Chapter 2 - THE MAN IN THE BLACK COATThe basement door opened slowly.
A man's shoes appeared first.
Black leather.
Wet with snow.
Then a long dark coat.
Shawn stepped backward.
Brenda moved between him and the stairs.
The stranger stopped halfway down.
He was a tall man in his fifties with silver hair and a scar running from his temple to his jaw.
His eyes moved across the basement.
Then toward the locked gate.
Shawn felt his father's fingers tighten around the bars.
The stranger smiled.
“Brenda.”
She swallowed.
“Mr. Kane.”
The man looked at Shawn.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Kane smiled wider.
“I thought you said he wasn't coming.”
Brenda's face went pale.
“I didn't know he would.”
Shawn stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
Kane ignored him.
He looked at Maria.
“Mrs. Miller.”
Maria lowered her eyes.
Kane turned to Don.
“Still refusing?”
Don said nothing.
“What is he talking about?” Shawn demanded.
Kane finally looked at him.
“Family matters.”
“This is my family.”
“Is it?”
The question hung in the basement.
Brenda suddenly stepped toward Shawn.
“You need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Just go.”
“Who is this man?”
Kane answered.
“I'm someone your family owes.”
Shawn stared at him.
“Owes what?”
“Money.”
“That doesn't explain why my parents are locked behind a gate.”
Kane's expression hardened.
“That gate is there for their protection.”
Shawn laughed in disbelief.
“They're sitting on concrete with one bottle of water.”
“Protection sometimes looks unpleasant.”
Shawn stepped closer.
Kane didn't move.
“How long have they been down here?”
No answer.
Shawn looked at Brenda.
“How long?”
Her lips trembled.
“A few months.”
The words nearly destroyed him.
“Months?”
“Shawn…”
“You kept our parents down here for months?”
“I didn't choose this.”
“Then who did?”
Kane turned toward Brenda.
“Careful.”
Shawn noticed her reaction.
She was afraid of him.
Not embarrassed.
Not guilty.
Afraid.
That changed everything.
Shawn reached into his pocket for his phone.
Kane noticed.
“Don't.”
Shawn stopped.
“You're threatening me?”
“I'm warning you.”
“About what?”
Kane nodded toward Don.
“Your father knows what happens when people involve police.”
Don suddenly shouted.
“Shawn, call them!”
Kane turned sharply.
For the first time, his calm expression disappeared.
He slammed his fist against the gate.
“Enough!”
Maria screamed.
Shawn lunged forward.
Kane drew a small handgun.
Everything stopped.
The weapon pointed at Shawn.
Brenda screamed.
“Don't!”
Kane stared at Shawn.
“You have no idea what your father did.”
“What did he do?”
“Ask him.”
Shawn looked at Don.
His father lowered his head.
Kane tucked the weapon away.
Then he walked upstairs.
Before leaving, he said:
“You should have stayed away, Shawn.”
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Shawn looked at his father.
“Dad.”
Don whispered.
“I never stole anything.”
“Then what is he talking about?”
His father shook his head.
“Your sister knows.”
Shawn turned toward Brenda.
She was crying.
“Tell me.”
She didn't answer.
“Brenda.”
“I didn't want this.”
“What did you do?”
She sank onto the basement steps.
“I signed something.”
“What?”
“A contract.”
“For what?”
She covered her face.
“The house.”
Shawn stared.
“What about it?”
“We were in debt.”
“Who?”
“Me.”
Her voice cracked.
“Not Mom and Dad.”
Shawn felt something inside him collapse.
“How much?”
“Three hundred thousand.”
He stared.
“How?”
“Business.”
“What business?”
She wiped her tears.
“It failed.”
“Three hundred thousand dollars?”
“I borrowed money.”
“From Kane?”
She nodded.
Shawn looked at his parents.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Brenda's voice broke.
“Because he said he would hurt them.”
“And you believed him?”
She looked at the gate.
“I watched him break Dad's hand.”
Shawn stared at his father.
There was a crooked swelling near his right wrist.
“Why didn't you go to the police?”
Don laughed bitterly.
“Because Kane owns half the people in this town.”
“That's impossible.”
“It's not.”
Shawn stepped closer.
“What did you sign?”
Brenda hesitated.
“A deed.”
“To the house?”
“Yes.”
“Why are Mom and Dad still here?”
“Because the deed was only one part.”
Shawn looked confused.
Kane's footsteps sounded above them.
Brenda whispered:
“He owns more than this house.”
She pointed toward the ceiling.
“He owns the land.”
Then toward the basement wall.
“And whatever is under it.”
Shawn frowned.
“What’s under the house?”
Neither parent answered.
Then Don slowly looked at him.
“Your grandfather's room.”
Shawn had heard the story as a child.
His grandfather had died before Shawn was born.
Everyone said he had been a wealthy businessman.
But his father never discussed the details.
“There's no room under this house.”
Don looked directly into his son's eyes.
“There is now.”
Shawn stepped toward the back wall.
“What's behind it?”
Brenda suddenly grabbed him.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Kane doesn't know you're looking for it.”
Shawn stared at her.
“Then maybe we should find it before he does.”
His mother whispered:
“It's already open.”
Everyone turned.
A soft click came from behind the concrete wall.
Then a section of the wall shifted.
A narrow passage appeared.
Cold air rushed through.
Inside was darkness.
And from somewhere deep within it came a faint electronic beeping.
Shawn looked at his father.
“What is that?”
May you like
Don whispered:
“The reason they killed your grandfather.”
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