Chapter 6: What Happened the Night She Disappeared
My father stood in the middle of the auditorium, clutching the folder like it was the only thing keeping him upright.
Nobody spoke.
Even the principal had stopped trying to move people toward the exits.
I looked at my father.
"What happened that night?""
Richard's eyes moved toward Vanessa, who was now standing beside the officers near the doorway.
She shook her head almost imperceptibly.
He looked back at me.
"Your mother wasn't supposed to leave.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
My mother stepped forward.
"Tell her the truth, Richard.""
He swallowed.
"That night, I was supposed to meet your mother at the office. We had an argument about the company accounts. She threatened to report me.""
"Because you were stealing?""
He flinched.
"I made some mistakes.""
"Four hundred thousand dollars isn't a mistake.""
"It was more than that.""
The admission landed like a slap.
My grandmother closed her eyes.
My father continued.
"I had borrowed money from the company to cover debts. I thought I could replace it before anyone noticed. But then the investments failed.""
My mother folded her arms.
"So you started transferring money from the family trust.""
Richard nodded.
"And Vanessa helped you.""
He looked toward the doorway.
"She knew about the financial problems. She helped me organize the accounts.""
My mother shook her head.
"You both knew what you were doing.""
"I loved you, Angela.""
My mother laughed sadly.
"Love doesn't forge signatures.""
He looked at me.
"I was afraid of losing everything. The company. The house.
My reputation. I thought if Angela went away for a while, I could fix everything.""
I felt my stomach twist.
"What did you do to her?""
Richard looked down.
"I gave her the wrong address that night.""
My mother nodded.
"You told me Maya was in the hospital.""
"I didn't know those men would frighten you like that.""
My mother stared at him.
"You sent me to a building where two men were waiting with documents accusing me of fraud. You knew they would take my phone and identification.""
Richard's voice cracked.
"I was trying to buy time.""
"For five years?""
He didn't answer.
My mother took a breath.
"After I was released, I went straight to the police. But your father had already reported me missing. He had also submitted evidence suggesting I'd taken money from the company.""
She turned toward me.
"I couldn't reach you because I was being investigated. Every time I tried to contact you, Richard's attorney challenged my messages and claimed I was unstable.""
"Why didn't you go to the house?""
"I did.""
Her eyes filled.
"Three times.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"The first time, Vanessa told me you were sleeping. The second time, your father called the police and said I was trespassing. The third time, I saw you through the living room window.""
My mother paused.
"You were doing homework at the kitchen table. I wanted to run inside and hold you. But Richard had already filed for a restraining order.""
I covered my mouth.
I'd spent so many nights wondering why she hadn't come back.
All those nights, she'd been trying.
And I had believed the lies.
My grandmother reached for my hand.
"Your mother never stopped looking for you.""
My father shook his head.
"Angela, I didn't know how to undo it.""
"You could have told the truth.""
"I was scared.""
"And Maya wasn't?""
He looked at me.
I couldn't recognize the man standing in front of me.
The father who used to carry me on his shoulders at the county fair. The father who taught me how to ride a bicycle. The man who had once promised that nobody would ever hurt me.
He had hurt me every single day.
My mother reached into her handbag and removed a small black notebook.
"This is why I came today.""
She handed it to the officer.
Inside were handwritten notes, dates, phone numbers, and copies of correspondence.
"These are the records I kept while trying to locate Maya. They include the names of the people who blocked my access to her and the payments made to keep the original investigation from moving forward.""
The officer examined the notebook.
"Mrs. Brooks, these are significant.""
My father stepped backward.
"Angela, please. Think about Maya.""
She looked at him.
"I am thinking about Maya. That's why I'm finally telling the truth.""
Then the officer's radio crackled.
A second officer approached from the hallway.
"Sir, we've received confirmation from the financial crimes unit. There's an active warrant request connected to the trust transfers.""
Richard's face drained of color.
The officer continued.
"Mr. Brooks, we'd like you to accompany us.""
My father looked at me.
"Maya, sweetheart.""
I didn't move.
"Please. Say something.""
I stared at him.
"You told me Mom didn't love me enough to come home.""
His eyes filled.
"I never meant—"
"You told me she abandoned me.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From my own mother?""
He reached for me, but one of the officers stepped between us.
My father lowered his hand.
Then, as they began escorting him toward the doors, he turned around.
"There's one more thing you don't know.""
My mother stiffened.
"What now, Richard?""
He looked directly at me.
"Vanessa wasn't the only person who helped me. The person who arranged the original disappearance report was someone your mother trusted.""
I felt the room tilt.
"Who?""
My father hesitated.
Then he said a name.
"Your mother's brother. Uncle Daniel.""
My mother went completely pale.
"That's impossible.""
Richard shook his head.
"He signed the original statement. He told the police he had seen Angela leaving town willingly.""
My mother gripped the edge of the table.
"Daniel told me he was helping me.""
My father nodded.
"He was helping himself.""
The officer guided him toward the exit.
I turned to my mother.
"Mom, what does he mean?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, she took the old photograph from the table and turned it over.
On the back, beneath the handwriting about my grandmother becoming my guardian, there was another name.
Daniel Brooks.
And beside it, a date.
The day my mother disappeared.
My mother stared at the writing.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"Daniel wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that building.""
Her phone suddenly rang.
She looked at the screen.
The caller ID showed a number she hadn't seen in five years.
*DANIEL BROOKS.*
She answered.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then a man's voice came through the speaker.
"Angela, I heard you came home.""
My mother closed her eyes.
"What do you want, Daniel?""
His response was immediate.
"I want you to tell Maya the truth before someone else does.""
May you like
And then he added:
"Because the night you disappeared, I wasn't the one who called the police.""
