Chapter 6: The Men Who Came Looking for My Father
"Get away from the windows," Tom ordered.
My father immediately pulled me away from the glass.
Jace reached inside his jacket and took out his phone.
"That's Richard's vehicle.""
I stared at him.
"How do you know?""
"My dad photographed it years ago. Same license plate.""
Outside, one of the men approached the porch.
He was wearing a dark suit and carrying a leather folder.
The second man remained beside the SUV, filming the house.
My father locked the front door.
"How did they find us?""
Tom looked at the forged guardianship document.
"Somebody must have told them.""
I thought of Linda.
She had known exactly where my father was.
She'd been standing beside him four days earlier.
"She gave them the address," I whispered.
My father nodded grimly.
A knock sounded.
Three sharp strikes.
"John Parker?"" a man called.
My father didn't answer.
The man knocked again.
"Mr. Parker, we know you're inside. We just want to talk.""
Jace stepped closer to the door.
"Then talk from out there.""
The man laughed.
"Who are you?""
"Someone who knows you're trespassing.""
The man lifted his folder.
"We have documents showing that Mr. Parker has outstanding legal obligations. We're here to resolve a family matter.""
I looked at Tom.
"Can they take Dad away?""
"Not without proper legal authority," he answered.
The man outside raised his voice.
"John, you should come out voluntarily. Making this difficult won't help your daughter.""
My father turned toward me.
"Stay behind me.""
I stepped forward.
"No.""
He looked surprised.
"They don't get to use me to scare you anymore.""
I walked toward the door.
Jace caught my arm.
"Emily, wait.""
I shook my head.
"Let me ask him something.""
Tom studied the men through the narrow window.
Then he nodded.
"Open it just enough to speak. Nobody goes outside.""
Jace unlocked the door but kept his hand on the handle.
The man in the suit smiled.
"Emily Parker. We've heard quite a lot about you.""
I stared at him.
"What's your name?""
"Daniel Cross. I'm representing Mr. Hayes.""
"Why?""
"Because your father has been withholding information concerning a substantial amount of money.""
My father stepped forward.
"That's a lie.""
Daniel opened his folder.
"We have records showing that funds belonging to the children's foundation were transferred into accounts controlled by you.""
I looked at my father.
"Is that true?""
He shook his head.
"They're trying to reverse the story. I collected the evidence because Richard was stealing.""
Daniel smiled.
"That's an interesting explanation.""
He removed a photocopy from his folder.
It showed my father's signature beneath a bank transfer.
My father stared at it.
"That's forged.""
"Of course you'd say that.""
Tom stepped forward.
"Daniel, I know who you are. You were working for Richard when Walter was alive.""
Daniel's smile disappeared.
"Stay out of this, Reed.""
"Your employer has a history of threatening witnesses.""
"Careful.""
"Or what?""
The second man lowered his camera.
Daniel closed the folder.
"John, you have until Monday to cooperate. Otherwise, we'll pursue legal action and request an investigation into your daughter's guardianship.""
My father clenched his fists.
"You stay away from Emily.""
Daniel glanced at me.
"Ask your aunt what she signed.""
Then he walked back toward the SUV.
Before getting inside, he turned around.
"By the way, Emily, your father isn't the only person who has been keeping secrets.""
The vehicle pulled away.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then I turned toward my father.
"What did he mean?""
My father looked exhausted.
"I don't know.""
Tom picked up the photocopy Daniel had left behind.
He examined the signature.
"John, we need a lawyer.""
Jace nodded.
"I know someone who can help.""
I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the photograph of my mother.
The men outside had come looking for my father.
But Daniel's final words had left something worse in my mind.
Your father isn't the only person who has been keeping secrets.
I looked at the folder.
The forged guardianship papers.
The stolen charity money.
The monthly payments Linda had collected.
There was something connecting all of it.
And I wanted to know what.
"Tom?""
He looked up.
"Yes, sweetheart?""
"Did my mother know Linda was involved?""
Tom didn't answer.
My father slowly lowered himself into the chair beside me.
"Emily, there's something about the night your mother died that I've never told anyone.""
My heart began racing.
"What?""
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"Your mother called me twenty minutes before the accident.""
I stared at him.
"What did she say?""
"She told me she had found proof that Richard was stealing the money. She said she was going to meet someone who could help her.""
"Who?""
My father swallowed.
"Linda.""
The room went silent.
"Why would Mom meet Aunt Linda?""
"Because Linda was supposed to deliver the original financial records to a lawyer. Your mother trusted her.""
I felt cold.
"Did she deliver them?""
"No.""
My father opened the folder and removed a small piece of paper.
It was a handwritten note, creased down the middle.
He placed it in front of me.
The handwriting belonged to my mother.
John, Linda says she has found someone who can protect the evidence. I don't know if I should trust her anymore. If anything happens to me, please make sure Emily never grows up believing that everyone she loves will leave her.
I covered my mouth.
"Why didn't you show me this before?""
"Because I was ashamed.""
"Of what?""
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"Because I was the one who told your mother to trust Linda.""
I couldn't speak.
My father continued.
"After your mother died, I confronted Linda. She told me Richard had threatened to kill you if I went to the police. She said she could keep you safe if I disappeared.""
I stared at him.
"Did you believe her?""
"I wanted to believe her.""
"And then?""
"She promised to keep you in school. To take care of you. To make sure you never needed anything.""
I remembered the empty refrigerator.
The secondhand shoes.
The evenings I'd worked until closing because Linda refused to give me money for school supplies.
My father saw my expression.
"She failed you.""
I shook my head.
"No, Dad. She chose not to care.""
He lowered his eyes.
For a moment, I thought the worst was over.
Then Jace's phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?""
His face changed almost immediately.
"What do you mean?""
He turned away from us.
"Are you sure?""
A long silence followed.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
Tom stood.
"What's happened?""
Jace looked at me.
"It's Linda.""
My stomach tightened.
"What about her?""
"She's gone.""
"What do you mean, gone?""
"She left her house about an hour ago. Someone called the police after finding the back door open.""
I stood.
"Was she hurt?""
Jace shook his head.
"Nobody knows.""
Then he showed us a message he'd just received.
It was a photograph of Linda standing beside a black SUV.
Underneath it was a single sentence.
Tell Emily to stop looking for her father if she wants her aunt to come home alive.
My blood ran cold.
My father grabbed the phone.
"That's Richard.""
Tom's expression hardened.
Jace looked toward the door.
"Then we're not waiting until Monday.""
I stared at the message again.
For three years, Linda had made my life miserable.
But she was still the only family I'd known after my mother died.
And now someone had taken her.
My father took my hand.
"Emily, whatever happens, you stay with us.""
I nodded.
But then another message arrived.
This time, it was sent directly to my phone.
No number.
No name.
Just a photograph.
It showed my mother standing beside a car on the night she died.
And written across the bottom were six words:
*YOUR MOTHER WASN'T THE FIRST VICTIM.*
I looked up at Tom.
His face had gone completely white.
May you like
Because he recognized the photograph.
And he knew exactly who the first victim had been.
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