Chapter 5: THE MESSAGE FROM THE CRUISE SHIP
That afternoon, Derek called again.
This time, he didn’t sound angry.
He sounded desperate.
“Hannah, please don’t hang up.”
I was sitting in a private consultation room with Detective Whitmore nearby.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Still on the ship.”
“Then you should be enjoying your vacation.”
“I made a mistake.”
I stared at the wall.
“You left Lily alone for three days.”
“I thought Patricia had arranged someone.”
“You spent nineteen thousand dollars while our daughter was starving.”
“I can explain the money.”
“And the insurance policy?”
Silence.
“What insurance policy?” he finally asked.
“The one worth two million dollars.”
His breathing became uneven.
“Listen to me. Vanessa is dangerous.”
Whitmore leaned closer.
I kept my voice steady.
“You know Vanessa?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Were you planning to kill me?”
“No!”
His answer came so quickly that I almost believed him.
Almost.
“Then explain the note about August 19.”
Derek went quiet.
For several seconds, I heard only the low hum of the ship.
Then he whispered, “They were supposed to make it look like an accident.”
My heart seemed to stop.
“Who?”
“I didn’t know they’d actually go through with it.”
“Who, Derek?”
“Vanessa and her brother.”
Whitmore began writing rapidly.
“What were they going to do?” I asked.
“There was supposed to be a fire at the house.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“Lily was in that house.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be there!”
His voice cracked.
“Patricia was supposed to take her before we left. I thought she’d done it.”
I closed my eyes.
“And me?”
“They thought you’d still be overseas. The fire was supposed to destroy the documents and make it look like someone had broken in.”
“Then why insure my life?”
Another silence.
Finally, he said, “Because that wasn’t the first plan.”
Before I could respond, I heard a door open on his end.
A woman’s voice spoke sharply.
“Derek, who are you talking to?”
I recognized the voice from old family videos.
Patricia.
Then Derek whispered, “Mom, she knows.”
His mother answered with five words that changed everything.
“Then we have to hurry.”
The call ended.
