Chapter 2 - The Woman Named Allison Mercer
Amanda denied the passport belonged to her.
Then she claimed Allison Mercer was a cousin.
Then she said the photograph had been used accidentally.
Every explanation collapsed inside thirty seconds.
Daniel called the hotel’s private security.
Not police.
Not yet.
He wanted Sophie out first.
Amanda became calm once she realized he was serious.
That frightened him more than her panic.
She removed the veil.
Sat at the vanity.
Looked into the mirror.
“You’ve already decided I’m guilty of something.”
“You hit my daughter.”
“I know.”
“At least we agree.”
Amanda closed her eyes.
“I shouldn’t have.”
“No.”
“I was scared.”
“Of a pendant.”
“Yes.”
Daniel waited.
Amanda looked at him through the mirror.
“You won’t believe me.”
“Try.”
She turned.
“Rachel was involved with people you never knew about.”
“What people?”
“Financial people.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Financial people?”
“Your company.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
Carter Medical Systems had been founded by Daniel’s father.
Daniel inherited controlling interest five years earlier.
Rachel worked occasionally with internal audits because she was a forensic accountant.
Daniel had always thought it was boring enough to be safe.
“What about my company?”
“Rachel discovered irregularities.”
That sounded plausible.
Daniel knew she had been reviewing vendor payments before the crash.
“What irregularities?”
Amanda shook her head.
“I can’t.”
Daniel held up the second passport.
“Allison.”
Amanda flinched.
He saw it.
“Is that your real name?”
“No.”
“Then why did you react?”
Amanda looked toward the doorway.
“Because if you call people, Sophie could be in danger.”
Daniel became completely still.
“Do not use my daughter to scare me.”
“I’m trying to protect her.”
“You hit her.”
Amanda winced.
Daniel continued.
“You don’t get to say protect in the same conversation.”
Amanda lowered her voice.
“Rachel hid something.”
“The pendant?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why were you desperate for it?”
“Because someone else wants it.”
“Who?”
Amanda said nothing.
Daniel held her gaze.
“Your father?”
Her face changed.
There.
Victor Hale.
Amanda’s father was a neurologist and board member of the Hale-Carter Health Foundation.
Daniel had met him after dating Amanda.
Victor was polished.
Calm.
Generous.
He also happened to have treated Daniel after the crash that killed Rachel.
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“Victor knew Rachel.”
Amanda looked away.
“How well?”
“Professionally.”
“You told me he never met her.”
“I lied.”
Daniel felt cold.
“Why?”
Amanda whispered,
“Because Rachel hated him.”
“Why?”
“She thought he was stealing.”
The answer came too easily now.
Daniel asked,
“Was he?”
Silence.
“Amanda.”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You were ready to marry me today.”
“I love you.”
“No.”
She flinched.
“You love access.”
“What?”
“To me.”
“That’s insane.”
“Is it?”
Daniel held up both passports.
“Tell me one thing that has been real.”
Amanda’s eyes filled.
“My feelings.”
He stared.
“Those were real.”
Daniel almost wanted to believe her.
That made him angry at himself.
He had met Amanda eight months after Rachel died.
Too quickly, Rebecca said.
Daniel had rejected that.
Grief did strange things.
Amanda understood Sophie.
She cooked.
She listened.
She never pushed Daniel to stop talking about Rachel.
At least not at first.
Then small things changed.
Rachel’s photographs disappeared from the living room.
Amanda claimed the housekeeper moved them.
Sophie’s stuffed rabbit from Rachel’s nursery box vanished.
Amanda said it was damaged.
Rachel’s perfume bottles were thrown away.
Expired, Amanda said.
Daniel let it happen because moving forward felt like survival.
Now he wondered whether Amanda had been erasing Rachel deliberately.
Rebecca entered.
“Sophie’s with Vanessa.”
Amanda stood.
“Rebecca, please.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“You hit my niece.”
“It was one slap.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Amanda immediately realized the mistake.
Rebecca stared.
“One?”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“There’s a correct number of times to slap a toddler?”
Amanda grabbed her bag.
“I’m leaving.”
Daniel did not stop her.
Rebecca did.
“Not with those.”
She pointed at several folders Amanda had placed inside the bag.
Amanda froze.
Daniel removed them.
Bank statements.
Corporate papers.
Photocopies of Carter Medical vendor agreements.
Rachel’s handwriting appeared in the margins.
Daniel’s heart accelerated.
“Where did you get these?”
Amanda said nothing.
Rebecca picked up one page.
“These are Rachel’s.”
Daniel nodded.
He recognized her handwriting instantly.
A circle around a company name.
MERIDIAN CLINICAL SERVICES.
Beside it Rachel had written:
No employees. $4.8M paid in 14 months. Ask V.H.
V.H.
Victor Hale.
Rebecca looked at Daniel.
“You need an attorney.”
“I need answers.”
“Both.”
Amanda spoke from the doorway.
“If you involve attorneys, Victor will know you have this.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You’re scared of your father?”
Amanda’s face went blank.
Then she said,
“You should be too.”
She walked out.
Daniel let her.
Two hours later the wedding guests were gone.
Sophie slept against Rebecca in Daniel’s hotel suite.
Daniel sat beside the window with Rachel’s pendant in his hand.
Rebecca examined the Allison Mercer passport.
“I searched the name.”
“And?”
“Real identity.”
Daniel looked up.
“Who?”
“Woman born in Ohio. Social Security number issued. Driver’s license until six years ago.”
“Amanda?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Allison Mercer died six years ago.”
Daniel stared.
“Then why does Amanda have her passport?”
“That’s not the weird part.”
Rebecca turned the laptop.
An obituary appeared.
No photograph.
Allison Mercer, age thirty, survived by her mother, Patricia Mercer.
Daniel frowned.
Rebecca clicked another file.
Death certificate.
Attending physician:
May you like
Victor Hale, M.D.
Daniel felt the room go cold.
