Chapter 5 - THE ACCIDENT
Nathan’s death had always been considered an accident.
Rainy highway.
Late evening.
Vehicle crossed the median.
Nathan’s car struck the barrier.
Peter had never questioned it.
Now he requested the police report.
Nathan had no alcohol in his system.
No drugs.
No mechanical defects found during the original inspection.
Yet one detail stood out.
Nathan had called Peter three times during the hour before the crash.
Peter had been asleep.
Nathan left no voicemail.
Rachel claimed Nathan was driving home from work.
His office records showed he had left six hours earlier.
Where had he been?
Peter contacted Nathan’s former business partner, Kevin Shaw.
Kevin initially refused to speak.
Then Peter mentioned the trust.
Kevin went silent.
“Nathan thought Rachel was taking money.”
“Before he died?”
“Months before.”
Nathan had discovered Rachel making unusual withdrawals from their joint accounts.
He suspected gambling.
Then he discovered Mason Reed.
Peter assumed an affair.
Kevin shook his head.
“It was business.”
Rachel and Mason had formed companies together.
Nathan intended to divorce her.
More importantly, he intended to seek primary custody.
The trust was part of his preparation.
Peter felt sick.
Nathan had chosen him as successor trustee because he did not trust Rachel.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
Kevin looked ashamed.
“Rachel showed me emails after he died. Emails where Nathan sounded paranoid. Violent.”
Peter knew the pattern.
Forged messages.
Just like his own.
Someone had been manufacturing evidence for years.
Claire tracked Dr. Foster to a rented apartment two towns away.
Peter found her packing boxes.
The doctor nearly shut the door when she saw him.
Then he mentioned Drew.
Her face changed.
“I tried to help.”
“Then help now.”
Elaine admitted Rachel had pressured her to falsify the children’s weights.
Rachel claimed CPS might misunderstand their grief-related appetite problems.
Elaine agreed once.
Then Rachel demanded more altered medical records.
Elaine refused.
“What did she threaten you with?”
Elaine looked terrified.
“She knew about prescriptions I wrote years ago for my husband.”
Peter understood.
Rachel collected weaknesses.
Stored them.
Used them.
“Did Nathan know?”
Elaine nodded.
“He came to me before he died.”
“Why?”
Elaine opened a drawer.
Inside was an envelope.
Nathan had left it with her for safekeeping.
Peter reached for it.
Elaine pulled it back.
“He told me to give this only to one person.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
Peter froze.
Margaret had insisted Nathan’s death was an accident.
She had defended Rachel at every turn.
Elaine handed Peter the envelope.
Nathan had written Margaret’s name across the front.
Below it were six words.
May you like
YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER HAS DONE.
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