Chapter 5 - CRACKING THE FACADE
Detective Vance arrived at 'Party Elegance' fifteen minutes later. Inside the manager’s office, we watched the high-definition security camera footage together.
On the video monitor, Natalie was clearly visible standing at the counter in her white pants and coral blouse. She bought the four-dollar package of napkins, paid cash, and then leaned over the counter, coaxing the clerk into handing her a blank, stamped receipt slip. The audio captured her charming, manipulative voice perfectly: "My company reimburses party supplies, but I need to write down the specific items manually for my accountant. Could you give me a blank receipt slip?"
Detective Vance watched the screen, his jaw set firm, taking detailed notes in his pad.
"She forged the receipt to create a paper trail pointing to a legitimate retail store," Vance observed, his voice dark. "She knew those candles were illegal pyrotechnics, and she deliberately set up this shop to take the blame if an investigation occurred."
"That proves premeditation, Detective," I said, stepping forward. "And there’s more."
I pulled out the copy of Grandmother Rose’s will from my coat pocket and laid it on the desk in front of him. Vance read through the four-million-dollar trust clause, his eyes narrowing as he processed the financial motive.
"A four-point-two million dollar trust," Vance murmured. "Targeting Lily directly... with Chloe as the sole secondary beneficiary."
"Natalie knew about this will two weeks ago," I explained. "My mother had a copy in her bag. Natalie realized that if Lily died or suffered permanent, disabling injuries, every single penny would transfer to her daughter. She tried to make it look like a tragic party accident caused by faulty store-bought candles!"
Vance carefully folded the legal document and placed it into an evidence bag. "Mrs. Bennett, this gives us a strong financial motive and clear proof of forgery regarding her alibi. But to secure an arrest warrant for attempted murder or felony child endangerment, I still need physical proof linking Natalie directly to the acquisition of those specific magnesium flare rods."
"How do we get that?" I asked.
"I’m heading straight to Natalie’s residence with a search warrant," Vance declared, standing up. "If she bought those flare rods, she either ordered them online or purchased them from an illegal supplier. We will search her home, her computers, and her vehicles."
"Let me come," I blurted out.
"Absolutely not," Vance refused firmly. "You are a witness and an aggrieved party. Stay at the hospital with your daughter. Let us do our job."
I returned to Valley General Hospital around 10:30 AM. Matthew was sitting beside Lily’s bed, holding her hand. Lily was still under heavy sedation, but her breathing monitor showed stable levels.
As I sat down, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from an unknown number:
"You think you're so smart, Claire. But you will always be the weak, pathetic little sister. Stop poking around before you ruin what's left of this family."
My blood boiled. I knew it was Natalie using a burner app. I didn't reply. I saved the screenshot and forwarded it directly to Detective Vance.
At 1:00 PM, my parents walked into the ICU waiting room. Dad looked exhausted, while Mom looked furious.
Mom stormed up to me in the corridor. "Claire! What did you do?!"
"What are you talking about, Mom?" I asked coldly.
"The police just executed a search warrant at Natalie’s house!" Mom shrieked, drawing the attention of passing nurses. "They turned her home upside down! They scared poor little Chloe half to death! Natalie is in hysterics! How could you send cops to your own sister's home while she is grieving for Lily?!"
"Grieving?" I laughed harshly, a bitter sound. "Natalie isn't grieving, Mom. She’s terrified because her lies are falling apart! She forged the store receipt!"
"That’s a lie!" Mom defended blindly. "Natalie said the store clerk must have made a mistake on the receipt! Why are you trying so hard to destroy your sister?!"
"Because she tried to burn my daughter alive for Grandmother Rose’s four million dollar estate!" I roared, pulling out my phone and flashing a photo of the will in her face.
Mom froze. Her eyes darted across the text on the screen. The color completely drained from her face.
"You knew, didn't you?" I asked, realizing the awful truth as I watched her reaction. "You knew about Grandmother's will!"
"I... I knew Rose left the estate to Lily," Mom stuttered, her voice suddenly losing its defensive edge. "But... but Natalie didn't know! I didn't tell her!"
"You tell Natalie everything!" I yelled. "You’ve spent thirty years handing Natalie everything she wanted on a silver platter! You left that will in your purse, Mom! Natalie read it two weeks ago!"
Dad stepped forward, his face pale as he looked at Mom. "Helen... is this true? Did Rose leave the entire Napa estate to Lily?"
"Rose was out of her mind!" Mom defended tearfully. "It wasn't fair! Chloe is older! Natalie needed the money for Chloe’s private school tuition! Lily didn't need four million dollars!"
Matthew walked out of the ICU room, hearing the commotion. He stepped up beside me, his tall frame towering over my parents, his eyes cold as ice. "Get out," Matthew commanded in a low, terrifying voice.
"Matthew, we are her grandparents—" Dad tried to speak.
"I said GET OUT!" Matthew bellowed, his voice echoing through the entire wing. "You enabled that monster to hurt our child! If either of you comes near Lily again, I will have security throw you out in handcuffs!"
Dad stood paralyzed with shame. Mom opened her mouth to argue, but Dad grabbed her arm and dragged her away down the hall, realizing that the family dynamic they had maintained for decades had officially shattered beyond repair.
At 3:30 PM, Detective Vance called my phone.
"Mrs. Bennett," Vance’s voice came through the line, heavy and focused. "We executed the search warrant at Natalie’s residence. We seized her laptop, her tablet, and her primary cell phone. Our digital forensics team just bypassed her encrypted browser logs."
"What did you find?" I asked, holding my breath.
"Three weeks ago, someone using her personal IP address searched for terms like 'high-temperature invisible flare candles', 'magnesium rod ignition speed', and 'how to cause chemical burns look like cake accident'. Five days later, she placed an order on an illicit dark web marketplace using cryptocurrency to purchase five industrial-grade magnesium signaling rods."
Tears of rage and relief spilled over my eyelashes. "You have her."
May you like
"We have the digital paper trail," Vance confirmed. "I am issuing an arrest warrant for Natalie Bennett for attempted premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and obstruction of justice. We are picking her up now."
I slumped against the wall, sobbing into my hands. The truth was finally exposed. But deep inside, a terrifying thought lingered: Natalie was cornered, and a dangerous, desperate predator with nothing left to lose is always at her most lethal.
