Brenda is perplexed when her late son\u2019s wife denies knowing her and astounded when she visits her son\u2019s cemetery and notices her daughter-in-law\u2019s tombstone nearby. Brenda seeks answers from her son\u2019s best friend, but his suspicious conduct forces her to solve the case alone.<\/p>\n
Christopher was just 27 years old when he di:ed in a horrific accident, leaving his mother, Brenda, to face an insurmountable sadness. Her world was cast in darkness after his death, and her health suffered.<\/p>\n
Brenda had gone hundreds of miles to see her son\u2019s burial after spending a year in a clinic.
\nBrenda was about to leave the station when she noticed a familiar face in the crowd: Harper, her widowed daughter-in-law. Brenda had intended to meet Harper after visiting the cemetery, so she dashed after the young woman to surprise her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarper! Harper? Wait a second!\u201d She patted the woman\u2019s shoulder from behind.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not Harper. You\u2019ve got me wrong, lady!\u201d The young woman arrogantly brushed away Brenda\u2019s hand and rushed away.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cMa\u2019am\u2026we\u2019ve arrived,\u201d the cabbie said as he pulled over at the cemetery gate, jolting Brenda out of her thoughts.<\/p>\n
The silence was unsettling as Brenda examined the row of tombs for Christopher\u2019s final resting place. She burst into tears as she brushed her shaking fingertips on Christopher\u2019s tombstone.<\/p>\n
The epitaph on the monument terrified her.<\/p>\n
In Loving Memory of Harper. S.<\/p>\n
January 8, 1995 \u2013 December 3, 2020<\/p>\n
Forever cherished, Forever missed.<\/p>\n
Rest in peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God\u2026Harper passed away last week and nobody told me?\u201d Brenda gasped, unable to believe her eyes.<\/p>\n
A haunting question immediately loomed in her mind: \u201cIf Harper is dead, then who was the girl at the subway?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brenda startled out of her reverie as she heard someone rake dry leaves.<\/p>\n
The man lighted a cigarette and exhaled, sending a plume of smoke into the air. \u201cIt occurred last week. It seemed bizarre\u2026 There were no mourners, only funeral service employees. They brought the casket, buried it, constructed a small headstone, and then went. It wasn\u2019t even an appropriate funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anybody visit her grave after that?\u201d Brenda frowned.
\n\u201cNot that I know of, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he replied. \u201cI work here all day and live on the grounds. I keep watch over the cemetery all the time and haven\u2019t seen anybody visit that woman\u2019s grave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright\u2026thanks,\u201d Brenda said and turned around. Nothing made sense to her.<\/p>\n
Brenda, eager to solve the mystery surrounding her daughter-in-law\u2019s death, decided to meet Jake, her late son\u2019s best friend and business partner.<\/p>\n
Jake was surprised to discover his closest friend\u2019s mother there on his porch, beaming at him. He invited Brenda inside, but she sensed his unease.<\/p>\n
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\nBrenda entered and noticed luggage in the living room, so she immediately inquired about Jake\u2019s travel plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m leaving this state, Mrs. Sutton. Been a rough year since Chris passed,\u201d Jake said, a strange disappointment and worry etched on his face. \u201cThe company is bankrupt so I decided to move somewhere far away from all the mess I\u2019ve been dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can the company be bankrupt, Jake?\u201d Brenda raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on? I saw Harper\u2019s tomb beside my son\u2019s grave. Nobody even told me she passed away! Tell me\u2026what happened to my daughter-in-law? How did she di:e?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Sutton, I\u2026 I didn\u2019t want to disturb you. After Chris\u2019s passing, you were so disturbed and heartbroken. When I learned you\u2019d be spending a year in the hospital, I was afraid your condition might worsen if you found out about the company\u2019s financial crisis and what Harper did,\u201d Jake said, haunting Brenda further.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Harper do, Jake?\u201d Brenda asked. \u201cI want to know everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Harper inherited the company after Chris\u2019s d3ath, but she declined to manage it because she didn\u2019t know anything about the business. So, by mutual agreement, I stepped in to manage the company because I was already Chris\u2019s business partner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, the business hit rock bottom after your son\u2019s d3ath. We were on the verge of declaring bankruptcy when Harper suggested finding investors and taking out loans to revive the company,\u201d Jake explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u2026you said Harper declined any say in the business,\u201d Brenda said, her suspicions raised.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but we were all desperate to save the company. We agreed to Harper\u2019s idea. But just a week ago, Harper withdrew the five million dollar loan money and fled. The police started looking for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cOh, my God! Harper stole the loan money?\u201d Brenda gasped in disbelief. It was too hard to accept that her late son\u2019s wife had destroyed his hard work after his d3ath.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never expected her to backstab us like this, but she paid the price for her betrayal,\u201d Jake added. \u201cThe cops discovered a burned car that had crashed into a cliff near the woods. It was Harper\u2019s car. She met with a tragic accident and died immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Oh my God\u2026\u201d Brenda exclaimed.
\n\u201cThe police recovered a woman\u2019s completely burned body with Harper\u2019s gold letter \u2018H\u2019 pendant. There were charred remains of hundred dollar bills. Everything else was incinerated\u2026the case was closed as accidental death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus\u2026Harper ruined everything,\u201d Brenda said. \u201cBut wait\u2026what about Christopher\u2019s hard work? It doesn\u2019t make sense that the company went bankrupt after he di:ed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand your frustration, Mrs. Sutton,\u201d Jake said. \u201cBut circumstances spiraled out of control. Harper paid a heavy price for her actions, but her funeral was dignified. Many guests attended and everyone grieved her tragic death\u2026despite the wicked thing she did to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarper\u2019s funeral??\u201d Brenda grew suspicious. The cemetery groundskeeper had told her nobody attended Harper\u2019s funeral. Something seemed incredibly fishy to Brenda. Jake\u2019s anxiety and restlessness, coupled with his sudden decision to leave the city, fueled her doubts further.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, when is your flight, Jake?\u201d Brenda asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly tomorrow morning\u20266 a.m.,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cDo you mind if I stay here for the night?\u201d Brenda asked, a plan brewing in her mind. \u201cI\u2019m wary about renting a hotel room all alone for tonight in a strange city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake pondered for a bit before agreeing and leading Brenda to the guest room. Brenda turned off the lights but never slept. Instead, she nervously waited for Jake\u2019s bedroom lights to turn off so she could look for a clue to assist her connect the dots.<\/p>\n
Brenda\u2019s search became her worst nightmare when she discovered two phony passports hidden in a secret compartment. One included a photo of her alleged \u2018d3ad\u2019 daughter-in-law, Harper, but with a different name.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah? Oh, who are you trying to fool, Harper?\u201d Brenda muttered.
\n\u201cJohn?\u201d Brenda\u2019s face twisted with suspicion when she saw Jake\u2019s photograph under a different name in the other passport. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here? Are they involved in something deeper\u2026something I can\u2019t even imagine?\u201d<\/p>\n
She then found two plane tickets to London booked under the fake names. A weird sensation crawled up Brenda\u2019s gut.<\/p>\n
Jake and his accomplice, Sarah, who was actually Harper, were up to something foul. Something had to be done.<\/p>\n
She quickly put the luggage back as it was and hurried to the pharmacy at the end of the lane. Minutes later, she returned to Jake\u2019s house with sleeping tablets.<\/p>\n
Brenda was already in the kitchen making breakfast when Jake hurried downstairs at 5 a.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, Jake! Have breakfast before you leave for the trip!\u201d Brenda smiled warmly. \u201cHere\u2019s your orange juice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Mrs. Sutton, that\u2019s really kind of you.\u201d Jake sipped from the glass Brenda gave him. \u201cIt tastes\u2026uhm\u2026nice\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around twenty minutes later, Jake dozed off on the couch, just like Brenda had wanted. Harper couldn\u2019t fly without a passport and plane ticket, so now, Brenda had to wait for her to call or text Jake.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s taking her so long? It\u2019s 5:30,\u201d Brenda mumbled under her breath.
\nSuddenly, Jake\u2019s phone rang, shattering the stillness in the room. The caller name, \u201cSarah,\u201d flashed on the screen. But Brenda never answered the call. Eventually, a message notification appeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow could you oversleep, idiot? Have you forgotten we\u2019re flying to London today? I\u2019m getting a taxi and coming to your house right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCome\u2026I\u2019m waiting for you\u2026HARPER!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cJake! Are you kidding me? Get up,\u201d Harper barked at an unconscious Jake lying on the couch. That\u2019s when a familiar voice spoke from behind, startling her.<\/p>\n
\u201cARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMEONE, HARPER?\u201d Brenda said, striking a hard blow to Harper\u2019s head with a vase.<\/p>\n
Harper dropped to the floor and blacked out. Brenda hurried outside after hearing police sirens. She explained the scenario to the cops and showed them the false passports and airline tickets. Jake and Harper were hospitalized and then taken to the police station for questioning.<\/p>\n
Jake hesitated to confess to his crimes, but Harper came clean when she realized her sentence could be reduced if she admitted the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brenda is perplexed when her late son\u2019s wife denies knowing her and astounded when she visits her son\u2019s cemetery and notices her daughter-in-law\u2019s tombstone nearby. Brenda seeks answers from her son\u2019s best friend, but his suspicious conduct forces her to solve the case alone. Christopher was just 27 years old when he di:ed in a…<\/p>\n