Chapter 10 - Melissa's Last BargainMelissa walked toward the house with a man I had never seen before.
He wore a dark suit and carried a leather folder.
Rebecca immediately called the investigator.
Then locked the front door.
Melissa rang the bell.
“Mom.”
I didn't answer.
“Mom, please.”
Rebecca stood beside me.
“What's the plan?” I whispered.
“Let them talk.”
Rebecca opened the door but kept the chain engaged.
Melissa looked at her.
“You've gone too far.”
Rebecca smiled.
“You're welcome to explain yourself.”
The man beside Melissa stepped forward.
“My name is Charles Bennett. I'm counsel for Bellwood Development.”
David, who was sitting at the dining table, stood.
“Then you should leave.”
Charles looked surprised.
“You're David Sloan.”
“Yes.”
Charles sighed.
“This is getting unnecessarily hostile.”
I looked at him.
“You tried to sell my mineral rights.”
He blinked.
“Mrs. Calloway, there may have been misunderstandings.”
“Was my signature real?”
He didn't answer.
Rebecca laughed.
“That's enough.”
Melissa stepped forward.
“Mom, please listen.”
I stared at her.
“You stole from me.”
“No.”
“You controlled my bank accounts.”
“I was helping.”
“You kept my credit cards.”
“I was protecting you.”
“You forged my signature.”
Melissa looked at Charles.
Then back at me.
“I never forged anything.”
The investigator walked into the hallway.
“Good.”
Melissa froze.
He introduced himself.
She went pale.
“We've already obtained the device records,” he continued.
Melissa looked at Daniel's mother.
Then at Rebecca.
“You don't understand.”
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Then explain.”
Melissa's eyes filled with tears.
Not the fake kind.
Real fear.
“Daniel was in debt.”
“We know.”
“He borrowed money from Bellwood.”
“We know.”
“He couldn't repay it.”
“We know.”
“They threatened him.”
I frowned.
“Who?”
“Investors.”
“Then why did you steal from me?”
Melissa lowered her voice.
“Because they told us if we couldn't pay, Daniel would go to prison.”
Rebecca crossed her arms.
“And you thought stealing from Mom was the solution?”
Melissa shook her head.
“It wasn't supposed to become this.”
“What was it supposed to be?”
“A temporary loan.”
I stared at her.
“Temporary?”
“You had money.”
The sentence cut deeper than an insult.
“To you, I was an account.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Melissa's face broke.
“We needed the house.”
“Why?”
“Because the mineral rights were the only asset valuable enough to save Bellwood.”
I looked at Charles.
He said nothing.
Rebecca did.
“So Bellwood knew.”
Charles finally spoke.
“Bellwood was not involved in the unauthorized transfers.”
David stepped forward.
“Your client received the benefit of them.”
Charles stiffened.
“We'll discuss that in court.”
Melissa suddenly whispered:
“Daniel didn't start this.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“Who did?”
Melissa stared at me.
“Frank.”
I recoiled.
“No.”
“He made a deal.”
“What deal?”
Melissa's voice shook.
“He borrowed money from Bellwood years ago.”
David frowned.
“For what?”
“To cover Daniel's first failed project.”
Rebecca looked at me.
“Dad borrowed from Bellwood?”
Melissa nodded.
“Then the debt kept growing.”
I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Frank had always been honest with money.
Or I thought he had.
Melissa continued.
“He was trying to repay it by purchasing the mineral rights cheaply.”
I shook my head.
“He never told me.”
“Because the deal was illegal.”
The room fell silent.
David stared at Charles.
“Is that true?”
Charles didn't answer.
The investigator stepped forward.
“Ms. Calloway, you're coming with us.”
Melissa looked terrified.
Then she looked at me.
“Mom.”
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“Where is Daniel?” I asked.
Melissa began crying.
“I don't know.”
Rebecca's expression sharpened.
“You haven't seen him?”
“Not since this morning.”
The investigator exchanged a look with his partner.
Then asked:
“When did you last speak to him?”
Melissa whispered:
“He called me before he left.”
“What did he say?”
Melissa looked at me.
“He said he found the archive.”
My heart stopped.
“What archive?”
“The one your father hid.”
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Where is Daniel now?”
Melissa shook her head.
“He went to the workshop.”
Rebecca looked at me.
I suddenly understood.
Daniel was going there before us.
The investigators left immediately.
David grabbed his coat.
Rebecca reached for the keys.
I stopped her.
“No.”
She looked at me.
“What?”
I pointed to the table.
The small blue-stickered key was still there.
“We don't need to go.”
Rebecca frowned.
“Why?”
I picked up the key.
“Because this isn't the key to the workshop.”
She stared.
“Then what is it?”
I turned it over.
On the back, scratched into the metal, were four words.
LOCKER 17.
Rebecca's face changed.
“Where is Locker 17?”
I looked at Melissa.
She knew.
Her lips parted.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Charlotte train station.”
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