
“My sister.”
Her voice cracked.
She hated it.
“She is thirteen years old.”
Adrian became still.
“She doesn’t know who her father was.”
“Nothing?”
“She thinks he died before she was born.”
Adrian looked down.
For the first time, Emma saw something in him stronger than anger.
Grief.
Not for Arthur.
For a child who had spent thirteen years not knowing she had a brother.
Footsteps echoed from the service hallway.
Three men appeared.
Marcus Reed entered first.
Head of security.
Former military.
Emma had seen him dozens of times.
Tonight he looked different.
Alert.
His right hand hovered near his jacket.
Richard Bellamy walked between two guards.
He did not look frightened.
He looked annoyed.
“Adrian.”
Adrian faced him.
Richard glanced at Emma.
It happened quickly.
But Emma knew recognition when she saw it.
Richard stopped walking.
His face changed.
“Jesus Christ.”
Vanessa whispered, “Dad.”
Richard ignored her.
His eyes remained on Emma.
Adrian noticed.
“You know her.”
Richard recovered.
“No.”
Emma stepped forward.
“Yes, you do.”
Richard’s mouth tightened.
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“She says she saw you the night my father died.”
Richard looked at his daughter.
Not surprise.
A warning.
Emma felt a chill.
That look had existed between them for seven years.
Adrian saw it.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Richard removed his wet overcoat.
He handed it calmly to one of the guards.
“Your fiancée is emotional.”
Vanessa’s face twisted.
“Dad.”
“Be quiet.”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t speak to her like that in my house.”
Richard gave him a strange smile.
“You may want to reconsider who you’re defending.”
“I’m not defending anyone.”
“Good.”
Richard looked at Emma.
“Then call the police.”
Emma’s stomach tightened.
Richard continued.
“Tell them a former blackmailer has broken into your home under false employment pretenses.”
Emma stared at him.
“Blackmailer?”
He smiled.
“You didn’t think Arthur kept records of the money your family demanded?”
“My family never blackmailed him.”
Richard reached inside his suit jacket.
Marcus moved immediately.
“Hands where I can see them.”
Richard gave him a look of amused contempt.
“Relax.”
He slowly removed his phone.
“Adrian, I can show you transfers from Arthur’s personal accounts to Sarah Carter.”
Emma shook her head.
“He supported his daughter.”
“That’s one interpretation.”
“It’s the truth.”
Richard tapped his screen.
“Your father had another.”
Adrian didn’t take the phone.
“What did he call it?”
Richard looked directly at Emma.
“Hush money.”
Emma felt the floor disappear beneath her.
“That’s a lie.”
Richard shrugged.
“Arthur’s own financial notes say otherwise.”
Adrian’s face remained unreadable.
Emma’s eyes burned.
“Your father manipulated those records.”
“Perhaps.”
Richard paused.
“Or perhaps your mother did exactly what Arthur accused her of doing.”
Emma took a step toward him.
“He loved her.”
Richard’s smile changed.
Pity.
Cruel and deliberate.
“Arthur loved himself.”
Emma wanted to hit him.
Instead she said, “He came back for Lucy.”
Richard’s smile vanished.
Adrian spoke.
“You know Lucy?”
Richard said nothing.
“Answer.”
Richard looked at him.
“Yes.”
One word.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Adrian’s voice became colder.
“You knew my father had another child.”
Richard sighed.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since before she was born.”
The admission struck harder than any denial could have.
Adrian stepped closer.
“And you never told me.”
“It was none of my business.”
“My father’s daughter was none of your business?”
“Arthur made his choices.”
Adrian glanced toward Emma.
“What happened in that garage?”
Richard’s eyes followed.
Then came back.
“Nothing.”
Emma laughed.
“You put him in your car.”
“No.”
“I saw you.”
“You saw what you wanted to see.”
“I heard him shouting.”
“You were hiding behind a concrete pillar in poor lighting.”
Emma froze.
Richard realized his mistake.
Adrian did not move.
Nobody did.
The silence was absolute.
Emma heard herself whisper, “I never told police where I was standing.”
Richard looked at her.
Adrian turned slowly toward him.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
Too late.
Emma felt seven years of fear transform into something else.
Certainty.
“You were there.”
Richard said nothing.
“You knew exactly where I was.”
Emma stepped closer.
“You saw me.”
Richard’s face changed.
Not much.
But enough.
“Yes,” he said.
Vanessa whispered, “Dad.”
Richard looked at his daughter.
And for the first time that night, Emma understood something worse than murder.
May you like
Richard Bellamy was not afraid of being exposed.
He was afraid of what Vanessa might say next.
