Chapter 9 - The Secret Of Maisie’s Mother
For weeks, life slowly returned to normal.
But Vivian’s final words haunted Natalie.
She knows.
What did Maisie know?
And what was everyone else missing?
Detective Reyes reopened old records.
That was when they found something strange.
Maisie’s mother, Emily, had not died in the accident everyone believed.
There was more.
The official report had missing pages.
Witness statements had disappeared.
Natalie looked at Graham.
“You knew?”
Graham’s face changed.
“I knew there were questions.”
“Questions?”
Natalie’s voice hardened.
“You let everyone believe she was gone.”
Graham looked broken.
“I was trying to protect Maisie.”
Again.
Those words.
Always those words.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
But every secret created another wound.
Graham admitted Emily had discovered something before her death.
Something involving Vivian.
Emily had confronted her.
And shortly afterward, the accident happened.
Natalie felt sick.
“Are you saying Vivian was involved?”
Graham shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
But now they needed to know.
They reopened the investigation.
And found a hidden witness.
An old neighbor named Clara Bennett.
She remembered seeing Vivian near Emily’s house the night before the accident.
“She was angry.”
Natalie asked:
“What did she say?”
Clara hesitated.
May you like
Then whispered:
“She said Emily was going to ruin everything.”
