Chapter 8 - THE GHOST RAFFERTY NEVER BURIED
Her name had been Isabelle Marchand.
She was twenty-four when she died.
Rafferty had been twenty-seven.
They had been close.
Not lovers.
But friends.
She worked as a legal assistant for a firm investigating corruption in the port authority.
She had discovered evidence connecting several powerful families to illegal financial arrangements.
Before she could report everything, she was killed in a staged robbery.
Rafferty had blamed himself.
He'd known she was in danger.
He'd offered protection.
She refused.
Then she died.
The Vanderpool family had been mentioned in the investigation.
But nothing was proven.
Rafferty had spent years trying to understand what happened.
Eventually, the trail went cold.
Now Celeste was threatening Fay.
And Rafferty feared history was repeating itself.
He told Fay the truth.
They sat in her kitchen after Josie fell asleep.
Rafferty spoke quietly.
“I knew someone once.”
Fay listened.
“She was brave.”
He looked down.
“And she trusted me.”
Fay took his hand.
“What happened?”
“She died.”
His voice broke.
“I couldn't stop it.”
Fay watched him.
Then whispered:
“You didn't kill her.”
Rafferty shook his head.
“I knew she was in danger.”
“And you tried to help.”
He nodded.
“Not enough.”
Fay squeezed his hand.
“Rafferty, you can't control every terrible thing that happens.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
She smiled sadly.
“Do you?”
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he leaned forward.
And rested his forehead against hers.
The next morning, Silvano arrived with news.
They had found a connection between Celeste's father, Edmund Vanderpool, and the old port investigation.
A series of shell companies.
Suspicious payments.
And a witness who had disappeared after Isabelle's death.
Rafferty stared.
“Where is the witness?”
Silvano hesitated.
“Alive.”
Rafferty stood.
“Where?”
Silvano looked grim.
“Baton Rouge.”
Meanwhile, Celeste sat in her father's office.
She was furious.
“Rafferty is investigating us.”
Edmund looked up.
“Then you've made a serious mistake.”
Celeste crossed her arms.
“He chose her.”
Edmund's expression hardened.
“This isn't about jealousy anymore.”
He opened a drawer.
Inside was a file labeled:
ISABELLE MARCHAND — CLOSED.
May you like
He looked at his daughter.
“If Rafferty finds out what happened, we lose everything.”
