Chapter 6: The Man at the Door
Margaret grabbed my arm.
“Back entrance. Now.””
The doorknob rattled again.
“Emma!”” Richard shouted.
“Open the door!””
I stood frozen.
My mother's letter was still in my hand.
Margaret pulled me toward a narrow hallway behind the office.
“Come on.””
“What about you?””
“I know this building.””
We moved quickly.
My heels struck the hardwood floor as we reached a service corridor.
Behind us, something slammed against Margaret's office door.
“He's trying to break in,” I whispered.
Margaret didn't answer.
She pushed open a gray metal door.
A stairwell appeared.
“Down.””
We hurried down two flights.
When we reached the lobby, I expected to see someone waiting.
Nobody was there.
I pushed through the front doors.
Cold air hit my face.
Across the street, Daniel immediately stood.
He saw my expression and ran toward me.
“What happened?””
“Richard.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“Where is he?””
“Upstairs.””
Margaret came out behind me.
“Don't go back inside.””
Daniel nodded.
I looked at him.
“I read Mom's letter.””
He stopped.
“What did she say?””
“That you were the father she chose.””
His eyes filled with tears.
He looked away.
I had never seen him cry.
Not when Mom died.
Not when I left for college.
Not even when I told him to step out of my graduation photo.
“Why didn't you ever tell me?”” I asked.
“Because she asked me not to.””
“She said Richard chose money over us.””
Daniel nodded.
“He did.””
I held up the letter.
“She said he was dangerous.””
Daniel looked toward the building.
“He can be.””
Margaret interrupted.
“We need to secure Emma's finances immediately.””
“I already locked my bank account.””
“That's good. But there's something else.””
“What?””
Margaret reached into her bag.
She pulled out a photocopy.
“Your mother anticipated Richard might eventually gain access to your accounts.””
I stared at her.
“How?””
“She established a second safeguard.””
“What safeguard?””
Margaret handed me the document.
It was a transfer authorization.
If anyone attempted to withdraw funds from the trust without my direct approval, the remaining assets would be frozen and transferred into a protected account.
I looked at her.
“How much is left?””
She hesitated.
“About one hundred seventy-six thousand.””
My eyes widened.
Richard hadn't stolen everything.
But then my phone buzzed.
The bank had restored limited access.
I opened the app.
A new transaction appeared.
*Pending withdrawal request: $176,183.19*
My heart stopped.
“He's trying again.””
Daniel looked over my shoulder.
“That can't be possible.””
Margaret took the phone.
“Who authorized this?””
I pointed at the screen.
“Richard.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“What?””
“This isn't Richard's signature.””
She zoomed in.
The authorization request had been submitted electronically.
The name attached to it wasn't Richard Carter.
It was *Daniel Carter*.
I looked at Daniel.
His face went white.
“I didn't do that.””
Margaret stared at him.
“Are you sure?””
“Of course I'm sure.””
I backed away.
For one horrible second, doubt returned.
Daniel saw it.
“Emma.””
“I don't know what to believe.””
“I know.””
He reached into his pocket.
“Then take this.””
He handed me his phone.
“Check everything.””
I stared at him.
“You're giving me your phone?””
“I have nothing to hide.””
I opened his banking app.
No hidden transfers.
No suspicious accounts.
Then I opened his email.
Hundreds of old messages.
Tuition receipts.
Insurance payments.
Emails to professors.
Messages to my college housing office.
Everything Daniel had claimed was there.
Everything except one email.
A message from six months ago.
The day Richard first contacted me.
The sender was an unfamiliar address.
The subject line read:
*He has found her.*
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
*If Richard contacts Emma, let him come back. We need him to reveal where he put the missing money.*
I looked at Daniel.
“What is this?””
He stared at the screen.
“I've never seen that email.””
Margaret took the phone.
Her expression changed.
“This wasn't sent to Daniel.””
“Then whose account is it?””
She looked at me.
“It was forwarded from your mother's old email address.””
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
My mother had been dead for years.
Yet somehow, six months ago, someone had sent Daniel a message from her account.
And then my phone buzzed again.
A new message appeared.
*You finally found the first piece.*
May you like
Then another.
*Now ask Daniel what happened the night your mother died.*
