Chapter 2 - Rachel Morgan’s Death Certificate
Claire left the ballroom with Lily before touching the engraving again.
Daniel followed as far as the private bridal suite until hotel security stopped him.
“Claire, you’re making this worse.”
“For who?”
“She’s six.”
“And terrified of you.”
“She’s confused.”
“Then why are you scared of a ring?”
Daniel had no answer.
Claire locked the door.
Lily sat on the sofa with Claire’s veil around her shoulders.
“Where did you see Mommy?”
“At the blue house.”
“What blue house?”
“I don’t know.”
“How did you get there?”
“A lady took me.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“What lady?”
“Miss Anna.”
No Anna had been mentioned in Lily’s care history.
Then Claire carefully asked:
“Did your mom look hurt?”
“No.”
“Did she say where she’d been?”
Lily shook her head.
“She said I had to give you the ring.”
“To me?”
“Yes.”
“Not Daniel?”
“She said Daddy Daniel couldn’t see it first.”
Daddy Daniel.
Claire frowned.
Daniel wasn’t Lily’s father.
He had always described himself as “Uncle Daniel,” Rachel’s cousin.
Why was Lily calling him Daddy?
Claire didn’t interrogate.
She called her attorney friend, Melissa Grant, and asked for one thing:
“Find Rachel Morgan’s death record.”
It took less than an hour.
Rachel Morgan had a death certificate.
Cause: complications following motor vehicle collision.
Hospital: St. Vincent Regional.
Body released to authorized family representative.
Representative:
Daniel Whitmore.
Claire stared.
He had personally identified Rachel’s body.
That seemed impossible if Lily saw her yesterday.
Then Melissa found funeral records.
Closed casket.
Cremation.
Daniel had arranged that too.
Convenient?
Or normal after traumatic injuries?
Could be either.
Claire forced herself not to jump.
Then Lily pointed at the ring.
“Mommy said there were two.”
“Two what?”
“Rings.”
Claire looked down.
This ring was platinum.
Small diamond marks around edge.
Inside engraving still covered by her thumb.
“What happened to the other?”
Lily whispered:
“Daniel has it.”
Claire went cold.
Her own engagement ring had been a newly purchased solitaire.
Daniel wore no ring.
What other wedding ring could he have?
Then Melissa called back.
“Claire, I found something weird.”
Rachel Morgan had not been married when she died.
Her official marital status was:
Never married.
May you like
Claire looked at the wedding band in her hand.
So whose marriage did this ring belong to?
