Chapter 11: The Voice From the Past
I couldn’t speak.
The phone felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
“Who are you?””
The man breathed softly.
“You really don’t remember me.””
My eyes moved around the room.
Everyone was watching.
My father.
My mother.
Lily.
Claire.
Rebecca.
All of them carrying pieces of my past.
All of them hiding something.
“Tell me your name.””
A pause.
Then:
“Thomas.””
My blood went cold.
Not because I knew him.
Because I almost did.
A memory flickered.
A man kneeling beside a crashed car.
A hand on my shoulder.
A voice saying:
“Don’t look.””
I closed my eyes.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I was following Evelyn.””
Claire looked at me.
“What?””
I put the phone on speaker.
Everyone heard.
Thomas continued.
“Evelyn was planning to leave town after stealing from Robert.””
My father looked furious.
“How do you know?””
“Because I was hired to find her.””
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Who hired you?””
Silence.
Then Thomas answered:
“Robert.””
Everyone looked at my father.
He closed his eyes.
“I wanted my money back.””
Lily laughed bitterly.
“So you sent someone after her.””
“No.””
My father shook his head.
“I never wanted anyone hurt.””
Thomas interrupted.
“But someone did.””
The room went quiet.
I gripped the phone.
“What happened that night?””
Thomas sighed.
“I arrived after the crash.””
“You weren’t driving?””
“No.””
“Then who was?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Your aunt.””
Everyone looked at Rebecca.
She went pale.
“No.””
Thomas continued.
“Rebecca followed Evelyn because she believed she had proof against her.””
Rebecca whispered:
“I only wanted the truth.””
“You chased them.””
“I followed them.””
“The roads were dangerous.””
Rebecca looked at the floor.
“I didn’t mean for the car to crash.””
My heart stopped.
“You caused the accident?””
Tears filled her eyes.
“I was angry.””
Lily stepped back.
“You lied to me.””
“I was trying to save you.””
“You left me there.””
Rebecca broke down.
“I thought you were dead.””
Nobody spoke.
The truth was finally arriving.
And somehow it was worse than every lie.
I looked at my father.
“Why did you let me believe Lily was gone?””
His face collapsed.
“Because when I arrived…”
He stopped.
“When I arrived, you were holding her hand.””
My throat tightened.
“You were crying.””
A memory surfaced.
My small hands covered in blood.
Lily not moving.
A woman standing nearby.
Rebecca.
“She told me what happened.””
Dad looked at her.
“She said she lost control.””
Rebecca cried.
“I was scared.””
“So you both lied.””
No one defended themselves.
Because they couldn’t.
Then Lily spoke.
Quietly.
“There’s still something missing.””
I turned.
“What?””
She looked at Thomas.
“He didn’t tell you why Claire was involved.””
My heart sank.
Claire looked away.
I turned to her.
“Explain.””
She shook her head.
“I didn’t know everything.””
“Then what did you know?””
She hesitated.
“My mother left me something.””
“What?””
“A letter.””
My anger returned.
“Another letter?””
Claire reached into her purse.
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I was supposed to give this to you after the wedding.””
I stared.
“Why?””
“Because my mother wanted Robert exposed.””
She handed it to me.
I opened it.
The handwriting was unfamiliar.
But the words were clear.
*Daniel, if you are reading this, then Claire failed to stop the wedding.*
I looked up.
Claire flinched.
I continued.
*She was never supposed to love you.*
My chest tightened.
The next line made my blood run cold.
*She was supposed to marry you because you were the only person who knew where I hid the evidence.*
I looked at Claire.
“What evidence?””
She whispered:
“I don’t know.””
Lily grabbed the paper.
She read the final sentence.
Then her face changed.
“What?””
I looked at her.
“What does it say?””
Lily slowly handed it back.
The final words were written underneath.
*The evidence is inside Daniel’s childhood memory.*
The room went silent.
I felt a chill.
Because suddenly I understood.
The truth wasn’t hidden in a box.
Or a letter.
Or a photograph.
It was hidden inside me.
And then Thomas spoke one final time.
“Daniel.””
I lifted the phone.
“What?””
His voice became serious.
“You need to remember the basement.””
My heart stopped.
“What basement?””
The line went silent.
May you like
Then he said:
“The one where Lily was taken.””
