Chapter 6 - Richard’s Other Plan
Richard Carter had been preparing to sell villa.
Nobody knew.
Documents found through broker showed private negotiations beginning six months earlier.
Problem:
Villa was partly collateralized through Carter Family Residential Partnership, which included trust-linked interests.
Sale required disclosure.
Richard’s financial irregularities could surface.
Then two weeks before explosion he abruptly canceled sale.
Why?
Insurance.
Policy had been increased three months earlier.
That looked suspicious.
But insurer explained increase accompanied major renovation appraisal and lender requirement.
Not proof arson.
Still, Richard’s basement movements mattered.
Investigators found evidence of deliberate tampering related to blast but did not publicly disclose mechanics.
Conclusion:
Explosion was intentionally arranged.
Not accidental gas leak.
Not Emily’s inert collector object.
Someone had prepared villa to explode.
Likely someone with access.
Richard had access.
But motive?
Destroy records.
Basement archive contained financial ledgers linking Richard-controlled companies to trust payments.
Many records burned.
Fortunately copies existed elsewhere.
Maybe Richard planned fire to erase evidence and claim insurance.
But why that night?
He couldn't predict Emily would throw inert grenade.
Unless he knew Claire planned poisoning.
Claire denied.
Phone extraction found deleted message from Richard:
TONIGHT. MAKE SURE SHE COMES DOWNSTAIRS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Claire said it referred to signature.
Richard wanted Emily downstairs to sign waiver while emotionally vulnerable.
“What did you tell him?”
“That I'd get her out of room.”
“How?”
“I said I'd mess with her food.”
Daniel stared.
“You told your father?”
“I didn't say poison.”
“Did he ask what you meant?”
“No.”
So Richard knew Claire planned something involving food.
Then perhaps he arranged explosion simultaneously.
But why endanger wife and daughters?
Maybe intended smaller fire after family left.
Timeline showed Richard had dinner reservation booked for Margaret and Claire at 12:30 a.m. at private late-night club? Strange. Maybe planned to leave villa shortly after midnight.
Claire canceled because she wanted watch Emily eat contaminated food.
Margaret stayed because tired.
Richard’s plan went off while family still home.
If he intended destructive event around 12:17, he may have expected others gone.
Emily throwing inert grenade created false narrative.
Did Richard exploit opportunity in real time?
Could he trigger explosion manually after seeing grenade, intending frame Emily?
Security footage showed Richard standing with family seconds before blast.
Could still remote trigger, but avoid details.
Investigators found no evidence on his person because missing.
Then search dogs found Richard’s phone near wooded path.
Last outgoing message at 12:20, three minutes after explosion.
Recipient:
UNKNOWN.
Text:
SHE SURVIVED. GET HER BEFORE POLICE DO.
Emily.
Richard had followed her.
Who was recipient?
Burner device.
Signal later near abandoned Carter warehouse.
Police searched.
Empty.
But on floor:
Emily’s childhood medical files.
Photographs.
Trust statements.
And a recent photograph of Emily sleeping.
Someone had been monitoring her.
On back:
SHE MUST REACH THIRTY.
Not “must not.”
Someone wanted Emily alive.
That contradicted Richard.
Then anonymous email arrived to Daniel:
RICHARD ISN’T RUNNING FROM POLICE.
HE’S RUNNING FROM THE WOMAN WHO SAVED EMILY.
Attached photograph.
The blonde woman entering villa.
Face now visible.
Olivia stared at image.
Then whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Daniel asked:
“You know her?”
Olivia nodded.
May you like
“That’s Aunt Sarah.”
Margaret had always told daughters Sarah died twenty years ago.
