Chapter 7: The Last Bargain
Detective Cole took the false order from my hand.
“The seal is copied, and the case number belongs to a closed property dispute.”
Pike pointed at Claire.
“She gave me the information.”
Claire stared at him.
“You drafted every page.”
“I acted on your instructions.”
“You said no one would check before Monday.”
The detective raised an eyebrow.
“Please keep talking.”
Claire closed her mouth.
Pike moved toward the door.
Reverend Bell remained in front of it.
“You stood at my altar and helped frighten a vulnerable woman,” the reverend said.
“You can wait.”
Claire turned to me.
“Daniel, ask them to leave.
We can still handle this privately.”
“There is no ‘we.’”
She removed her engagement ring and held it toward me.
“Then take this and sign a statement saying I misunderstood the trust.”
“You threatened my mother.”
“I sent a message.
I never expected her to walk through a storm.”
“You arranged the van.”
“Vanessa arranged it.”
Vanessa lifted her chin.
“On your instructions.”
Claire stepped toward her.
“You’ll go down with me.”
“I already gave Detective Cole the payment records.”
Claire froze.
“When?”
“This morning.”
Detective Cole opened his folder.
“Miss Walsh contacted us after Mr.
Pike asked her to witness a signature she knew was false.”
Vanessa looked at me.
“I should have told you sooner.”
“You told me before I signed.”
“It doesn’t erase what I did.”
“No,” I said.
“But it stopped her.”
Claire shoved the ring into my hand.
“You’re thanking the woman who helped deceive you?”
“I’m not forgiving her.
I’m listening to the truth.”
Claire looked around the church.
“After everything I did for this wedding, you’re all treating me like a crjminal.”
Eleanor walked to her daughter.
“Give Detective Cole your phone.”
“You have no right to tell me what to do.”
“I paid for that phone.”
Claire’s voice cracked.
“You’re enjoying this.”
Eleanor’s eyes filled.
“There is nothing enjoyable about watching my daughter become someone I no longer recognize.”
For a moment, Claire looked young and frightened.
Then she reached into her dress and pulled out a second phone.
Pike lunged for it.
“Don’t!” Claire shouted.
The detective caught Pike’s arm.
Claire ran toward a candle stand and raised the phone over the flame, but Dad moved the candles out of reach.
“Put it down,” Detective Cole said.
“It contains privileged information.”
“It contains messages about forged documents,” Vanessa replied.
Claire looked at me.
“If they take this, they’ll see what your parents accepted from the Ashfords.”
Mom came to stand beside me.
“Let them see.”
“You could lose your house.”
“Then we lose it,” Dad said.
“You could lose everything.”
Mom took my hand.
“Not everything.”
My fingers closed around hers.
She began to cry, and Dad placed his arm around both of us.
“I am so sorry,” she whispered.
“I’m still angry.”
“You’re allowed to be.”
“But you walked through the storm.”
“I would walk farther than that for you.”
My forehead rested against hers.
Dad’s hand tightened on my shoulder, and none of us tried to hide our tears.
Julian stood a few feet away.
“Daniel, I won’t ask you to call me anything.”
I looked at him.
“Don’t disappear.”
“I won’t.”
Claire stared at us, breathing hard.
Then she held the second phone toward me.
“Sign away any claim against me, and I’ll give it to you.”
Detective Cole extended an evidence bag.
“That offer was heard by everyone.”
Claire let the phone fall into the bag.
Pike was escorted out first.
At the doorway, he looked back at Claire.
“You promised I’d be protected.”
Claire’s laugh was sharp.
“You were paid to protect me.”
Detective Cole gestured toward the exit.
Claire stopped beside me before following.
“You’ll regret choosing them,” she said.
“When you learn what’s on that phone, you’ll wish you had married me.”
The detective carried the phone past us.
Its screen lit up with a new message from an unknown number.
May you like
CLAIRE, I DESTROYED THE ORIGINAL DNA REPORT.
HE’LL NEVER KNOW THE RESULT WAS CHANGED.
