Chapter 14: My Father Finally Tells the Truth
I reached the elevator before Detective Harris could stop me.
"Emily!"" he called.
"Wait for the officers.""
I pressed the button again.
My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly missed it.
The elevator doors opened.
A man stood inside.
He was older than I remembered, thinner, with gray hair and deep lines around his mouth. He wore a navy jacket over a faded blue shirt.
For one impossible second, I saw the father who had taught me to ride a bicycle, who used to lift me onto his shoulders at county fairs, who had once driven through a snowstorm to bring me medicine when I was away at college.
Then he raised his eyes.
"Emmy.""
I stepped into the elevator.
"Dad.""
He reached toward me, but I moved backward.
"Don't.""
His hand fell.
Detective Harris arrived behind me with two officers.
"Richard Thompson?""
My father nodded.
"That's me.""
"You're going to need to explain where you've been for six years.""
"I will.""
Harris looked at me.
"Emily, do you want to speak with him here?""
I couldn't answer immediately.
Finally, I nodded.
We were escorted into a private office on the ground floor. My father sat across from me, his hands clasped together.
For several seconds, I could only stare at him.
Then the anger came.
"You let me bury you.""
He closed his eyes.
"I know.""
"You let me sell Grandma's jewelry to pay debts that didn't exist.""
"I know.""
"You let me believe you died without leaving me anything.""
His voice cracked.
"I'm sorry.""
I slammed my palm against the table.
"STOP SAYING YOU'RE SORRY!""
He flinched.
I had never shouted at my father before. Not even when he refused to let me attend a concert in high school.
Now I wanted him to feel every ounce of pain he'd left behind.
"Do you know what I did after your funeral?"" I demanded.
"I called your old phone number every Sunday for months. I kept your jacket in my closet because it still smelled like your cologne. I visited your grave on your birthday and apologized for not noticing you were sick enough to die.""
Tears blurred my vision.
"And all that time, you were alive.""
He covered his face.
"I wanted to come back.""
"Then why didn't you?""
He lowered his hands.
"Because I was afraid Daniel would finish what he started.""
Harris leaned forward.
"What exactly happened at the warehouse?""
My father took a long breath.
"Victor Hale was stealing from the company. Samuel Price discovered the fraud and brought the evidence to me. I agreed to meet him at the warehouse because I believed we could resolve the situation before the police became involved.""
"Why not contact the police immediately?"" Harris asked.
"Because I was guilty of helping Victor conceal earlier financial irregularities. I thought I could fix everything privately.""
I stared at him.
"So you were involved.""
"Yes.""
The admission was immediate.
"I wasn't innocent, Emmy. I made bad decisions. I protected the company when I should have exposed what was happening.""
He looked at me.
"But I didn't kill Samuel.""
"What about Victor?""
My father swallowed.
"Daniel shot him.""
Harris's expression hardened.
"Did you see it happen?""
"Yes.""
"Then why wasn't Daniel arrested?""
"Because I was shot too. I escaped through a side door, and Patricia drove Emily home. By the time I reached the road, Daniel had taken control of the scene.""
He looked at me.
"He told me he'd make sure you were charged with the murder if I went to the police.""
I shook my head.
"You could have told me the truth.""
"I know.""
"You could have called me.""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Several times. Daniel intercepted the messages. He had access to your accounts, your phone records, and even your mail.""
I felt sick.
"He controlled my entire life.""
My father nodded.
"He was supposed to protect you. Instead, he used the position I gave him to manipulate you.""
"Why did you hire him?""
"Because Daniel was Victor's nephew, and I believed he understood the danger. I paid him to stay close to you and protect you until the trust could be transferred.""
"Five hundred thousand dollars.""
"Yes.""
"Did you know he would marry me?""
My father looked away.
"I knew he intended to become part of your life. I didn't know he would propose.""
I stared at him.
"That distinction means nothing to me.""
"I understand.""
"No, you don't. You decided I was a problem that could be solved with money and surveillance. You never asked what I wanted.""
He nodded slowly.
"You're right.""
For the first time, he didn't defend himself.
He simply sat there, looking at the daughter he'd failed.
Harris placed the trust documents on the table.
"Richard, we need to discuss the disputed filings. Someone used your identity to claim authority over Victor Hale's trust.""
My father studied the papers.
"This signature is mine, but I didn't sign this document.""
"How can you prove that?""
He reached into his jacket and removed a small black notebook.
"Because I have the original authorization. I never submitted it. Someone copied my signature from an earlier agreement.""
Harris took the notebook.
"Who had access to it?""
My father looked directly at me.
"Daniel.""
I felt a strange calm settle over me.
Of course it was Daniel.
Every path led back to him.
Harris stood and spoke into his radio.
"We need an immediate location check on Daniel Bennett. He's now a suspect in the murders of Samuel Price and Victor Hale, as well as financial fraud and identity theft.""
My father reached across the table.
"Emmy, there's one more thing.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"Daniel didn't act alone.""
I closed my eyes.
"Who helped him?""
He hesitated.
"Marcus Bell.""
Harris froze.
"You're accusing your attorney of participating in murder?""
"I'm telling you what I discovered. Marcus helped alter the original trust documents. He arranged the false death certificate. He knew Victor was dead, and he helped Daniel create a paper trail that made Emily appear responsible for the missing money.""
I stared at my father.
"Why?""
"Because Marcus was Victor's attorney before he became mine. He believed he could control the company if both Victor and I disappeared.""
Harris grabbed his radio again.
"Dispatch, locate Marcus Bell immediately.""
The reply came seconds later.
"Detective, we have a problem. Marcus Bell's office is empty. His home has been cleared out, and his vehicle was last seen heading toward Savannah.""
My father went pale.
"He's going to the bank.""
Harris looked at me.
"The trust.""
I stood.
"Then we have to get there first.""
"No," Harris said firmly.
"You are not going anywhere near that man.""
My father took my hand.
"Emily, he's going to destroy the evidence if he reaches the box.""
Harris looked between us.
Then he made a decision.
"We leave now. Two officers will escort you. You stay behind me at all times.""
As we hurried toward the exit, my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered.
A familiar voice spoke softly.
"Emily, it's Daniel.""
I stopped walking.
"What do you want?""
"I want you to hear the truth from me before your father convinces you that he's innocent.""
My father reached for the phone.
I pulled it away.
"Go on.""
Daniel exhaled.
"Your father didn't hire me to protect you from Victor. He hired me because Victor had left instructions that would expose what Richard had done.""
I looked at my father.
His face changed.
Daniel continued.
"And the money? It wasn't just an inheritance. It was compensation for what happened to your real family.""
My stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"Emily, the woman who raised you wasn't the only person Richard took you from.""
The line crackled.
Then Daniel said the words that made my father cover his face.
"Richard took you from Laura, yes. But he also took something from Victor. Something that would have changed your entire life.""
"What?""
Daniel paused.
"Your birth certificate isn't the only document Richard forged.""
A door slammed on his end.
He whispered one final sentence.
"Ask him why your original birth records say you were born three months earlier than the date he gave you.""
The call disconnected.
I turned toward my father.
"Is that true?""
He couldn't look at me.
"Emmy, I can explain.""
I stepped away from him.
"Then start explaining.""
He opened his mouth.
But before he could speak, Detective Harris's radio crackled.
"Detective, we have visual confirmation of Daniel Bennett. He's at the Savannah branch, and he's carrying a weapon.""
Harris drew a breath.
"All units, move.""
I stared at my father.
May you like
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
And I finally understood that even after six years of hiding, he still hadn't told me everything.
