Chapter 6 - The Mechanic's Widow
Owen Pike's widow lived in a small yellow house outside the city.
She opened the door only after Ruiz showed her badge.
When Grant introduced himself, the woman's face tightened.
"Claire's husband."
"You knew her?"
"My husband did."
She let them in.
On the dining table sat a box of Owen's things.
"He was scared before he died," she said. "Kept saying he'd touched the wrong rich person's car."
Grant swallowed.
"Did he say whose?"
"Claire Callahan's."
She opened the box and pulled out a flash drive.
"He told me if anyone came asking about her, give them this."
The drive held photos of Claire's brake system.
A sensor wire had been cut and resealed.
There were also security-camera stills from Owen's garage.
One showed Claire arriving.
Another showed a black SUV pulling in after midnight.
A woman stepped out.
Emma recognized her when Grant showed her the image later.
"That's Renata."
But she was not alone.
A tall man got out from the driver's side.
Grant stared.
"That's Simon Hale."
Simon was Callahan Biotech's general counsel.
He had written Claire's trust documents.
He had comforted Grant at her funeral.
Ruiz said, "Why would your lawyer be meeting Renata at a mechanic's shop?"
Grant already knew the answer would hurt.
Back at the mansion, Lily sat at the kitchen table drawing.
Emma placed a sandwich beside her.
Lily pushed the drawing across.
It showed three people near a car.
Mom.
Renata.
A tall man with glasses.
Emma pointed.
"Who is this?"
Lily wrote one word beneath him.
SIMON.
Emma's chest tightened.
"Did you see them together?"
Lily nodded.
"When?"
Lily hesitated, then whispered, "The night Mom cried."
Grant entered just in time to hear it.
He crouched beside his daughter.
"What did Simon do?"
Lily's hand shook.
"He took Mommy's red folder."
Grant looked at Ruiz.
There had been no red folder found after Claire died.
May you like
Then Lily added:
"Mom made another one."
