Chapter 6 - Unearthing the Past
With Richard securely behind bars and denied bail given the severity of the premeditated attack, the investigation expanded. Once the police realized what Richard was capable of, they began digging into his past—and the secrets he had buried for decades began to surface.
Three days after the arrest, Officer Miller called Daniel and me into his office. He looked grim, sliding a thick file across his desk.
“We found something when executing a search warrant on your father’s primary residence and his office safe,” Miller said quietly. “Financial records, legal documents, and old medical files.”
Daniel picked up the top document, his eyes widening in disbelief. “What is this? A deed to a trust?”
“More than that,” Miller explained. “Your father was controlling—we all know that. But it went deeper. Years ago, before you and Clara were married, Daniel, your mother passed away under... unusual circumstances. At the time, it was ruled an accidental fall down the basement stairs. But look at the insurance payout.”
I scanned the papers. The payout had been massive, signed off by a family doctor who had retired shortly after. Attached to it was an old medical report detailing blunt-force trauma inconsistent with a simple fall.
“He killed my mother?” Daniel whispered, his voice trembling as tears spilled down his cheeks. “He pushed her down those stairs because she wanted a divorce, and he made it look like an accident?”
“We’re exhuming her body tomorrow to re-examine the evidence,” Miller said gently. “Combined with the attempted murder of your daughter, Richard is facing multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole. He won't ever see the outside of a prison cell again.”
When we returned home, the house felt lighter, as if a toxic, suffocating cloud had finally been lifted. Emma was resting in her room, her cheeks healing nicely under the care of specialized burn ointments. Though she was still shaken, the joyful sparkle in her eyes was slowly returning.
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Daniel stood by the living room window, looking out into the snow. I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. He turned and pulled me into an embrace, holding on as if anchorless in a storm.
“We survived him,” Daniel murmured against my hair. “Our family survived him.”
