Chapter 4 - Emma was waiting at Michael's sister's house when he arrived.The moment she saw his face, she knew something was wrong.
“Daddy?”
Michael crouched.
“Pack a bag.”
“Why?”
“We're going somewhere safe.”
“Is Ashley coming?”
“No.”
Emma looked relieved.
Michael hugged her.
He wanted to tell her everything.
Instead, he said:
“I need you to remember something.”
“What?”
“Did you ever see Mommy the night she died?”
Emma stared at him.
She was silent for so long that Michael nearly regretted asking.
Finally she nodded.
“Through the window.”
“What did you see?”
“Mommy was outside.”
“Where?”
“At the side door.”
“Was she alone?”
Emma shook her head.
“There was a man.”
Michael's pulse accelerated.
“Did you know him?”
“No.”
“Can you describe him?”
Emma squeezed her stuffed rabbit.
“He wore a black coat.”
“Anything else?”
“He had a silver thing on his hand.”
“A ring?”
She nodded.
“What did Mommy do?”
“She was crying.”
Michael felt something break inside his chest.
“What happened next?”
Emma looked down.
“She gave him a paper.”
“What paper?”
“I don't know.”
“Then?”
“He grabbed Mommy.”
Michael went still.
“Grabbed her how?”
“Her arm.”
“Did he hurt her?”
Emma nodded.
Michael could barely breathe.
“What happened after that?”
“He said she had to come with him.”
“And Mommy?”
“She said no.”
Emma's voice became smaller.
“Then I heard Ashley.”
Michael froze.
“Ashley was there?”
Emma nodded.
“She told Mommy to stop.”
“What else?”
“She said Daddy would never believe her.”
Michael stared.
“Did you see the accident?”
Emma looked frightened.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Mommy told me to hide.”
“Where?”
Emma pointed toward the hallway.
“The closet.”
Michael's heart dropped.
The same closet.
The same closet where Ashley had later locked her.
Michael stood.
His sister approached.
“What happened?”
Michael shook his head.
“I'm not ready to explain.”
His phone rang.
Daniel.
Michael answered.
“Where are you?”
Daniel's voice was tense.
“Did you speak to Rebecca?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know.”
“I know enough.”
“No. You don't.”
Michael looked toward Emma.
“Tell me what Daniel did.”
Silence.
Then:
“Meet me at the old courthouse.”
“When?”
“Now.”
Michael hung up.
His sister looked at him.
“You're not going alone.”
“I have to.”
“Michael.”
He shook his head.
“Take care of Emma.”
At the courthouse, Daniel was waiting in the basement archives.
He looked exhausted.
“You found Rebecca.”
“Yes.”
“And Emma remembers.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Tell me what happened to Sarah.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“I was there.”
Michael's fist tightened.
“Were you with Ashley?”
Daniel nodded.
“You were the man Emma saw.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Michael lunged forward.
Daniel didn't resist.
“I didn't kill her.”
Michael grabbed his collar.
“Then explain why my daughter saw you.”
Daniel whispered:
“Because Sarah asked me to meet her.”
“Why?”
“She had evidence that Ashley was working with someone inside the legal system.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked terrified.
“Someone with access to family court records.”
Michael released him.
“And you helped her?”
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
Daniel took a folder from a shelf.
“Sarah wanted to cancel the trust arrangement.”
Michael frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she believed someone had planned to use Emma as leverage.”
“Leverage for what?”
Daniel opened the folder.
Inside was a photocopy of a contract.
Michael read the names.
A company.
A holding group.
A corporate trustee.
Millions of dollars.
“What is this?”
“Your wife's investment portfolio.”
“I know the portfolio.”
“Not this part.”
Daniel pointed to a clause.
If Michael remarried and was deemed incapable of providing a stable environment for Emma, control of certain assets could be transferred.
Michael's voice dropped.
“Ashley wanted me to look unstable.”
“Exactly.”
“She needed Emma to look unstable too.”
Daniel nodded.
Michael stared at the pages.
“And Sarah figured this out.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she die?”
Daniel looked away.
“Because she was going to expose the people behind it.”
“Who?”
Daniel whispered a name.
“Richard Vale.”
Michael recognized it.
A private equity investor.
One of his largest business partners.
A man he had trusted for years.
Michael's phone vibrated.
A text from his sister.
Emma is gone.
Michael's world stopped.
He called immediately.
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Then his sister finally picked up.
“Michael!”
“Where is she?”
“She was in the backyard. I turned around for thirty seconds.”
Michael's blood ran cold.
“Did you see Ashley?”
“No.”
“Call the police.”
“I already did.”
Michael turned toward Daniel.
Daniel's face had gone white.
“What?”
Daniel whispered:
“They're not trying to scare you anymore.”
Michael stared at him.
“What are they doing?”
Daniel looked at the courthouse doors.
“They are taking Emma.”
Michael ran.
Halfway to his car, his phone buzzed.
A video file.
No sender.
Michael opened it.
The screen showed Emma sitting on a chair.
Her wrists were not tied.
Ashley stood behind her.
Emma was crying.
Ashley leaned down.
“Tell your father what you remember.”
Emma looked into the camera.
Then she whispered:
“Daddy...”
The video ended.
A second message appeared.
Come to the house.
Then:
Bring the folder.
Michael stared at the screen.
Daniel came running toward him.
“Don't go there.”
Michael turned.
“My daughter is there.”
Daniel grabbed his shoulder.
“That's exactly what they want.”
Michael pulled away.
“No.”
He looked back toward the courthouse.
“If they wanted money, they'd ask for money.”
Daniel said nothing.
Michael's voice became colder.
“They want something else.”
May you like
Daniel nodded slowly.
“They want to know what Emma saw.”
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