Chapter 9: The Person We Never Suspected
The police traced the phone call.
But the number was fake.
Whoever called me knew how to disappear.
That scared me more than the threat itself.
Because it meant this person had planned everything.
When Detective Harper arrived the next morning, she brought news.
"We found a connection.""
I looked up.
"To who?""
She placed a photo on the table.
A man.
Late forties.
Dark hair.
Professional appearance.
"His name is Thomas Reed.""
I stared at the picture.
"I don't know him.""
Detective Harper nodded.
"But he knew Emily.""
My stomach tightened.
"How?""
She opened a folder.
"Thomas worked as a consultant for several private schools and childcare centers.""
I looked at the documents.
"And Bright Steps?""
"He advised them three years ago.""
The same time Emily started investigating.
I felt sick.
"Why was he never mentioned?""
"Because his name was removed from the records.""
Again.
Someone was erasing information.
Officer Ramirez entered.
"We found something else.""
He placed a laptop on the table.
"The hidden files from the daycare.""
Detective Harper opened them.
Inside were dozens of documents.
Children's names.
Behavior reports.
Private notes.
Then she stopped.
Her expression changed.
"What?""
She turned the screen toward me.
There was Sophie's name.
My heart dropped.
The document was dated three years earlier.
Before Sophie even attended Bright Steps.
I stared.
"That's impossible.""
Detective Harper looked serious.
"Why?""
"Because Sophie wasn't enrolled there yet.""
She scrolled down.
The notes weren't about daycare behavior.
They were about Emily.
Mother continues asking questions.
Father remains unaware.
Child may have inherited information.
I couldn't breathe.
"What does that mean?""
Nobody answered.
Then I saw another line.
Monitor family until item is located.
I stood up.
"What item?""
Detective Harper looked at me.
"We don't know.""
But I did.
Or at least I had a terrible feeling.
Emily had always kept one thing private.
After her death, I searched everywhere for her personal documents.
I never found one journal.
One notebook.
One folder.
Something she had always carried.
I suddenly remembered.
A week before she died, Emily told me:
"Daniel, if anything ever happens, promise me you'll protect Sophie.""
At the time, I thought she was just being emotional.
Now I wondered if she knew something was coming.
My phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
Unknown number.
One photo.
My blood turned cold.
It was a picture of my house.
Taken from across the street.
Then another message appeared.
You should have stopped.
Detective Harper saw my face.
"What happened?""
I showed her the phone.
She immediately stood.
"Everyone stays inside.""
But before anyone could move, another notification appeared.
A video.
Five seconds long.
I pressed play.
The footage showed my front door.
Then a figure walking away.
A figure wearing a dark coat.
The same dark coat Sophie had drawn.
Detective Harper grabbed the phone.
"Mr. Bennett...""
I looked at her.
"That's him, isn't it?""
She didn't answer.
Because we both knew.
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The person who had been watching my family for years was no longer hiding.
And now he wanted me to know he was close.
