Chapter 5
I had never liked Diane Williams.
Not after the way she treated me.
Not after she shoved my grandmother's handbag against my chest.
And certainly not after discovering she might have helped steal from her own family.
But when Marcus told me there was blood in her abandoned car, none of that mattered.
A woman was missing.
Marcus's mother.
And someone needed to find her.
We met Detective Aaron Brooks outside Raymond Williams's office building.
Police tape surrounded the parking lot.
Diane's black Mercedes sat near the entrance.
The driver's door was open.
I saw a dark stain on the seat.
Marcus stopped walking.
"Mom."
His voice broke.
I grabbed his hand.
"Marcus, we don't know what happened yet."
He stared at the car.
"She was here."
I nodded.
"I know."
Detective Brooks approached.
"Mr. Williams?"
Marcus turned.
"Yes."
"I'm Detective Brooks."
They shook hands.
The detective looked at me.
"And you are?"
"Nia Carter."
He nodded.
"We've received information about the financial dispute involving your family."
Marcus swallowed.
"Is my mother okay?"
The detective's expression remained serious.
"We're still determining what happened."
I felt Marcus's hand tighten around mine.
The detective continued.
"We found signs of a disturbance near the vehicle."
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Was she attacked?"
"We can't confirm that yet."
He looked toward the building.
"Where's Raymond?"
"Not at the office."
My stomach tightened.
"Has anyone reached him?"
The detective shook his head.
"Not yet."
He asked Marcus several questions about Diane's recent behavior.
Had she received threats?
Did she seem frightened?
Had she argued with anyone?
Marcus answered as carefully as he could.
Then the detective looked at me.
"Ms. Carter, I understand your company has been reviewing Williams Development."
I nodded.
"Yes."
"Have you discovered anything relevant?"
I took a breath.
"Potential financial irregularities, disputed ownership documents, and suspicious transfers."
He nodded.
"We may need copies of those records."
"Of course, through counsel."
He thanked us.
Then he asked Marcus to remain available.
As we stepped away, Marcus leaned against my car.
His face was pale.
I touched his cheek.
"Hey."
He looked at me.
"What if she dies?"
My throat tightened.
I didn't know what to say.
So I told him the truth.
"I don't know what's happened."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I was so angry with her."
I nodded.
"You're allowed to be angry."
He looked away.
"What if the last thing I ever said to her was about money?"
I pulled him into my arms.
He held me tightly.
For the first time, I saw the little boy still living inside the grown man I loved.
The boy who wanted his mother to love him.
To believe him.
To choose him.
I stroked his back.
"Whatever happens, you didn't cause this."
He began crying.
I held him until his breathing slowed.
That evening, we returned to Robert's house.
The living room looked exactly as it had during my first visit.
Same elegant furniture.
Same warm lamps.
Same large windows.
But everything felt different.
Robert sat in an armchair, staring at his phone.
When we entered, he stood.
"Any news?"
Marcus shook his head.
"Not yet."
Robert covered his face.
I sat beside him.
"Mr. Williams, the police are working on it."
He nodded.
Then he looked at me.
"Nia, I owe you an apology."
I blinked.
"For what?"
"For allowing my family to treat you badly."
I felt my chest tighten.
He continued.
"I was upstairs during dinner. I heard raised voices, but I didn't come down."
I stared at him.
"I should've."
He looked ashamed.
"I've spent years avoiding conflict."
Marcus sat across from him.
"Dad..."
Robert shook his head.
"No. Your mother and sister made decisions, and I kept pretending things would work themselves out."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I failed you."
Marcus looked down.
I reached for his hand.
Robert continued.
"And now I might lose Diane without ever telling her how disappointed I am in what we've become."
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Then Robert's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered immediately.
"Hello?"
His expression changed.
"Diane?"
Marcus stood.
"Mom?"
Robert put the call on speaker.
A woman's voice whispered.
"Robert."
It was Diane.
My heart jumped.
Robert began crying.
"Where are you?"
She sounded terrified.
"I can't tell you."
Marcus leaned forward.
"Mom, it's Marcus."
Silence.
Then Diane began sobbing.
"My baby."
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Mom, where are you?"
She took a shaky breath.
"Raymond knows."
I felt cold.
"Knows what?" Marcus asked.
Diane whispered, "That Vanessa kept copies."
Robert frowned.
"Copies of what?"
Diane began crying harder.
"The property records."
I leaned closer.
"Diane, this is Nia."
A pause.
Then she whispered, "I know."
I swallowed.
"If you're in danger, we can help."
Her voice shook.
"I don't deserve your help."
I looked at Marcus.
He was crying silently.
I took a breath.
"This isn't about what you deserve. It's about keeping you safe."
Diane sobbed.
Then she said something unexpected.
"Raymond didn't just steal from the company."
My stomach tightened.
"What did he do?"
"He used Robert's name to guarantee loans."
Robert went pale.
Diane continued.
"When the payments stopped, the lenders started asking questions."
I stared at the phone.
"Where did the money go?"
There was a pause.
Then Diane whispered, "Into a company Raymond controls."
I felt anger rise.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
She began crying.
"Because he said he'd expose Vanessa."
Marcus leaned forward.
"Expose her for what?"
Diane hesitated.
Then whispered, "She signed some of the documents."
Marcus closed his eyes.
I felt sick.
Diane continued.
"Raymond told her the transfers were temporary. When she realized what he'd done, she tried to stop him."
Robert covered his mouth.
"And you?"
Diane's voice broke.
"I helped hide it."
Silence.
The admission hung in the room.
Then Marcus spoke.
"Mom, we need to find you."
She whispered, "I'm scared."
He swallowed.
"I know."
For a moment, his voice sounded like a child begging his mother to come home.
Then he said, "Please tell us where you are."
Diane began crying harder.
"I can't."
A man's voice sounded faintly in the background.
Diane gasped.
"I have to go."
Marcus shouted, "Mom!"
But the line went dead.
We stared at the phone.
Then I looked at Robert.
"Call Detective Brooks."
He nodded.
Marcus was already dialing.
I stood near the window, trying to think.
Diane had called from an unknown number.
But she had sounded as though someone was nearby.
Was she hiding?
Being held somewhere?
Or trying to escape Raymond?
Before I could decide what to do next, my phone vibrated.
A message from Rachel.
NIA, WE FOUND THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY TRANSFER RECORDS.
I opened it.
Attached was a scanned document.
My eyes widened.
The ownership structure was completely different from the records used in the acquisition negotiations.
Raymond had apparently transferred valuable properties into a private company.
But one name appeared repeatedly.
A name I hadn't expected.
EVELYN WILLIAMS.
I frowned.
"Marcus?"
He turned.
"What?"
"Who is Evelyn Williams?"
His expression changed instantly.
"My grandmother."
I stared at him.
"Your grandmother?"
He nodded.
"She died ten years ago."
My stomach dropped.
The transfers were dated four years after her death.
May you like
Someone had been using the name of a dead woman to move millions of dollars in property.
And the forged signatures might be the key to everything.
