Chapter 4 - The Night Rebecca Died
Rebecca died on a rainy Thursday in October.
At least, that was the story I had lived with.
She had left a foundation dinner before me, saying she had a migraine. Forty minutes later, her car went through a guardrail on River Road. The police found no alcohol in her system. The brakes showed heat damage, but the report called it mechanical failure.
I had accepted that because grief makes you tired, and tired people accept simple answers.
Now Grace placed another file in front of me.
Inside was the original mechanic’s inspection.
One sentence had been circled in red.
BRAKE LINE SHOWS CLEAN TOOL MARKS INCONSISTENT WITH NORMAL WEAR.
“That wasn’t in the final report,” I said.
Grace shook her head.
I called my attorney, Melissa Grant. She had represented my family for twelve years and knew how to speak without wasting a word.
“Do not confront Eric in person,” she said after I sent her the documents. “Do not touch the trust accounts. And keep Noah inside the house with security.”
“Why?”
“Because if that guardianship petition is real, they’re building a record. Any angry move you make can be used against you.”
I almost laughed. “My fiancée bruised my son.”
“That helps us. But only if the footage survives.”
I looked toward the security room.
It hit me.
“Hold on.”
I ran downstairs.
The security supervisor was swearing at the main server.
“What?” I demanded.
“Somebody remotely accessed the camera system six minutes ago.”
“Is the footage gone?”
“Most of it’s still here.” He looked sick. “But the east hallway file from today was deleted.”
Grace entered behind me.
“Can you recover it?” she asked.
“Maybe.”
My phone rang again.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man’s voice said, “Mr. Mercer, I worked your wife’s crash.”
My skin went cold.
“Who is this?”
“Detective Paul Keane. Retired now.”
I remembered the name.
He lowered his voice. “I was told to change the report.”
“By who?”
There was a long pause.
“Your father.”
My father had been dead for nine months.
May you like
Before I could speak, a loud bang exploded through the phone.
Then the line went dead.
