Chapter 9 - Shadows from the Past
Just when I thought the storm had completely passed,
a dark ghost from Mason's past reemerged to rattle the foundations of our newfound peace.
It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon when Marcus called me back to his office with an urgent tone in his voice that immediately set my nerves on edge.
"Rachel,
you need to come down here right away,
"
Marcus said,
his voice tense.
"We have a major development regarding Mason's old business dealings before he met you.
"
When I arrived at the office,
Marcus wasn't alone.
Sitting across from him was a middle-aged woman with tired eyes,
her face lines deep with years of grief.
"Rachel,
this is Catherine Miller,
"
Marcus introduced us.
"Catherine's daughter,
Hannah,
was Mason's first fiancé six years ago in Chicago.
"
My heart froze in my chest.
"First fiancé?"
I asked,
dropping into a chair.
"Mason never told me he was engaged before.
"
Catherine looked at me,
her eyes brimming with tears as she clutched a worn photograph of a smiling young woman with blonde hair.
"He didn't tell you because Hannah died six years ago,
Mrs.
Vance,
"
Catherine said,
her voice trembling with an old,
unhealed pain.
"She drowned in a boating accident on Lake Michigan during a late-night excursion with Mason.
"
A cold dread rushed through my veins,
making my skin prickle with goosebumps.
"A boating accident?"
I whispered.
"Mason was the only survivor,
"
Catherine explained,
her hands shaking violently.
"He claimed the boat struck a submerged log and flipped over.
"
"He said he tried to save her,
but the current pulled her under.
"
"Two weeks later,
Mason collected a one-million-dollar life insurance payout that Hannah had signed just two months prior.
"
I pulled my chair closer to the table,
my mind racing through the horrific parallels.
"Did the police investigate?"
I asked.
"They treated it as a tragic accident,
"
Marcus interjected,
pulling out a copy of an old police report from Chicago.
"There was no foul play suspected at the time because Mason had an airtight story and his mother,
Eleanor,
provided an alibi regarding their whereabouts before they went out on the lake.
"
"They did it before,
"
I gasped,
the horror of the realization hitting me like a physical blow.
"It wasn't his first time.
"
"Leaving me on that mountain wasn't a desperate,
one-time impulse.
"
"It was his pattern!"
"He finds vulnerable women with money or insurance policies,
charms them into his web,
takes out massive policies,
and orchestrates 'accidents' to pay off his debts!"
"Exactly,
"
Marcus confirmed,
his face grim.
"And now that the Pitkin County prosecutor has heard about Hannah Miller's case,
the Cook County State's Attorney in Illinois is officially reopening the investigation into Hannah's death.
"
Catherine reached across the table,
grasping my hand tightly with her trembling fingers.
"Rachel,
"
Catherine sobbed,
"for six years,
I knew in my heart that monster killed my daughter,
but nobody believed me.
"
"They called me a grieving,
delusional mother.
"
"When I saw you on the news walking into that wedding with your baby,
I knew God had answered my prayers.
"
"You survived him,
Rachel.
"
"And because you survived,
you can help us put him away forever so he can never hurt another human being again.
"
I looked down at the photograph of Hannah,
a bright young woman whose life had been violently stolen by the same sociopath who had tried to leave me in the snow.
"I'll help you,
Catherine,
"
I swore,
my voice ringing with absolute determination.
"I will testify in Chicago if I have to.
"
May you like
"We are going to make sure Mason Vance never sees the light of day again.
"
