Chapter 13: The Man in the Grave
“Dad?””
My voice barely came out.
Three more knocks sounded beneath the stone.
Marcus ran toward the grave.
“Help me move this.””
Daniel and I grabbed the edge of the shifted slab.
Margaret shouted, “Nathan, the cars!””
Headlights swept between the headstones.
Two black SUVs were approaching from opposite directions.
“Move it!””
We pulled.
The slab scraped sideways.
Beneath it was not a coffin.
A narrow concrete staircase descended into darkness.
Marcus switched on his phone light.
“Charles?””
A weak voice answered.
“Down here.””
I ran.
The stairs ended in a small maintenance chamber beneath the family mausoleum.
And there he was.
My father.
Charles Cole sat against the wall wearing a stained gray shirt and dark trousers. His hair was almost completely white. His face was gaunt.
But those were his eyes.
My eyes.
Alive.
I dropped to my knees.
“Dad.””
His hand touched my face.
“Nathan.””
Six years of grief crashed through me at once.
I grabbed him.
He was frighteningly thin.
“You’re alive.””
“I’m sorry.””
I pulled back.
“Sorry?””
Footsteps thundered overhead.
Marcus appeared.
“We have to move. Now.””
My father looked at him.
“Marcus.””
Marcus froze.
“Mr. Cole.””
“You stayed.””
“I tried.””
Charles gave him a tired smile.
“Not hard enough.””
Then shouting erupted outside.
Claire screamed my name.
I ran upstairs.
Men were moving between the headstones.
Marcus’s security team had arrived from the road behind us, intercepting them.
No gunfire.
Just chaos.
Orders.
Running feet.
Vehicle doors slamming.
Daniel grabbed Milo’s carrier.
Claire held Lucy against her chest.
“Get everyone to the mausoleum,” Marcus shouted.
Victoria stared at Charles as he emerged.
“Oh my God.””
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Charles?””
My father saw her.
His face collapsed.
“Rebecca.””
She struck him.
The sound echoed through the cemetery.
Charles didn’t defend himself.
“That,” Rebecca said, shaking, “was for six years.””
“I deserved it.””
“And Claire?””
He looked at Claire.
She held Lucy tighter.
“I deserve worse.””
A black SUV suddenly accelerated toward the cemetery exit.
Marcus pointed.
“Thomas.””
Daniel ran after it.
“Daniel!”” I shouted.
Too late.
He jumped into Marcus’s second vehicle.
I followed.
“Nathan!”” Claire called.
I looked back.
Her face stopped me.
Eleven years ago, I would have chased the secret.
Today I had something else.
People.
“Marcus!””
He turned.
“Go after Daniel.””
“What about you?””
“I’m staying.””
For once, I chose the people who needed me over the man who had hurt us.
Marcus drove away.
I returned to Claire.
She stared at me.
“You didn’t go.””
“No.””
Something softened in her eyes.
My father watched us.
Then he saw Lucy.
His face changed.
“Who is she?””
Lucy hid behind Claire.
I crouched.
“Lucy, this is Charles.””
“Your daddy?””
“Yes.””
She studied him.
Charles whispered, “She looks like you.””
“She’s my daughter.””
He closed his eyes.
“What did they do?””
I almost laughed.
“You’re going to need more than one night for that answer.””
Sirens approached.
Thomas’s men had scattered.
Within minutes, federal agents and local police entered the cemetery.
My father stared at them.
“You called investigators?””
“Yes.””
“Good.””
“You’re coming with us.””
He shook his head.
“No hospital.””
“You can barely stand.””
“Nathan, Thomas has controlled my death for six years. I have maybe ten minutes before someone learns I’m alive.””
“Then start talking.””
Charles looked at everyone gathered around him.
“I didn’t fake my death to hide.””
Margaret whispered, “Charles…”
“I did it to investigate Thomas without him knowing.””
Rebecca scoffed.
“You abandoned your son.””
“I did.””
“You abandoned everyone.””
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“Where have you been?””
“Mostly overseas. Different names. Margaret was my only contact.””
I turned toward her.
“You knew?””
Margaret nodded.
Rage surged through me.
“You let me mourn him.””
“Charles believed you were safer.””
I laughed bitterly.
“There’s that word again.””
My father lowered his eyes.
“You’re right.””
That stopped me.
No excuse.
No justification.
Just acknowledgment.
“Why come back tonight?””
“Because Thomas discovered I was alive.””
“How?””
“Anna.””
Daniel’s child’s mother.
“What did Anna know?””
“She found me.””
Claire whispered, “Where?””
“Switzerland. Eight months ago.””
My father’s voice cracked.
“She brought me copies of Thomas’s accounts. She wanted to expose him.””
“And you sent her back?””
“I told her to disappear.””
“But she didn’t.””
“No.””
“What happened?””
“Thomas found her first.””
I looked at him.
“Did he kill her?””
Charles shook his head.
“No.””
Everyone froze.
Claire whispered, “Then who did?””
My father looked toward the cemetery road.
A vehicle approached slowly.
Marcus’s SUV.
It stopped.
Marcus got out.
Alone.
“Where’s Daniel?”” I shouted.
Marcus didn’t answer.
My stomach dropped.
Then the rear door opened.
Daniel stepped out.
His hands were shaking.
He looked at my father.
“You.””
Charles went pale.
Daniel held up a small recorder.
“I caught Thomas.””
“Where is he?””
“Federal agents have him.””
Relief moved through me.
Then Daniel shook his head.
“But Thomas told me who killed Anna.””
Claire stepped closer.
“Who?””
May you like
Daniel stared at Charles.
“My father says it was you.””
