The Sister He Had Buried Without a Funeral
Chapter 05 - The Sister He Had Buried Without a Funeral
Rachel was thinner than Daniel remembered.
That was the first thing he noticed.
The second was her hair.
She had always worn it long, usually tied carelessly at the back of her neck. Now it was cut just above her shoulders, threaded with gray.
She looked older than thirty-eight.
Tired older.
Life older.
When Daniel entered the hospital room, Rachel stared at him for several seconds.
Then she looked at Ellie.
Her entire face changed.
“Baby.”
Ellie ran to her.
Daniel turned away as Rachel held her daughter and cried without making a sound.
He suddenly felt like an intruder.
Maybe he was.
When Ellie finally fell asleep curled beside her mother, Rachel looked at Daniel.
“You opened the envelope.”
“Yes.”
“You almost didn’t.”
It was not a question.
Daniel pulled a chair closer.
“Dad told me you were dead.”
Rachel gave a bitter laugh.
“Of course he did.”
“I believed him.”
“I know.”
“That isn’t an excuse.”
“No.”
The word landed harder than anger.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“What happened three nights ago?”
“I met with someone who used to work in Mercer accounting.”
“Why?”
“Because your company is doing the same thing it did twelve years ago.”
Daniel stiffened.
“What thing?”
“Taking money meant for people who have nowhere else to go and moving it until nobody can find it.”
“That’s not possible.”
Rachel’s eyes sharpened.
“There he is.”
“Who?”
“My brother.”
Daniel sat back.
Rachel looked toward the sleeping child.
“I spent twelve years hoping you had changed enough to ask questions before defending the company.”
“I came here.”
“After Ellie walked into your office looking like she had slept under a bridge.”
Daniel flinched.
Rachel saw it.
For a moment, regret crossed her face.
Then she said quietly, “I’m sorry she had to be the thing that finally made you look.”
Daniel stared at his hands.
“What did I sign?”
Rachel went still.
“The affidavit.”
“I know what it was called.”
“No. You know what Dad told you it was.”
Daniel looked up.
Rachel’s voice trembled for the first time.
“You signed a statement saying I had sole access to the employee relief fund.”
“You did have access.”
“So did seven other people.”
Daniel said nothing.
Rachel continued.
“Your signature let Dad isolate me as the only suspect. Banks froze my accounts. I lost my apartment. Employers stopped returning calls.”
Daniel felt sick.
“I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t ask.”
He closed his eyes.
Then Rachel said the one thing he was not prepared to hear.
“I wrote to you twenty-three times.”
Daniel looked at her.
“I never received one letter.”
May you like
Rachel’s face changed.
And for the first time since he entered the room, they were both afraid of the same person.
