Chapter 13: What My Father Did at 9:17 P.M.
The message arrived at 4:36 p.m.
*If you want to know who killed your mother, ask your father what he did at 9:17 p.m. that night.*
I read it twice before showing Ethan.
He stared at the screen, then slowly turned toward Dad.
"What happened at 9:17?""
My father looked exhausted. His tie hung loose around his neck, and his hands were still trembling from the news that Marcus Bell had disappeared.
"I don't know.""
Ethan's expression hardened.
"That's what you've said about everything.""
"Because I genuinely don't remember every detail of that night!""
"Then remember harder!""
An officer stepped between them.
"Let's take a breath. Whoever sent that message wants you to turn against each other. We need to establish the facts before anyone draws conclusions.""
Ethan stepped away, breathing through his nose.
I wanted to believe the officer was right. We had spent days uncovering lies, and every new revelation seemed designed to make us distrust someone else.
But the message had included a specific time.
Nine seventeen.
That wasn't a random accusation. Someone wanted us to remember something.
Dad lowered himself into a chair.
"The night Sarah died, I was at home with Emily. Ethan was staying with my parents because Sarah and I had planned a quiet evening together.""
He paused, rubbing his temples.
"She called me around eight thirty. She said she was running late and would explain everything when she got home.""
"What happened next?"" Lily asked.
"I waited. Around nine, I called her. She didn't answer.""
Dad's voice broke.
"At 9:17, I received a call from the hospital.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did they say?""
"They told me there had been an accident. A witness had found Sarah's car off the road. She was taken to the hospital, but she was already gone when I arrived.""
Ethan stared at him.
"Who called you?""
"I don't remember the name.""
"Was it a doctor? A police officer?""
"I don't know, Ethan! It was twenty-two years ago!""
The officer wrote something in his notebook.
"Mr. Mitchell, did you leave your house before the hospital called?""
Dad frowned.
"No.""
"Are you certain?""
"Yes.""
I looked at the message again.
"What if the time isn't about when the hospital called? What if it's about something else?""
Lily leaned over my shoulder.
"Could it be a bank transaction?""
Daniel, who had joined us at the station, immediately pulled out his folder.
"James's records show a transfer initiated at 9:17 p.m. on the night Sarah died.""
Dad went pale.
"To whom?""
Daniel opened the document.
"The destination account belonged to a company associated with Carter Holdings.""
The officer took the page.
"That's significant. We'll need the original banking records.""
Ethan turned toward Dad.
"Did you make that transfer?""
"No.""
"Did you give anyone permission to make it?""
"No!""
Daniel studied the document.
"The authorization carries Robert's signature, but it appears to have been traced. We've already seen similar examples.""
The officer nodded.
"Then we'll investigate whether the transaction was part of the same financial scheme.""
I looked at Dad.
"Is there anything else you remember from that night? Any phone calls, visitors, anything unusual?""
He closed his eyes.
For a long moment, he sat perfectly still.
Then he whispered, "The garage.""
We all leaned forward.
"What garage?"" Ethan asked.
"After the hospital called, I went to Sarah's car. It had been towed to an impound lot. I remember seeing the driver's side door open.""
Dad swallowed.
"There was a small envelope on the passenger seat. The police told me it contained Sarah's personal belongings.""
"Did you open it?"" I asked.
"No. I gave it to Linda when she arrived at the hospital.""
The room went silent.
Ethan stared at him.
"Why would you give Mom's belongings to Linda?""
"Linda wasn't my wife then. She was helping me with the paperwork after the funeral. She said she would make sure everything was organized.""
Daniel's face darkened.
"Did you ever see the envelope again?""
Dad shook his head.
"No.""
I felt a chill spread through my chest.
The original will. The forged transfers. The missing documents. Mom's final recording.
What if the envelope had contained the proof she had discovered?
Before I could speak, the officer's phone rang.
He listened, asked several questions, then stood.
"We've located Marcus Bell's vehicle.""
"Where?"" Daniel asked.
"At a motel outside Columbus.""
"Is he there?""
"No. But we found his briefcase in the room.""
The officer glanced at the report on his screen.
"And there was a handwritten note inside.""
He read it aloud.
I can't keep protecting the person who paid me. If I disappear, look at the original hospital records. The truth is there.
Dad slowly stood.
"The hospital records?""
The officer nodded.
"We're contacting the hospital archives now.""
Ethan looked at me.
"Mom's death certificate says she died at 9:17 p.m.""
I nodded.
"That's what Dad remembers.""
"Then why would someone tell us to ask about that exact time?""
Daniel picked up the confession Marcus had signed.
"Because the official timeline may be wrong.""
He turned the page over.
On the back was a handwritten note.
Sarah was alive when she reached the hospital.
My father grabbed the desk to steady himself.
"No," he whispered.
Daniel continued reading.
She was conscious long enough to identify the person who had followed her car. The statement was removed from the file before the report was finalized.
My father stared at the words.
"She was alive?""
The officer immediately began making calls.
Within minutes, we learned that the hospital still possessed archived admission records from the night of the accident. The records were incomplete, but a surviving intake form indicated that Sarah had arrived at 8:54 p.m.
That was twenty-three minutes before the recorded time of death.
Someone had changed the timeline.
Someone had removed her final statement.
And someone had used the time of her death to hide a financial transaction.
The officer looked at Dad.
"Mr. Mitchell, we're going to need your full statement about that night.""
Dad nodded numbly.
Then his phone rang.
Linda's name appeared on the screen.
Everyone went still.
Dad answered on speaker.
"Linda?""
Her voice was faint and hurried.
"Robert, listen to me. You need to stop talking to the police.""
"Where are you?""
"That doesn't matter.""
"Did you know Sarah was alive when she reached the hospital?""
Silence.
"Linda?""
Finally, she whispered, "I never wanted her to die.""
My father closed his eyes.
"That isn't an answer.""
"No. It isn't.""
A sound came through the phone, like a door slamming.
Then Linda spoke again.
"Robert, you need to understand. I didn't plan the accident. I was only supposed to retrieve the envelope.""
"What envelope?""
"The one Sarah took from James.""
Dad's face drained of color.
"Where is it?""
Linda began crying.
"I gave it to the person who told me what to do.""
"Who?""
A man's voice suddenly interrupted the call.
"That's enough, Linda.""
The line went dead.
We stared at the phone.
The officer immediately began tracing the call.
But Ethan had gone completely still.
He looked at Dad, then at Daniel.
Finally, he whispered the words none of us wanted to hear.
"That voice.""
I turned toward him.
"What about it?""
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
"I know that voice.""
May you like
He swallowed hard.
"It's Grandpa's old business partner.""
