Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN IN THE VIDEO
Marcus lunged toward me.
I stepped aside.
The bat slammed into the desk.
The computer fell.
I grabbed the phone from my pocket.
“Don't.”
He froze.
I held it up.
“Everything is recorded.”
His face twisted.
“You think that's enough?”
“No.”
I smiled.
“I think it's the beginning.”
He grabbed my shirt.
Before he could do anything else, Lily screamed from the hallway.
“STOP!”
Marcus released me.
She stood there shaking.
My mother appeared behind her.
“What happened?”
Nobody answered.
Then the computer screen flickered.
The video resumed.
This time, another person appeared.
My uncle Richard.
Alive.
Standing beside Elaine.
He was saying:
“Once Daniel signs the final transfer, everything belongs to us.”
I looked at my mother.
She had gone pale.
I looked at Marcus.
He was sweating.
Lily covered her mouth.
The video continued.
Richard asked:
“And Lily?”
Elaine answered:
“She'll never tell him.”
Richard laughed.
“Then make sure she can't.”
The video ended.
I turned toward my mother.
“Where is he?”
She said nothing.
“Where is Richard?”
“He's gone.”
“No.”
I walked closer.
“He's alive.”
Marcus suddenly said:
“You don't know what you're talking about.”
I looked at him.
“You were there.”
He backed away.
I opened my phone.
“I've already sent copies of the footage to three people.”
Marcus froze.
“If anything happens to Lily or me, they receive everything.”
My mother started crying.
Not because she regretted what she had done.
Because she was afraid.
“Daniel,” she whispered.
“Don't.”
“I can explain.”
“Four years.”
She cried harder.
“I was protecting the family.”
“You starved my wife.”
“She was difficult.”
“You stole my money.”
“We needed it.”
“You forged my signature.”
Silence.
Then Lily stepped forward.
“You locked me outside in winter.”
My mother looked at her.
“You deserved discipline.”
I turned toward Lily.
“I'm taking you out of here.”
My mother screamed.
“You can't!”
I looked back.
“This is my house.”
She laughed through her tears.
“No.”
She pointed toward the documents on the desk.
“You don't own anything.”
I smiled.
“That's what you think.”
Then my phone rang.
Aaron Wells.
I answered.
“Daniel.”
“What did you find?”
There was a pause.
Then Aaron said:
“Your mother didn't just steal your money.”
I listened.
“She transferred the property to herself.”
“I know.”
“No.”
His voice lowered.
“She transferred it using a power of attorney signed by you.”
“I never signed one.”
“I know.”
He paused.
“Because the signature was made after you had already left Canada.”
My blood ran cold.
“That's impossible.”
“There's more.”
“What?”
“The power of attorney was notarized.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
He gave me an address.
I recognized it immediately.
It was the hospital where I had been treated after my accident.
I whispered:
“That means someone had access to my medical records.”
Aaron said:
“Daniel…”
“What?”
“The notary is dead.”
My stomach tightened.
“And there's only one person listed as the witness.”
“Who?”
Aaron hesitated.
“Lily.”
I looked at my wife.
She was staring at me.
May you like
And for the first time since I returned—
she looked terrified of me.
