Chapter 15 - THE WOMAN IN MY GRAVE
Her name was Mara Ellis, twenty-nine, a temporary caterer who vanished the night of the fire.
Marcus had found her name months earlier but never connected her to the estate because the official report listed no staff in the east wing.
Juliette knew more.
“Mara was helping Victor copy files,” she said. “I saw her in the hallway before the alarm.”
Dad stared at her. “Why didn’t you tell police?”
“Victor told me she had left.”
“But she hadn’t,” Marcus said.
No.
Mara had died in the records room where Victor started the fire. Her body was burned beyond visual identification. A bracelet found nearby had belonged to me.
I touched my scarred wrist.
“My bracelet.”
Juliette nodded. “I found it on the lawn after I got out. Victor took it from me.”
My stomach turned.
“He planted it.”
“Yes.”
Victor had used a dead woman to manufacture my death.
Marcus contacted the medical examiner. DNA from the unidentified remains could still exist in evidence storage.
“If we confirm Mara,” he said, “Victor is looking at much more than fraud and arson.”
My father sat beside Juliette, but did not touch her.
For three years, Mara’s family had not known where she went while mine buried her under my name.
“Find them,” I told Marcus.
“I will.”
Juliette whispered, “Caroline, I never knew who the body was.”
“But you knew the identification was weak.”
“Yes.”
“And you let them close the coffin anyway.”
She bowed her head.
I could not forgive that.
Maybe someday I could understand it. Understanding was not forgiveness.
Grant walked away from the ambulance without looking back.
Juliette watched him go.
Then a detective approached with a pair of handcuffs.
“Juliette Mercer,” he said, “I need you to stand.”
Dad whispered, “For what?”
The detective looked at us.
“Fraud, obstruction, conspiracy, and falsifying estate records.”
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Juliette stood in her ruined wedding dress.
And this time, nobody stopped them from taking her away.
