Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN IN MY MOTHER'S ROOMI had kept my mother's bedroom exactly as it was for three years.
When I purchased the villa, I asked the architect to design one guest room around furniture from our old family home.
It wasn't a shrine.
It was simply a space where her presence still felt real.
The antique dresser.
The blue ceramic lamp.
The small wooden music box.
The photograph of us on a sailboat when I was fourteen.
Whenever military life became overwhelming, I sometimes sat in that room and remembered her voice.
You are stronger than you think, Rebecca.
Now Vanessa Cole was standing there.
And someone had sent me photographs designed to make sure I knew it.
Marcus looked at the images.
"Don't respond."
"I wasn't planning to."
"We need to establish who sent these and when they were taken."
Eleanor was already calling the attorney coordinating the property evidence.
I glanced at the security feed.
The camera outside the guest-room hallway showed someone carrying a large cardboard box.
Then Olivia appeared.
She was directing two movers toward the stairs.
Behind her walked Vanessa.
I watched my sister laugh at something the woman said.
The sight turned my stomach.
"Olivia knows her."
Daniel Foster, who was still in Eleanor's conference room, looked up.
"Of course she does."
I turned.
"What do you mean?"
He frowned.
"Vanessa and Olivia have been working together for months."
"On what?"
"Investor presentations. Property negotiations. The paperwork for Hayes Family Holdings."
My eyes narrowed.
"Olivia told me she knew nothing about the documents."
Daniel gave me a tired look.
"Olivia knew plenty."
I stared at him.
"Then why did she panic on Sunday?"
"Because she didn't know how much evidence existed."
I looked back at the screen.
Olivia followed Vanessa into my mother's bedroom.
A few seconds later, the hallway camera caught my sister carrying out a framed photograph.
She looked directly toward the lens.
Then she turned the photograph facedown.
My hands curled into fists.
Marcus noticed.
"Rebecca."
"I'm all right."
"You're not."
He was correct.
I had stood on the bridge of a naval vessel during a violent storm and remained calm.
I had coordinated emergency operations while people shouted conflicting information over the radio.
I had made decisions under pressure that affected hundreds of lives.
But watching my little sister carry my mother's photograph out of that room felt almost unbearable.
Eleanor returned.
"We're preparing an emergency application for appropriate court relief concerning the unauthorized occupancy and interference with your property. We also need the police to document any suspected theft or deliberate damage."
"How quickly?"
"The timing will depend on the court. We can't simply change the locks while they're inside."
I nodded.
"Then we'll follow the process."
Marcus studied me.
"That doesn't sound like the Rebecca who wanted to drive over there five minutes ago."
"I've had five minutes to think."
"And?"
"My family wants a reaction."
I looked at Olivia on the screen.
"They want me angry enough to do something they'll be able to use against me."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Exactly."
I turned toward Eleanor.
"Preserve everything. Every message. Every document. Every video."
"We are."
"And contact the appropriate authorities about the forged signatures."
"Already underway."
Then I looked at Daniel.
"I want to know everything about Vanessa Cole."
He hesitated.
"There's something I haven't told you."
My patience was beginning to disappear.
"Daniel."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Vanessa didn't first approach your father about developing the lakefront property."
"Then why did she approach him?"
"She claimed she could recover assets from your mother's estate."
Eleanor stiffened.
"What assets?"
"She told Charles that Elizabeth had hidden money from him."
I looked between them.
"Did she know about the forty-two million?"
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know. She never gave an exact amount."
"How did she find out anything about the trust?"
"She claimed to have purchased records from a former employee of your mother's accounting firm."
Eleanor's expression darkened.
"That could explain some of the old signatures and personal information."
I looked back at Vanessa's image.
"She has been studying my family."
"Yes," Daniel replied.
"For how long?"
"At least eighteen months."
The room fell silent.
Eighteen months.
That was around the time I had changed my official signature after an attempted identity-theft incident.
I remembered receiving alerts about suspicious requests for personal financial information.
At the time, the bank had resolved the issue.
Now I wondered whether the two events were connected.
Marcus spoke first.
"Vanessa's not simply a consultant. She's targeting the family."
"Why?"
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Money. But maybe something personal, too."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because she hated your mother."
I stared at him.
"She never knew my mother."
Daniel swallowed.
"According to Vanessa, she did."
I felt the room grow still.
"Explain."
He opened a folder.
"Vanessa's maiden name was Bennett."
I blinked.
"Bennett?"
"Yes."
"That's David's surname."
Daniel nodded.
"Vanessa is David's older half-sister."
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
My sister's husband.
The man who had helped move furniture into my villa.
The man who had played the concerned father in front of a camera.
His half-sister was the person preparing forged documents for my father.
I looked at Marcus.
"They're working together."
He nodded.
"Possibly."
Eleanor leaned forward.
"Rebecca, don't assume every family connection proves a conspiracy."
I knew she was right.
But Daniel wasn't finished.
"There's one more thing."
I stared at him.
"Go ahead."
"David wasn't involved in the original plan to build the resort."
"Then what was he involved in?"
Daniel looked down.
"Convincing Olivia to marry him."
My blood went cold.
"What?"
"Vanessa introduced them at a charity event four years ago. David was having financial problems. Vanessa knew Olivia's father had access to substantial family assets."
I slowly sat down.
Four years earlier, Olivia had called me from San Francisco.
She was breathless with excitement.
Becca, I've met the most amazing man. His name is David. He's handsome, successful, and treats me like a princess.
I remembered telling her to take her time.
She laughed.
You're just jealous because you don't have a husband.
Six months later, they were engaged.
My father paid for the wedding.
It cost almost half a million dollars.
I attended in dress uniform.
David had been charming.
Polite.
Careful.
He told me he admired my service.
He asked questions about my career.
Then, months later, he began suggesting I sell my Lake Tahoe villa and invest in his business.
I refused.
He never brought it up again.
At least, not directly.
Now I looked at Daniel.
"Are you telling me David married Olivia to gain access to family money?"
"I'm telling you Vanessa discussed that possibility in an email I found."
"Show me."
Daniel opened his laptop.
The email was dated four years earlier.
It had been sent from Vanessa to an address associated with David.
The subject line was:
LONG-TERM OPPORTUNITY
The message was short.
Olivia is the easiest route to Charles. Charles is the easiest route to the property portfolio. Don't waste this chance.
I stared at the screen.
Then I read it again.
Eleanor leaned forward.
"Do we have the complete email chain?"
Daniel nodded.
"I copied it before my access was revoked."
Marcus folded his arms.
"This needs to go directly to investigators."
I barely heard him.
All I could think about was Olivia.
Spoiled.
Selfish.
Cruel.
Yes.
But she was still my little sister.
And there was a terrible possibility that she had been manipulated by the very people she believed loved her.
My phone began ringing.
It was Dad.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
"What?"
His voice was strained.
"Rebecca, we need to talk."
"About which crime?"
"Don't speak to me like that."
"Then give me a reason not to."
He inhaled sharply.
"Something's happened to Olivia."
My heart jumped.
"What?"
"She's missing."
I stood.
"What do you mean, missing?"
"She left the house with David about an hour ago. Susan says they were arguing."
"Have you called her?"
"She's not answering."
"Have you contacted the police?"
"Not yet."
I closed my eyes.
"Then do that."
"Rebecca, please."
The word startled me.
Please.
My father rarely said it.
"She left a note," he whispered.
"What did it say?"
I heard paper rustling.
Then he read aloud.
"If anything happens to me, ask Rebecca about the original will."
I stared at the wall.
"Where did you find that?"
"In Elizabeth's room."
My pulse quickened.
"Who else is there?"
"Susan and Vanessa."
I looked toward Marcus.
"Get out of the house," I told my father.
"What?"
"Dad, listen carefully. Leave the house. Call the police. Don't confront Vanessa."
"Why?"
"Because we have evidence suggesting she's involved in the fraudulent documents."
Silence.
Then I heard movement.
A woman's voice in the background.
Calm.
Familiar.
"Charles? Who are you talking to?"
Vanessa.
My father whispered, "Rebecca."
The phone crackled.
Then Vanessa's voice came directly through the speaker.
"Commander Hayes."
I froze.
She laughed softly.
"You really should have stayed away from your mother's secrets."
The call ended.
Marcus was already reaching for his keys.
But before we could leave, another message arrived.
This time from Olivia's phone.
There was no photograph.
No insult.
May you like
Only one sentence.
REBECCA, I THINK DAVID IS GOING TO KILL ME.
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