Chapter 7: The Morning Daniel Came Alone
Detective Sandra Okafor was not what I had pictured.
She was in her mid-forties, compact and unhurried, with a yellow legal pad and a pen she kept clicking without seeming to notice.
She shook my hand, poured her own coffee from the conference room carafe, and sat down.
"Mrs.
Halbrook.
I've reviewed what Elliot sent me last night.
I want to go through the timeline with you, and then I want to ask you some questions about your son."
"All right."
"Not to implicate him.
To understand the boundary of what he knew." She clicked the pen.
"In your assessment — and I understand this is difficult — do you believe Daniel Halbrook understood the full scope of what his wife was doing?"
I had thought about nothing else for two days.
"I believe Daniel knew the guardianship was being planned," I said.
"He asked me questions about trust structure and trustee competency that were too specific to be casual.
He knew the financial pressure on his company.
He knew the lien existed." I paused.
"I do not believe Daniel knew about the forged amendment form.
Or the bank letter.
Or Philip Chu."
"Why not?"
"Because Daniel is not careful enough for that.
He's impulsive and he's frightened and he made a terrible choice.
But what Vanessa built required patience and precision.
That's not Daniel."
Okafor wrote something.
"He texted you yesterday."
"Yes."
"Have you responded?"
"No."
"I'd like you to respond today.
I'd like you to agree to meet him — somewhere neutral, not the hotel.
A coffee shop, a park.
Somewhere public." She looked up.
"I'm not asking you to confront him.
I'm asking you to let him talk.
People in Daniel's position — people who are starting to understand the size of what they've been part of — they say things.
Sometimes very useful things."
"You want me to let my son incriminate himself."
"I want you to let your son tell you what he knows." She held my gaze.
"Those might be the same thing.
They might not be.
That depends on Daniel."
I looked at the legal pad.
She had written Philip Chu's name at the top, underlined twice.
"Stacey Voss," I said.
"The attorney who filed the guardianship petition.
Have you spoken to her?"
"Her office was contacted this morning.
She's retained counsel." Okafor's expression didn't change.
"That tells me something."
"It tells me she knows what she filed wasn't legitimate."
"It tells me she's protecting herself.
Which means she knows there's something to be protected from." The pen clicked again.
"Philip Chu is more interesting to me right now.
His father's files, the access to Elliot's document system, the handwriting analysis Carol Reyes is preparing — that's a case.
Stacey Voss is a thread.
Philip Chu is the fabric."
Elliot leaned forward.
"What do you need from us at this stage?"
"The bank letter, when you have it.
Carol's report when it's ready.
And—" Okafor looked at me.
"I'd like the original of the summary document Thomas had prepared.
The plain-language trust overview.
If it was intercepted or copied, it may have Philip Chu's handling on it somewhere.
Do you know where the original would be?"
"Thomas kept important documents in a fireproof box in the study.
When we sold the Glenwood house, I moved that box to the condominium.
When I moved into Daniel's guest wing, I brought it with me."
Okafor set down her pen.
"It's in Daniel's house," I said.
"In the guest wing?"
"In the closet of the guest wing.
A gray metal box with a combination lock.
The combination is Thomas's birthday."
Okafor looked at Elliot.
Elliot looked at me.
"We can get a civil order to retrieve your personal property," Elliot said carefully.
"Or," Okafor said, "Daniel could bring it to you.
If he wants to talk — let him bring it."
I thought about that.
A gray box in a closet.
Thomas's birthday on a combination lock.
The last piece of paper that connected everything.
I picked up my phone and replied to Daniel's text.
*Coffee.
Tomorrow.
Eight o'clock.
The place on Larkin Street we used to go when you were small.
Bring the gray box from the guest wing closet.
You know the one.*
His response came in forty seconds.
*I'll be there.*
I set the phone down.
May you like
Okafor picked up her pen again.
"Tell me everything you remember about Philip Chu's father," she said.
