Chapter 6 - My Son Finally Told the Truth
I thought Daniel would point the gun at me.
He didn't.
He pointed it at Rachel.
“Mom, get inside.”
I stared at him.
“You're carrying a gun?”
“Get inside.”
Rachel stood beside the car with both hands visible.
“Daniel, this is not helping.”
“Shut up.”
I stepped forward.
“Put it down.”
He looked at me.
For the first time in years, my son looked like the little boy who used to come running into my bedroom during thunderstorms.
Terrified.
Not dangerous.
Terrified.
“Mom, please.”
I walked toward him.
Rachel whispered, “Linda, don't.”
I ignored her.
Daniel lowered the gun slightly.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't kill Dad.”
“I know.”
His face broke.
“You know?”
“I know you entered his office.”
He looked at Rachel.
“She told you?”
“No.”
I glanced at the file in my hand.
“Your father's cameras did.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then he whispered:
“Dad knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That I took the money.”
Silence.
I felt my chest tighten.
“How much?”
“Not all of it.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“Two hundred thousand.”
My throat closed.
“Why?”
He looked at the pavement.
“I owed people.”
“What people?”
“Mark.”
Rachel interrupted.
“Mark was never the real problem.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Don't.”
“You need to tell her everything.”
He shook his head.
“They'll kill her.”
“Who?”
Daniel raised his eyes to me.
“Evelyn.”
The name landed heavily.
I sat down on the bench outside the diner.
“Start from the beginning.”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Brooke met Evelyn before she met me.”
I stared.
“She was introduced to her at an event.”
“What event?”
“One of Dad's charity dinners.”
“So Brooke knew about the development project?”
“Yes.”
“How much did she know?”
“Everything.”
“Why did she marry you?”
Daniel's eyes filled with shame.
“At first, because she wanted access to the house.”
“At first?”
“She fell in love with the idea of becoming part of the family.”
“That's not what I asked.”
He looked away.
“Evelyn offered her money.”
“How much?”
“One hundred thousand.”
I felt sick.
“She recruited Brooke to convince me to sell?”
“Yes.”
“And when I refused?”
“They changed the plan.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“They wanted you declared incapable.”
My eyes moved to her.
“You disappeared after Harold died.”
“I had to.”
“Why?”
“Because I discovered someone inside the police department was feeding information to Evelyn.”
My heart dropped.
Rachel handed me a small flash drive.
“This came from Harold.”
I stared at it.
“What is it?”
“Everything.”
Daniel whispered, “Mom, don't open it here.”
“Why?”
“Because they know about it.”
Rachel nodded.
“They know the drive exists.”
I held it tightly.
“Then why give it to me?”
“Because Harold wanted you to have it.”
“Why didn't he give it to me himself?”
Rachel looked at Daniel.
“Because he was already too sick.”
I remembered the hospital records.
Possible poisoning.
“Was he poisoned?”
Rachel didn't answer.
Daniel did.
“Yes.”
My breath caught.
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
Rachel said, “We know who supplied the medication.”
“Who?”
Rachel looked at Daniel.
“Your son.”
I turned.
Daniel looked devastated.
“I didn't know what it was.”
“You gave it to him?”
“Brooke said it was a supplement.”
I stared at him.
“Daniel.”
“I swear.”
Rachel stepped between us.
“He thought it was harmless.”
“What happened?”
Daniel's voice cracked.
“Dad confronted me.”
“When?”
“The night he died.”
I froze.
“What did he say?”
“He told me he knew about the money.”
“And?”
“He said he'd change the trust.”
My hands went cold.
“He told me he'd make sure Brooke couldn't touch anything.”
I looked at Rachel.
“And then?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Brooke called Evelyn.”
Rachel nodded.
“Evelyn came to the house.”
My heart began pounding.
“What happened?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I left.”
“You left?”
“Yes.”
“You left your father with them?”
“I was scared.”
“Of your father?”
“No.”
His eyes met mine.
“Of Evelyn.”
I didn't say anything.
Daniel stared at the ground.
“When I came back, Dad was unconscious.”
I stepped backward.
“You called an ambulance.”
“No.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who did?”
Daniel looked at Rachel.
“She did.”
Rachel's eyes became haunted.
“I arrived too late.”
“Why?”
“Because someone had already moved Harold.”
“Moved him where?”
Rachel reached into her coat.
She pulled out a folded photograph.
I took it.
It showed a storage room.
A chair.
A table.
And Harold.
Alive.
Bound to the chair.
My knees nearly gave out.
The timestamp was from the night he died.
Then I noticed something in the corner.
A second person.
A woman.
Standing behind Harold.
I zoomed in.
I didn't recognize her.
Rachel did.
Her face went white.
“That's impossible.”
“What?”
She whispered:
“That's the woman who helped me disappear.”
I looked again.
And suddenly I understood.
Rachel had been hiding from someone.
Not Evelyn.
Not Mark.
Someone much closer.
Someone who had been inside my house all along.
Someone Brooke trusted.
Someone Daniel knew.
Someone I had welcomed at my table.
The woman in the photograph turned slightly toward the camera.
Her face became visible.
I stared.
May you like
It was Chelsea.
:::
