Chapter 3: The Rectory Confession**
The heavy oak door clicked shut behind them, sealing out the hum of the organist’s prelude. Lily sat quietly in a velvet armchair in the corner, clutching her flower basket, sensing the adult tension that filled the air.
"Talk," James commanded, stripping off his tuxedo jacket and tossing it over a mahogany table.
"Six years ago, before I ever met you at the architectural firm, I worked as an intake nurse at Mercy General," Rebecca began, her voice steadying. "The night Claire arrived after the accident, she wasn't alone in that vehicle. And it wasn't an accident."
James felt the room spin. "The police report stated clearly that a drunk driver crossed the median."
"That was the story orchestrated by your former business partner, Richard Vance," Rebecca revealed, stepping closer. "Your brother paid off the patrol officer to bury the collision details because Claire had discovered his offshore embezzlement scheme. She gave birth to Lily via emergency C-section, and before she died, she begged me to take the flash drive hidden in her locket."
"Why didn't you go to the FBI?" James asked, his voice hoarse.
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"Because Richard controlled the district attorney," Rebecca replied. "I hid the drive in the safety deposit box Claire rented. And today, Richard is sitting in the front pew, waiting to sign as your legal witness."
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