Chapter 7 - WHAT MICHAEL KNEW
Natalie had barely spoken since learning about Noah’s money.
At 9:20 a.m., Emma found her inside the library.
She was sitting beneath Catherine’s portrait holding an old photograph of Michael.
Emma approached carefully.
“Mrs. Mercer?”
Natalie looked up.
“Please don’t call me that.”
Emma sat beside her.
“Then Natalie.”
Natalie stared at the photograph.
“Michael hated Brooke.”
Emma said nothing.
“He never said it openly.”
“But he watched her.”
“Especially around Dominic.”
Natalie swallowed.
“Three days before he died, he told me Brooke was asking questions about the trust.”
Emma’s attention sharpened.
“What kind of questions?”
“He asked whether I had ever shown her Catherine’s trust documents.”
“Had you?”
“No.”
Natalie looked toward the hallway.
“But Michael had.”
Emma frowned.
Natalie explained.
“Not intentionally.”
“Brooke came to our house while Michael was reviewing some of the papers.”
“She said she was helping Dominic plan the wedding.”
“Michael told her the cottage could never become marital property.”
Emma felt a chill.
“What did Brooke say?”
“She laughed.”
“She said every trust could be broken if you found the right lawyer.”
Emma stared at Natalie.
“Did you tell Dominic?”
Natalie shook her head.
“Michael died the following week.”
Emma’s expression changed.
Natalie immediately saw it.
“No.”
She shook her head harder.
“No.”
“Don’t think that.”
Emma chose her words carefully.
“How did Michael die?”
“Car accident.”
“I know.”
“But what happened?”
Natalie’s face tightened.
“He drove to Providence late at night.”
“He said he needed to meet someone.”
“His brakes failed near Exeter.”
Emma said nothing.
Natalie stood.
“No.”
“Brooke is selfish.”
“She is manipulative.”
“She is a thief.”
“But she didn’t kill my husband.”
Emma had not accused her.
Natalie knew that.
That frightened her more.
Dominic entered the library.
He had heard enough from the hallway.
“Natalie.”
She turned.
He looked at the photograph in her hand.
“What did Michael know?”
Natalie closed her eyes.
Then she told him everything.
Dominic listened without interruption.
When she finished, he called Victor.
“Pull Michael’s accident file.”
Natalie grabbed his arm.
“Dominic.”
“I’m not accusing anyone.”
“Then why?”
“Because Michael asked questions about the trust.”
“He died three days later.”
“And now the same trust has been looted.”
Natalie’s eyes filled.
Dominic softened.
“I should have looked closer when it happened.”
She shook her head.
“We all thought it was an accident.”
Dominic looked toward Catherine’s portrait.
“Maybe it was.”
“But I’m done assuming.”
At that moment, Victor appeared in the doorway.
His expression was different.
Dominic immediately noticed.
“What?”
Victor held out a phone.
“We intercepted a call from Brooke’s father.”
“To whom?”
Victor looked at Natalie.
“Gerald Pike.”
Dominic took the phone.
Victor continued.
“They discussed destroying a file.”
“What file?”
Victor hesitated.
“Something they called Michael Mercer.”
May you like
Natalie stopped breathing.
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