Chapter 13 - THE WOMAN AT THE AIRPORT
Police reached the airport nine minutes before boarding closed.
Vanessa Cole was stopped near Gate 22.
She carried one suitcase.
Three phones.
Twenty-eight thousand dollars in cash.
And a flash drive hidden inside a cosmetic case.
She refused to answer questions.
Then Detective Ortiz showed her the funeral home video.
Vanessa’s confidence disappeared.
“You can place me in a hallway.”
Ortiz nodded.
“Beside a coffin containing a woman everyone had falsely been told was dead.”
“I didn’t touch her.”
“You created companies used to steal from her.”
“I prepared paperwork.”
“You purchased the airline ticket yesterday.”
“I’m allowed to travel.”
Ortiz placed a photograph of Dr. Vale on the table.
“He almost died.”
Vanessa stared at it.
“Paul did that.”
It was the first useful sentence she spoke.
Ortiz did not react.
“Tell me about Paul Mercer.”
Vanessa looked toward her attorney.
Her attorney said nothing.
Finally, Vanessa leaned back.
“Richard liked plans.”
“What does that mean?”
“He liked knowing exactly what would happen.”
“Who created the funeral plan?”
“Richard.”
“Who transported Claire?”
“Paul.”
“Who sedated her?”
“Vale.”
“And you?”
Vanessa looked down.
“I moved the money.”
“Did you know Claire was alive?”
Vanessa’s silence answered.
Ortiz pushed harder.
“Did you know Richard intended to bury her alive?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Too defensive.
Ortiz noticed.
Vanessa noticed that Ortiz noticed.
“I thought Vale was going to make sure she never woke up.”
The room became still.
That was nearly as bad.
“Richard wanted her dead?”
Vanessa whispered.
“He wanted her gone.”
“Those are not the same thing.”
“They were to him.”
Then she explained September 18.
After Claire’s burial, Richard planned to attend a private estate meeting.
Using the death certificate, he would begin emergency transfer procedures.
Vanessa would liquidate several accounts.
Mercer would move the money overseas.
Richard and Ethan would leave the country two days later.
Ortiz stopped her.
“Ethan?”
Vanessa nodded.
“Richard needed him.”
“For what?”
“Some of Daniel Parker’s trusts can’t be dissolved without the heir.”
Ethan had never been intended to disappear immediately.
Richard needed his identity.
His signatures.
Possibly years of control over him.
Claire covered her face when Ortiz later told her.
Then Vanessa revealed the final detail.
Mercer had kept insurance.
Evidence.
Copies of conversations.
Documents proving Richard planned everything.
“Where?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“But you know why.”
“Yes.”
“He planned to blackmail Richard?”
“No.”
May you like
Vanessa looked genuinely afraid.
“Mercer planned to take over.”
