The Missing Piece [Discontinued]

Chapter Fifteen

            Silence hung in the room and Matthew sat down on the bed.

            “He ended my life, and ruined Victoria’s and Rachelle,” Matthew wearily continued.

            “But,” Bird licked his lips nervously, “aren’t you with Victoria now? Now that you’ve both died?”

            “No. I will be, once I am put to rest. You would not believe how long I’ve been waiting for my brother to be put where he belongs, behind bars.”

            “Wait,” Joy interrupted, staring at Matthew, “the newspapers articles never said that you had a brother.”

            “Smart girl, aren’t you? Yes, Derrick was technically never my brother. Brother-in-law, really. He married my sister, Violet. But Violet was so crazy about him she insisted that we all accepted him as real family, and call him our brother. Old habits die hard, I suppose.”

            “But why would he ever want to kill you?” Bird asked.

            “He was the only one who knew,” Matthew confessed, “he knew about the money and possessions I was giving to Rachelle in my will.”

            “You were only in your twenties when you died,” Joy pointed out, “that’s pretty young to be making a will, isn’t it?”

            “No, you see, when Victoria and I had Rachelle Victoria was cautious. She wanted the best for her. She and I made a will. We always were looking out for our Rachelle.”

            “What did you leave her in your will?” Joy asked, starting to feel like they were on a police squad, questioning a suspect.

            “Everything important to me, all the money and valuables that I, uh,” Matthew averted his eyes and smiled sheepishly, “stole from my family.”

            “Stole?” Skittles looked happier suddenly, like Matthew just became more interesting.

            “Well, when I became emancipated, I was only eighteen. I was so foolish at that age; I just got jealous of everyone focusing on Violet. Anyway, being foolish, I stole some, well… a lot of money and some valuables. Like some of my mother’s expensive jewelry, and my father’s old coin collection. He was always bragging about that, I figured they were worth something. They became worth more later on, much more. Victoria and I were both comfortable, so we decided to leave it all to Rachelle.”

            “Who knew about the will?” Bird questioned.

            “Violet did, of course, also my mother and father. I bet Violet told Derrick. She told him everything,” Matthew said bitterly.

            “Sounds like you’ve had a long time to think about this,” Skittles mumbled.

            “I have,” Matthew commented, “twenty years of thinking.”

            “Wait!” Bird exclaimed, “I get it now! The article said that the murderer went through this house, but didn’t take a single thing. I bet he was looking for the valuables!” Matthew nodded solemnly.

            “Yes, that would be a motive. But I knew no one would ever find it—no one except me and Victoria.”

            “So where did you hide it?” Joy asked anxiously. Matthew laughed at the question, but there was no happiness in his laugh. It was filled with sarcasm and darkness.