Chapter 7 - THE LOCKED GUESTHOUSE
Maria was taken to a private clinic under police protection.
She had bruises around both wrists and a cut above her eyebrow.
She told investigators that a masked man had grabbed her near the servants’ entrance after Emma fell.
He forced her into a car and took her to the guesthouse.
Maria never saw his face.
She recognized his voice.
It belonged to Charles Mercer.
The following afternoon, Detective Ruiz brought Maria to Emma’s hospital room.
The maid looked smaller than Emma remembered.
Her hands trembled as she sat beside the window.
“I am sorry I lied,” Maria said.
“You were afraid.”
“I have been afraid for twenty-three years.”
Emma gave her the photograph Claire had provided.
Maria touched Owen Lawson’s face with one finger.
“Your father was a good man.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Maria closed her eyes.
Owen had discovered that Eleanor used the Hawthorne Foundation to move money into private investment accounts.
Vanessa helped create false invoices.
When Owen refused to sign the final audit, Eleanor threatened him.
“He said he would go to the district attorney,” Maria explained.
“Then why didn’t he?”
“He tried.”
Maria had driven Owen to a meeting with Claire’s husband.
Vanessa followed them.
Later that evening, Maria saw Vanessa return to the mansion with damage to the front of her car.
There was blood on one headlight.
“Whose blood?” Emma asked.
“Claire’s husband.”
Emma’s stomach tightened.
“The crash was not an accident.”
“No.”
Maria began crying.
“I helped Mr. Lawson hide copies of the records inside the guesthouse.”
“Why didn’t you testify?”
“Mrs. Hawthorne threatened my son.”
At the time, Maria’s son had been nine years old.
Eleanor knew where he attended school.
Maria remained silent.
Owen was arrested.
Claire’s husband died.
The original records vanished.
“The files we found in the guesthouse prove the transfers,” Ruiz said.
“But they don’t prove Vanessa caused the crash.”
Maria reached beneath her blouse.
She removed an old gold chain.
A small black memory card hung from it.
“Mr. Lawson installed a camera near the estate gate,” she said.
“He thought someone was following him.”
“Does that card contain the footage?” Emma asked.
“I don’t know.”
Maria handed it to Ruiz.
“I kept it because I was too afraid to watch.”
Ruiz inserted the card into a hospital laptop.
Several damaged files appeared.
One video opened.
The screen showed the estate gates on the night of the fatal crash.
A black sedan passed first.
Seconds later, a green sports car followed at high speed.
The driver’s face appeared beneath a streetlight.
It was Vanessa.
Then a third vehicle passed through the gate.
May you like
Emma leaned closer.
The driver was Ethan.
