Chapter 6 - CLAIRE'S ACCOUNT
Claire did not deny the account existed.
She denied knowing where the money came from.
They found her at her apartment with three boxes of estate records stacked on the floor.
"Dad opened that account when I was sixteen," she said.
Evan dropped the ledger page onto her table.
"It has received payments from Mara's shares for thirteen years."
Claire stared at the page.
"I thought they were trust distributions."
"You never asked why they were bigger than mine?"
"You got Dad."
"What?"
"You got his guilt."
Claire's eyes filled.
"Every game, every school play, every stupid science fair, he showed up for you because he was terrified people would think he loved you less."
"I was the child from the marriage he supposedly wanted, and somehow I was the one he forgot."
Claire looked away.
"So no, I did not ask why I got more money."
Helen whispered her name.
Claire shook her head.
"Don't defend me now."
"Why do you have Dad's records?"
Claire hesitated.
"Because I found something six months ago."
Inside were copies of checks written by the family foundation.
The same amount Evan had questioned at dinner.
"You moved the money," he said.
"Yes."
"Where?"
Claire looked ashamed.
"To a man named Raymond Pike."
Helen went pale.
"Who is that?"
Claire looked at Evan.
"A witness."
"To what?"
"Mara's crash."
Claire continued.
"He contacted me after Dad died. He said he had proof the crash wasn't random."
"You paid him forty thousand dollars?"
"I paid his medical bills because he was dying and refused to talk until I did."
"What did he tell you?"
Claire reached for her phone.
"He said he saw a black car force Mara off Route 17."
"Whose car?"
Claire swallowed.
"He gave me a plate number."
The registration record belonged to Bennett & Cole.
Assigned driver: Martin Bennett.
Before Evan could speak, Claire's apartment window exploded inward.
A rock landed on the floor wrapped in paper.
May you like
Four words were written across it.
STOP DIGGING OR HELEN PAYS.
