Chapter 10 - LUCY
Daniel had a sister.
Lucy Hale.
Born two years after him.
Died at age six.
Daniel was eight.
He never told me.
Not once in seven years of marriage.
Celeste’s public biographies mentioned only one son.
Family photographs in their home began after Daniel was nine.
Lucy had been erased.
Why?
Death certificate:
Acute liver failure after complications from leukemia treatment.
Not South Harbor fire.
She was receiving an experimental supportive medication supplied through Larkin Laboratories.
One batch had been stored at South Harbor.
The fire occurred during trial.
Hospital records showed Lucy’s treatment batch was delayed and replaced.
Did she die because of temperature failure?
Unknown.
No direct evidence.
Her underlying disease was severe.
But Edward Hale believed mishandled medication contributed.
He became obsessed.
He worked at South Harbor partly because he wanted records.
Then alarm logs disappeared.
He accused Baxter.
Reed settled.
Larkin denied drug integrity issue.
Lucy died months later.
Celeste blamed everyone.
Baxter.
Larkin.
Reed.
My father.
Even Edward.
Then somehow her adult son went to work for Larkin.
Why?
Daniel’s old journal, seized from home, answered.
I hate them, so I need to know how they work.
Entry from college.
Later:
Larkin offered job. Mom says take it. Dad died chasing ghosts. I will not.
Daniel initially saw himself as different from his father.
Then another entry years later:
Met Nora Reed today. She is nothing like Samuel.
That stopped me.
Date:
Nine years ago.
Our first meeting.
He knew who I was.
Of course.
Did he approach intentionally?
Journal:
Did not tell her about Lucy. Not her burden.
Another:
Mom would lose her mind if she knew.
Then six months later:
I love her. That should be enough to end this.
I cried.
Not because it absolved him.
Because our marriage had been real.
He had loved me.
Then resentment returned later.
Journal entries stopped after wedding.
Digital notes replaced.
Three years ago:
Reed will always protect itself first.
Context?
A contract dispute where my board chose another vendor over Larkin.
Daniel felt humiliated.
Then after Sophie’s birth:
Nora put Emily above me in trust.
Same family pattern. Reeds trust paper over husbands.
His father believed Reed protected itself through settlement.
Daniel interpreted my estate plan through inherited resentment.
Celeste fed it.
She had never forgiven Samuel Reed for settling South Harbor without public trial.
Maybe she believed my family owed hers.
That still did not explain poisoning to pass Baxter deal, which seemed to benefit Baxter and Larkin.
Unless she saw it as recovery.
Money.
Control.
A way to force Reed into a structure where Hale family finally gained influence.
Recorder from wooden moon:
Celeste:
Your father died with nothing while Samuel Reed built Northstar and called himself righteous.
Daniel:
This is not about Dad.
Celeste:
It is always about Dad.
Daniel:
Baxter caused it too.
Celeste:
Then take their money.
Daniel:
And Larkin?
Celeste:
Take theirs.
Daniel:
You sound insane.
Celeste:
I sound like someone who watched your sister die while rich men signed confidentiality agreements.
There.
Her motive.
Revenge disguised as financial justice.
Daniel wanted career and control.
Celeste wanted restitution through domination.
The Baxter acquisition could place Daniel between all three companies.
Reed shares under his temporary vote.
Larkin executive promotion.
Baxter deal access.
He would become the person his father never was.
Powerful enough to force everyone to acknowledge Hale.
That was psychological motive.
Still not legal proof of attempted murder by itself.
The poison and footage were.
Then Lucy’s medical archive contained something unexpected.
Samuel Reed had not ignored her.
My father personally requested an independent review.
He wrote Celeste after Lucy died.
Letter returned unopened.
Inside:
I am sorry. I do not know whether South Harbor affected Lucy’s treatment. I have created a fund for all trial families to obtain independent records and counsel.
Celeste never saw it?
Returned.
Address correct.
Marked:
REFUSED BY RECIPIENT.
Maybe Edward refused.
Maybe Celeste.
Then fund records.
One beneficiary:
Hale Family.
Payment:
Two hundred fifty thousand.
Who accepted?
Edward Hale.
Celeste told Daniel his father died with nothing.
Not entirely true.
Edward received settlement support.
Where did money go?
Medical debt.
Legal fees.
A small trust for Daniel.
He received annuity.
He knew that part.
But perhaps not source.
Then Grace visited Daniel in detention through formal interview? He asked to speak. With lawyers, no direct Nora. Better prosecutor tells Nora his proffer. Daniel offered a statement.
He claimed Celeste had lied to him about Lucy for years.
He believed Reed refused all help.
He learned about fund only during current investigation.
Could be true.
Then he said something else.
“The strong bottle wasn’t mine.”
I stared at Grace.
“What?”
Daniel admitted low dose poisoning.
Through counsel.
He was discussing potential plea cooperation.
He claimed he intended only to keep me ill.
Monstrous.
But he denied increasing the final dose.
He said when he retrieved the amber vial that night, concentration looked different.
He assumed same.
He poured usual amount.
Yet toxicology estimated the bottle contained four times prior exposure.
Who changed concentration?
Celeste?
Someone at Larkin?
Daniel?
His self serving claim required proof.
The wooden moon showed Celeste entering nursery two hours before Daniel with a small vial.
She opened his amber bottle.
Added something.
May you like
Then returned it.
Continue to the next part: Daniel admits poisoning Nora gradually but claims Celeste secretly strengthened the final dose without telling him.
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