Chapter 5 - The Confrontation
Lorraine arrived in record time, her tires screeching on the wet driveway. Daniel pulled up seconds later, clearly having abandoned his fake meeting to rush back.
They burst through the front door, b
oth wearing identical expressions of mock horror masking absolute triumph.
“Where is she?!” Lorraine cried out, rushing toward me as I sat on the living room sofa, my face buried in my hands.
“In the back room,” I sobbed. “I didn't know what to do. I was so scared.”
Daniel walked over to me, grabbing my arms tightly. His grip was painful, a glimpse of the monster beneath the suit. “Did you call an ambulance? Did you call the police?”
“No,” I wept. “I called you first. Just like you always told me to.”
Daniel and Lorraine exchanged a look of pure victory. The old woman was dead. The wife was broken and compliant. They could control the narrative perfectly.
“Listen to me, Evelyn,” Daniel said, his voice dropping to a harsh, commanding whisper. “You left her in that room. You locked the door. If the police come, they are going to ask questions. They might think you neglected her.”
“But... but you told everyone I wanted her in there!” I cried, playing my part.
“Exactly,” Lorraine stepped in, her eyes cold and calculating. “So you need to be very careful what you say to the authorities. You tell them she was sick, that you tried your best, but you were just so overwhelmed with work. Daniel and I will back up your story. We’ll protect you.”
We’ll protect you. The absolute venom in those words made me sick. They were setting me up to take the fall for manslaughter through negligence.
“Okay,” I whispered, looking down. “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.”
“Good girl,” Daniel said, patting my head like a dog. “I’m going to go into the room and see what we need to clean up before we call 911.”
He strode down the hallway. Lorraine stayed with me, standing over me with a look of supreme superiority. “It’s for the best, Evelyn. She was suffering. Now Daniel can finally manage the estate properly.”
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.
Daniel burst back into the living room, his face pale as a ghost, his eyes wide with absolute terror.
“She’s not there!” he screamed.
Lorraine froze. “What do you mean she’s not there? Is she on the floor?”
“No! There’s just pillows under the blanket! The room is empty!” Daniel wildly turned to me. “Where is she, Evelyn? Where is my grandmother?!”
I stopped crying.
I lowered my hands from my face, stood up slowly, and smoothed the wrinkles out of my skirt. The terrified, overwhelmed wife vanished, replaced by the woman who hunted corporate criminals for a living.
“She’s at a secure medical facility, under the protection of private security,” I said, my voice dropping an octave, cold and precise as a scalpel. “And her blood work just came back positive for massive amounts of unauthorized benzodiazepines.”
Lorraine took a step back, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. “What... what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the recorder behind the wardrobe,” I said, stepping toward them. “I’m talking about the forged deeds. The Delaware shell company. The $800,000 you tried to steal from my firm. I know everything, Daniel.”
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Daniel’s charming facade shattered completely. His face contorted with rage, and he lunged at me.
Before he could cross the room, the heavy oak front door was kicked open.
