Chapter 10: The Man Behind Everything
Daniel gripped the phone so tightly his fingers hurt.
"What did you just say?""
Eric Wallace gave a quiet laugh.
"You heard me.""
Detective Harris pointed toward the speaker icon.
Daniel put the call on speaker and laid the phone on Ben's desk.
Harris started recording.
Daniel forced his voice to remain steady.
"You said something about Rachel.""
"I said you need to stop digging.""
"Why?""
"Because you're upset, Dan. Upset people make stupid decisions.""
"You knew Rachel had a letter.""
Silence.
Daniel continued.
"How?""
Eric sighed.
"Give me what you found.""
"No.""
"Think about Lily.""
Daniel's entire body tightened.
"Don't say my daughter's name.""
"That's exactly my point. You have two children now. A business. A future.""
"And you think threatening them will make me cooperate?""
"I'm trying to protect you.""
"From what?""
"From learning things you can't undo.""
Daniel looked at Harris.
The detective wrote on a pad:
KEEP HIM TALKING.
Daniel swallowed.
"Tell me how Rachel died.""
Eric went quiet.
Then his voice changed.
"Rachel got sick.""
"Three days after confronting Melissa.""
"People get sick.""
"Did you know Melissa before Rachel died?""
Another pause.
"Everyone knew Melissa.""
"That's not an answer.""
Eric laughed.
"You were always terrible at business, Dan.""
Daniel frowned.
"What?""
"You build things. You're good at that. Numbers?
Contracts? People? You trust whatever's placed in front of you.""
Daniel felt the insult land exactly where Eric intended.
Three years earlier, it might have worked.
Not now.
"That's why you chose me.""
Eric didn't answer.
Daniel continued.
"Martin handled the paperwork. Melissa got close to my family. And Carter Development moved the money.""
Eric's voice sharpened.
"Be careful.""
"So I'm right.""
"You don't know anything.""
"I know enough.""
"No, Daniel.""
Eric lowered his voice.
"You know what Rachel wanted you to know.""
Daniel froze.
"What does that mean?""
"Rachel wasn't innocent.""
Ben stepped closer, anger flashing across his face.
Daniel held up one hand.
"Explain.""
"She discovered what Martin was doing and thought she could control it.""
"You're lying.""
"Am I?""
"Rachel was protecting Lily.""
"Rachel was protecting you.""
Daniel's breathing slowed.
"From whom?""
"From yourself.""
Eric laughed again.
"Ask Ben why she didn't trust you with the evidence.""
Ben shook his head.
Daniel stared at the phone.
"You don't get to use my wife's precautions against me.""
"Then keep digging.""
"I will.""
"Bad choice.""
The call ended.
Harris immediately grabbed his own phone.
"Trace it.""
An officer outside the room began working.
Daniel turned toward Ben.
"You believe him?""
"Not a word.""
"But he knew about the letter.""
"Which means Rachel was right.""
Daniel looked down at the documents.
The trust.
The transfers.
His company.
For years, Eric had controlled the financial side of Carter Development.
Daniel handled crews, projects, clients, construction schedules.
Eric handled banking.
"How much money moved through my company?""
Harris examined the list.
"From this document alone? More than seven hundred thousand dollars.""
Daniel stared at him.
"Seven hundred—"
"And that's only what's listed here.""
Daniel sat down.
His company hadn't merely been connected.
It had been used.
His name had been used.
"What happens now?""
"We get warrants.""
"For Eric?""
"For financial records first.""
Daniel hated that answer.
"He threatened my children.""
"He implied knowledge and made statements designed to intimidate you. We're documenting everything.""
"He's out there.""
"And now he knows police may be involved.""
Daniel looked toward Lily.
She was playing quietly with Noah on the carpet.
He wanted to take both children somewhere nobody knew.
Harris seemed to read his face.
"We can arrange a safe location tonight.""
Daniel nodded.
"Do it.""
His phone vibrated again.
This time it was a text from Melissa.
Three words.
I can prove it.
Daniel showed Harris.
"Don't respond yet.""
Another message appeared.
Martin is lying.
Then:
Eric is worse.
And finally:
Rachel left evidence he never found.
Daniel typed under Harris's supervision.
Where?
The answer came immediately.
Not over text.
Harris nodded.
Ask where she wants to meet.
Daniel typed.
Melissa responded with an address.
Harris searched it.
"Public library parking garage.""
Ben frowned.
"That sounds like a trap.""
"It could be.""
Daniel typed:
Come to the police station.
Melissa replied:
No.
Then:
Eric has people there.
Harris's expression hardened.
Daniel asked, "Is that possible?""
"Possible isn't the same as true.""
Another message.
I have Rachel's photograph.
Daniel's pulse jumped.
The one from Lily's backpack.
He typed:
What was on the back?
Melissa responded:
A locker number.
Harris looked at Daniel.
"Locker where?""
Daniel asked.
The reply took almost a minute.
Then:
Central Station.
Daniel frowned.
The old train station downtown had rows of rental lockers.
Rachel used to commute through there when she worked for her father's company.
Melissa sent another message.
Eric doesn't know I found it.
Meet me alone or I destroy the key.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
Harris shook his head.
"You're not going alone.""
Daniel typed:
One hour.
Harris immediately began organizing officers.
Ben pulled Daniel aside.
"You're seriously meeting her?""
"I'm seriously ending this.""
"Daniel, she abused Lily.""
"I know.""
"She stole from her.""
"I know.""
"Then don't trust her because she's scared now.""
Daniel looked toward his daughter.
"I don't trust Melissa.""
He picked up Rachel's letter.
"But I need to know what Rachel left behind.""
An hour later, Daniel drove into the parking garage.
Police vehicles remained out of sight.
A tiny microphone was hidden beneath his shirt.
Harris's voice came through an earpiece.
"We're with you.""
Daniel parked.
Melissa's car sat three spaces away.
She stepped out.
She looked nothing like the woman he'd married.
Her hair was wet.
Her clothes were wrinkled.
Her eyes were swollen from crying.
Daniel stayed several feet away.
"Where's the photograph?""
Melissa reached into her coat.
"First, you listen.""
"Talk.""
"Eric planned all of it.""
"The theft?""
"Everything.""
"Did he kill Rachel?""
Melissa's face changed.
"I don't know.""
"That's not good enough.""
"It's the truth!""
Her voice echoed through the garage.
She lowered it.
"I was supposed to get access to you. That's all.""
"You married me.""
"I didn't expect that.""
"You terrorized my daughter.""
Melissa flinched.
Daniel stepped closer.
"You told Lily her mother abandoned her.""
"I needed her to stop talking about Rachel.""
"Why?""
"Because she remembered things.""
Daniel froze.
"She was one.""
"Children remember sounds. Places. Words.""
"What did Lily remember?""
Melissa pulled the photograph from her pocket.
"She kept saying one sentence.""
Daniel's heart pounded.
"What sentence?""
Melissa whispered:
"Uncle Eric made Mommy cry.""
Before Daniel could respond, headlights exploded across the garage.
Melissa's eyes widened.
May you like
A black SUV raced around the corner.
"Daniel, RUN!""
