Chapter 14: The Last Piece of the Puzzle
Dad spent the next morning staring at the photograph.
He barely moved.
I had never seen him look so lost.
“Dad?””
He looked up.
“Sorry, buddy.””
“Who was David?””
He sighed.
“My younger brother.””
“Why did you think he died?””
Dad looked at the table.
“Because that’s what I was told.””
“By who?””
He didn’t answer.
But I knew.
The same people.
The same lies.
Detective Harris arrived with more information.
“We identified the man in the photo.””
Dad stood.
“David Carter.””
The detective nodded.
“He changed his name years ago.””
Dad looked angry.
“Why?””
“Because he was involved in financial crimes.””
Dad sat down.
His expression changed.
“He was working with Mark.””
“Yes.””
Everything connected.
The missing money.
The fake death.
The inheritance.
The lies.
But one question remained.
“What happened to my mother?”” Dad asked.
Detective Harris placed a file on the table.
“We found the missing report from the night of the accident.””
Dad opened it.
His hands shook.
“The original report.””
“Yes.””
He read silently.
Then his face changed.
“What?””
He handed it to the detective.
“There’s a witness statement.””
Detective Harris read it.
Then looked at us.
“Someone saw another vehicle near the crash.””
Dad whispered:
“Someone caused it.””
The room became silent.
I held onto the edge of my chair.
“Who?””
Detective Harris looked at the evidence.
“We don’t know yet.””
Then Vanessa spoke.
“I know.””
Everyone turned.
She looked terrified.
“I saw David that night.””
Dad stood.
“What?””
Vanessa looked down.
“He was with Mark.””
“Where?””
“Near the road.””
Dad’s voice shook.
“And you said nothing?””
“I was afraid.””
The anger in Dad’s face was unlike anything I had seen.
“You watched me raise Ethan believing it was an accident.””
Vanessa cried.
“I know.””
“You watched him grow up without his mother.””
“I know.””
Dad turned away.
He couldn’t even look at her.
That afternoon, the police tracked down David.
He was living under another name in a nearby town.
When they found him, he didn’t run.
He simply smiled.
Almost like he expected this day.
During questioning, he denied everything.
But then Detective Harris played the recording from Mark.
The one where Mark mentioned the plan.
David’s confidence disappeared.
Finally, he admitted the truth.
Not everything.
But enough.
He and Mark had planned to take control of the inheritance.
Vanessa was supposed to marry Dad and gather information.
When my mother discovered the plan, she threatened to expose them.
David admitted he followed her that night.
But he claimed Mark was the one who caused the crash.
The investigation continued.
And then came the final discovery.
A hidden recording found in Mark’s metal box.
A recording from the night my mother died.
Dad refused to listen alone.
So we sat together.
The audio started.
Static.
Then my mother’s voice.
My heart stopped.
I had not heard her voice in years.
“Michael, if you’re hearing this, something happened.””
Dad covered his mouth.
My mother continued.
“I found out who is behind everything.””
A man’s voice interrupted.
Mark.
“You shouldn’t have looked.””
My mother sounded scared.
“You’re destroying my family.””
Mark replied:
“Your family already belongs to us.””
Then another voice appeared.
David.
Dad froze.
My uncle’s voice.
My mother whispered:
“Michael will never forgive you.””
David answered:
“He won’t remember.””
Then the recording cut.
Nobody spoke.
Dad cried silently.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly.
Like someone whose entire past had collapsed.
After all these years, he finally had the answer.
But the answer hurt more than the mystery.
Then Detective Harris received a call.
He listened.
His face changed.
“What happened?”” Dad asked.
The detective looked at him.
“Mark has been found.””
Everyone stood.
“Where?””
Detective Harris hesitated.
“At the airport.””
Dad frowned.
“Was he arrested?””
The detective looked toward me.
“No.””
A cold feeling moved through the room.
“Then what?””
Detective Harris lowered his voice.
“He wasn’t trying to escape.””
“Then what was he doing?””
May you like
The detective answered:
“He was waiting for Ethan.””
