Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT RACHEL DISAPPEARED
Elliot did not sleep.
At 4:30 a.m., he sat alone in the kitchen with Rachel's photograph in front of him.
Rachel had been pregnant.
Nathan had known.
Miriam had known.
Someone had tried to erase Emma.
And now Maddie was saying Rachel hadn't died in the crash.
At 7:00, Maddie came downstairs.
She looked exhausted.
Elliot stood.
“You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to tell me.”
Maddie shook her head.
“I need to.”
She sat.
“Mom wasn't supposed to drive that night.”
Elliot's heart tightened.
“Why?”
“She said someone had followed her.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Did she say anything else?”
“She said Uncle Nathan told her to go to the hospital.”
“Why?”
“Because the baby was coming.”
Elliot stopped breathing.
“Emma?”
Maddie nodded.
“Mom said she was scared.”
“What happened?”
“She left the apartment.”
“And?”
“She came back.”
“When?”
“Later.”
Maddie closed her eyes.
“She was bleeding.”
Elliot felt sick.
“She told me to hide.”
“Where?”
“Under the bed.”
“What happened next?”
“I heard shouting.”
Maddie began crying.
“Mom said, ‘You can't do this.’”
Elliot knelt beside her.
“Who was she talking to?”
“I don't know.”
“Did you hear a man's voice?”
Maddie nodded.
“What did he say?”
She swallowed.
“He said, ‘The baby belongs to us now.’”
Elliot's blood ran cold.
“Then what?”
“Mom took me to the bathroom.”
“She told me to lock the door.”
“Then I heard a crash.”
Elliot's voice softened.
“Did you see anything?”
Maddie shook her head.
“I heard Mom screaming.”
Then silence.
“I heard a car.”
“Did someone take her?”
“I don't know.”
Maddie looked up.
“But when the police came, Tracy was there.”
Elliot stared at her.
“Tracy?”
“Yes.”
“She told the police Mom drove away alone.”
Elliot stood.
“That was a lie.”
Maddie nodded.
“I knew.”
“Why didn't you tell anyone?”
“Because Tracy said if I did, Emma would disappear.”
Elliot closed his eyes.
Everything suddenly connected.
The surveillance.
The false reports.
The hospital records.
The trust.
The missing money.
Rachel's fear.
And Tracy.
But there was still one question.
Who had killed Rachel?
Marcus arrived with an answer.
They had obtained traffic camera footage from the night of the accident.
The footage showed Rachel's car traveling toward Route 7.
A second vehicle followed.
A black SUV.
Its license plate had been obscured.
But not completely.
Marcus had enhanced the image.
The vehicle belonged to Whitaker Capital Partners.
Elliot stared.
“Who was driving?”
“We don't know.”
“Find out.”
Hours later, they had the answer.
The SUV had been assigned to Gregory Sloan.
Chief financial officer of Whitaker Capital.
Elliot knew Gregory.
Everyone did.
He was charming.
Polished.
Trusted.
He had attended family dinners.
He had spoken at Elliot's wedding.
He had sent flowers when Rachel died.
And he had spent the last four years helping manage Elliot's financial empire.
Elliot called him.
“Gregory.”
“Elliot. What's going on?”
“Where were you the night Rachel died?”
A pause.
“I don't remember.”
“You don't remember?”
“It was four years ago.”
“I remember.”
Another pause.
“Why are you asking?”
“Because your company vehicle followed her.”
Silence.
Then Gregory said:
“I think you're grieving again.”
Elliot hung up.
The next step was not confrontation.
It was evidence.
Marcus obtained financial records.
Payments had been made to Dr. Nathan Bell.
Hospital employee accounts had been altered.
Northbridge had received money.
Tracy had received money.
And Gregory had moved millions through shell companies.
But the biggest payment had gone to Miriam.
Elliot confronted his aunt.
She was sitting in her mansion library when he arrived.
She looked at him.
“I wondered when you'd come.”
Elliot stopped.
“You knew.”
Miriam sighed.
“I knew something would eventually happen.”
“Did you know Rachel was alive after the crash?”
Miriam's face changed.
“Yes.”
Elliot felt the room disappear around him.
“You knew?”
“She was alive when they took her from the scene.”
“Who took her?”
Miriam said nothing.
“Who?”
“Gregory.”
Elliot stepped closer.
“Why?”
“Because Rachel found the accounts.”
“What accounts?”
“The money your father stole.”
Elliot stared.
“My father?”
Miriam nodded.
“Your father built Whitaker Capital on fraud.”
Elliot shook his head.
“No.”
“He stole from clients.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Miriam's voice broke.
“Rachel found the records.”
“And Nathan?”
“He found them too.”
“So you killed them?”
Miriam began crying.
“I didn't kill Nathan.”
“Then who did?”
“Gregory.”
“And Rachel?”
Miriam looked at him.
“I don't know if Gregory intended to kill her.”
Elliot's voice became dangerously quiet.
“What does that mean?”
“He wanted to frighten her.”
“With a car?”
“He wanted her to stop investigating.”
Elliot stared at her.
“You let him.”
Miriam looked down.
“Yes.”
“You let my wife die.”
“I was afraid.”
“You let my daughter disappear.”
“I was afraid.”
“You let Maddie believe she had to work to keep her sister.”
Miriam covered her face.
“I know.”
Elliot turned away.
Then Miriam said something that stopped him.
“Rachel wasn't the only one who survived that night.”
Elliot turned.
“Who else?”
Miriam looked toward the door.
“Gregory.”
A gunshot shattered the window.
Miriam screamed.
Elliot pulled her to the floor.
Another shot struck the wall.
Security rushed into the room.
Elliot crawled toward the broken window.
Across the street, a black SUV accelerated away.
He looked at Miriam.
“Who was that?”
She was shaking.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Gregory.”
