Chapter 8 - THE ALIBI
“Where did you get that, Elaine?” Cameron’s voice was no longer angry. It was dangerously, chillingly quiet.
Elaine took a step back, releasing Mia’s arm. Mia immediately ran across the room and threw herself into Cameron’s chest. He wrapped his arms around the little girl tightly, burying his face in her dark hair, but his eyes never left Elaine.
“I… it was in his things at the house,” Elaine stammered, her eyes darting toward the door.
“Liar,” Audrey stepped forward, placing herself between Elaine and the exit. “You were in the car.”
Elaine swallowed hard, panic flashing in her icy eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“The police report said Daniel swerved to avoid a deer, but there were no skid marks,” Cameron said, piecing it together as the horrible truth dawned on him. “He was distracted. They said the passenger side door was jammed, but someone had forced it open from the inside. You were with him.”
“So what if I was?” Elaine shrieked, backing against the fireplace. “He was drunk! He was screaming at me! When we hit the tree, he was bleeding… he was unconscious.”
“And you left him,” Cameron said, his voice breaking. “You left your husband bleeding to death in a wrecked car, took his rosary so no one would know you were there, and ran away to protect yourself.”
“I was having an affair!” Elaine screamed, tears of frustration streaming down her face. “If the police found me in the car at 2 a.m. on that side of town, the press would have found out I was sleeping with his rival! I would have gotten nothing in the divorce!”
Audrey felt sick to her stomach. This woman had let her husband die alone in the dark just to protect a divorce settlement.
“I have it all on tape,” Audrey said calmly.
Elaine snapped her head toward Audrey. “What?”
Audrey pulled her phone from her pocket. The screen was illuminated, showing an active voice recording. “Every word you just said. Leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Withholding evidence. Endangerment of a child.”
Elaine’s face twisted in sheer hatred. She lunged forward. “Give me that phone!”
Audrey didn’t flinch. She stood tall, staring the woman down. “Touch me, and I’ll send this to the police commissioner right now.”
Elaine stopped, chest heaving. She looked at Cameron, who was holding Mia as if she were his lifeline.
May you like
Then, Elaine smiled. It was a cold, venomous grin.
“Keep the recording. Keep the brat,” Elaine sneered, grabbing her coat. “But the trust shares revert to me as her biological mother if I file a challenge by midnight. I don’t need to win custody to freeze your assets. Enjoy your little family, Cameron. By tomorrow morning, Hayes Enterprises is mine.”
