Chapter 7 - Six Hundred Thousand Dollars
Daniel did not ask again. That made it worse.
"The money exists," I said finally.
"Why?"
"Your father had a life insurance policy."
"I know he had insurance."
"Not this one."
"How did Vanessa know?"
That was the real question. Not why I'd kept it private. How she'd found something I'd never discussed in her presence.
"I don't know."
"Was Dad hiding it?"
"No."
"Were you?"
"Yes."
The word settled between us.
The policy had paid six hundred thousand directly to me. I'd invested most of it, kept enough liquid for medical costs and repairs. Richard and I had discussed it years earlier.
"If anything happens to me, don't start distributing your security because people are grieving."
"Daniel isn't 'people,'" I'd teased.
"Especially Daniel," he'd said. "Loving somebody does not require making them financially careless."
"Vanessa knew because she went through your records," Daniel said now.
"I keep the policy papers at home. In the green file box."
"She had your house key."
"You gave it to her?"
"She said Margaret called about a frozen pipe in January."
"It didn't freeze."
"I know that now."
May you like
He stood. "We're going to the house."
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