Chapter 10: The Brother Who Was Never Dead
The room went silent after Cody’s words.
Not the peaceful kind of silence.
The kind that came before something broke.
Jillian looked at the security footage again.
Daniel Voss.
Malcolm Bannon’s trusted lawyer.
Shawn Bannon’s ring on his hand.
For twelve days, everyone had mourned a dead man.
But now a question hung in the air.
What if Shawn had never died?
Patrick stepped closer to the screen.
“No.””
Nobody answered.
He shook his head.
“No, that’s not possible.””
Jillian looked at him.
“You keep saying that.””
Patrick’s eyes met hers.
“Because I saw him.””
The pain in his voice stopped her.
“You saw him?””
“At the funeral home.””
Patrick swallowed.
“I identified the body.””
The words fell heavily.
Emmett looked at him.
“Did you see his face?””
Patrick hesitated.
Only for a second.
But everyone noticed.
Jillian’s heart sank.
“Patrick.””
He looked away.
“They said the injuries were severe.””
A cold feeling moved through her.
“You never saw him.””
Patrick’s silence answered.
Sofia stepped forward.
“We need to find Daniel.””
Emmett nodded.
“Immediately.””
But Jillian wasn’t listening anymore.
Her mind was trapped on one thought.
Shawn was alive.
Somewhere.
And he had left Cody behind.
They searched Daniel Voss’s office first.
It was located downtown, above one of the Bannon family buildings.
The place looked untouched.
Too untouched.
No panic.
No rushed escape.
No signs of someone who knew they were exposed.
Emmett walked through the room slowly.
“He planned this.””
Patrick looked around.
“What do you mean?””
“People who run don’t clean.””
Jillian looked at the empty desk.
“He removed everything.””
“No.””
Emmett pointed toward a bookshelf.
“He removed what he wanted us to notice.””
Behind a row of legal books sat a single photograph.
Shawn.
Daniel.
Malcolm.
And a fourth person.
Jillian stepped closer.
She knew the face.
Her breath stopped.
“Who is that?””
Patrick stared.
“I don’t know.””
Emmett took the photograph.
“Yes, you do.””
Patrick looked confused.
“I’ve never seen him.””
Emmett turned the picture over.
A date was written on the back.
Twenty years earlier.
And underneath:
The beginning of the arrangement.
Sofia searched through Daniel’s computer files.
After several minutes, she looked up.
“I found something.””
Everyone gathered around.
A hidden folder.
No name.
Only a number.
Inside were dozens of documents.
The first one made Jillian’s stomach twist.
A medical report.
Shawn Bannon.
Date of death.
But something was wrong.
The report had been altered.
Emmett read silently.
Then said:
“Cause of death was never confirmed.””
Patrick stared.
“What?””
“The official report was changed after the funeral.””
Jillian felt anger rising.
“So everyone lied.””
Patrick whispered:
“My father lied.””
“No,” Emmett said.
Everyone looked at him.
“Someone wanted Malcolm to believe Shawn was dead.””
The room went quiet.
Jillian looked at him.
“Why?””
Emmett opened another file.
A location.
A bank account.
A payment record.
Then he saw the name.
His expression changed.
“What?””
Sofia asked.
Emmett didn’t answer.
He handed the screen to Jillian.
She read the name.
And froze.
The account belonged to:
Shawn Bannon.
Active.
Opened eleven days ago.
“That’s impossible.””
“No,” Emmett said.
“It’s proof.””
Patrick stepped back.
“My brother is alive.””
Then the office lights flickered.
Everyone turned.
The elevator outside began moving.
Someone was coming up.
Emmett reached for the weapon hidden beneath his coat.
The elevator doors opened.
A man stepped out.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
Patrick stopped breathing.
“Shawn?””
The man looked at them.
His eyes filled with regret.
“Patrick.””
Jillian couldn’t move.
Because the impossible man standing in front of them looked exactly like the person they buried.
Shawn Bannon looked at Cody.
May you like
And whispered:
“I’m sorry.””
