Chapter 5 - Why Rebecca Came to the Mansion
Rebecca told full version.
Four months earlier, Rachel contacted her after years of silence.
She wanted Halcyon files transferred before Carter Foundation sold old property.
One file mattered:
H-14.
It concerned woman killed in Rachel’s crash.
Not Rachel.
Her name was Melissa Grant.
A Halcyon client.
Melissa had been trying to escape husband, financial executive named Adrian Grant.
On night of crash, Rachel planned drive Melissa to safe location.
They switched vehicles after Rachel believed someone was following them.
Rachel drove Rebecca’s car.
Melissa drove Rachel’s.
Rachel’s car crashed.
Melissa died.
Why were dental records wrong?
That remained mystery.
Rachel initially assumed error caused by damaged remains.
Then she learned someone had intentionally submitted Rachel’s dental file.
That meant somebody wanted world to believe Rachel was dead.
Rachel panicked.
If person behind crash thought she survived, Sophie might become leverage.
She entered emergency Halcyon protection.
Why not contact Ethan?
She intended to.
Then discovered a transfer from Ethan’s family foundation to company owned by Adrian Grant.
It looked like Carter money had funded man she suspected.
Rachel no longer knew whom to trust.
Eleanor found her months later.
Rachel demanded secrecy while investigating.
Eleanor agreed.
That explained first years.
Not seven.
“Why didn’t she come back after learning truth?”
Rebecca looked away.
“She never learned whole truth.”
Then Rebecca explained mansion room.
She came that afternoon to meet Claire.
Why Claire?
Rachel had contacted Claire anonymously two months earlier.
She discovered Ethan’s second wife had begun reviewing old foundation accounts after Sophie asked about biological mother.
Rachel wanted outsider inside family to inspect records.
Claire did not know anonymous source was Rachel.
She thought source was former foundation employee.
Rebecca arrived carrying documents.
Eleanor intercepted her.
Argument escalated.
Eleanor insisted files could not reach Ethan before she spoke to Rachel.
Rebecca refused.
Then someone struck Rebecca from behind.
She woke restrained in storage room.
“Who?”
“I didn’t see.”
Claire found her later.
She and Eleanor were arguing about whether to call police.
That was conversation Ethan overheard.
“She wasn’t supposed to survive” referred to whom?
Claire finally explained.
A Halcyon surgical record showed Melissa Grant underwent emergency procedure months before crash.
Doctors expected she might not survive.
Claire had been reading aloud from file:
“Melissa wasn’t supposed to survive the surgery.”
Ethan had heard only final sentence.
So Claire had not confessed murder.
But why did she panic when Ethan entered?
Because she had been secretly investigating his dead wife.
And because Rebecca had just told her Rachel might still be alive.
Then Rebecca revealed one more thing.
Before she was attacked, she saw attacker’s sleeve.
Pinned to cuff:
a red rose.
Not flower.
A small enamel rose insignia.
Ethan knew it.
Carter Foundation used that insignia only for members of its original executive committee.
Five people.
May you like
Eleanor was one.
And one of others was Ethan’s late father.
