Chapter 10 - Natalie Ward
Natalie Ward was not Emma’s twin.
Not her sister.
No secret double.
She was maternal cousin, three years younger, with similar dark hair and facial structure.
Lily had met Natalie twice as baby.
Could toddler mistake her for Emma while sleepy and seeing Emma’s necklace?
Possible.
Natalie lived in Boston.
Or supposedly.
Travel records showed she arrived city four days before bowl incident.
Hotel under own name.
No hiding.
Police found her.
She denied entering mansion.
Why visit?
She received anonymous package containing Emma photograph and note:
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY EMMA DIED THINKING YOU BETRAYED HER, COME HOME.
Natalie came.
She hadn't contacted Ethan because relationship strained.
What betrayal?
Natalie had worked acquisition consulting firm that evaluated New Dawn parent company.
Emma later learned due diligence report omitted privacy vulnerabilities.
Natalie had signed report.
Emma accused her of concealment.
Natalie insisted executives removed appendix after her submission.
They stopped speaking.
After Emma died, Natalie carried guilt.
Anonymous sender exploited it.
Who sent package?
Same printer paper as Claire’s fake instruction.
Someone gathering all people Emma distrusted.
Natalie had alibi for nursery outage: hotel lobby footage.
So not visitor.
Who else resembled Emma enough?
Could be anyone in dark with necklace.
No need literal resemblance if Lily recognized pendant.
Then hidden kitchen footage was fully reviewed.
It showed Claire preparing pudding.
Rebecca enters.
They argue.
Rebecca leaves.
Claire places bowl on island.
Turns away to answer phone.
For eleven seconds, one security guard steps close to bowl.
Marcus Hill.
His hand enters mixture.
He places capsule and B-14 key inside.
Caught.
Marcus confessed.
He was paid.
By whom?
Instructions came via prepaid phone and cash.
But person met him once.
Woman wearing Emma’s crescent necklace.
He couldn't see face clearly under cap.
“She said she represented Mrs. Bennett.”
“Emma?”
“She never gave first name.”
Could mean Emma’s estate.
Marcus assumed.
Description didn't match Natalie strongly.
Then police examined cash envelope.
Fingerprint:
Peter Lang.
Peter denied paying.
He handled envelope earlier because it had been delivered to family office? He recognized stationery.
It was Bennett family office cash reimbursement envelope.
Dozens.
Weak.
But Peter finally admitted Emma had instructed him before death to maintain emergency investigation fund.
He paid confidential investigators after her death.
One was still active.
Name:
Sarah Keene.
Private investigator.
Sarah had been following Claire, Rebecca, Natalie and Peter.
Could Sarah be woman?
Police located her.
Sarah said Emma hired her six weeks before crash.
Contract stated investigation should continue for twelve months if Emma died, funded prepaid retainer.
Emma anticipated risk? Not necessarily death; contingency standard.
Sarah continued.
What was she investigating?
Fraudulent Anna Mercer claim.
Why secretly manipulate Lily?
Sarah denied.
Then showed surveillance photographs.
One photo from previous night.
A woman leaving Bennett mansion during nursery outage.
Sarah had followed her.
Face finally visible.
Anna Moore.
May you like
Housekeeper.
The woman Ethan had barely considered.
