Chapter 9: The Letter From Daniel’s Mother
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
The only sound inside the garage was the soft ticking of the Harley cooling down.
I looked at Hammer.
“My husband’s mother knew?””
He nodded slowly.
“She knew something.””
“What?””
He stared at the recorder.
“I don’t know.””
That answer frustrated me.
Everyone had pieces.
Everyone had secrets.
And somehow, Daniel was the only person who had ever been honest.
Even after death.
I picked up the recorder.
“Play it again.””
Michael looked at me.
“Emma—”
“Play it.””
Hammer pressed the button.
The old woman’s voice returned.
“Daniel, if you found this…”
Static.
Then:
“Your father knows.””
Another pause.
“And if Robert knows…”
A breath.
“Run.””
Then another voice interrupted.
A man.
Angry.
The recording became distorted.
But I heard one sentence.
“You should have stayed out of this.””
Then silence.
I felt cold.
That voice.
I had heard it before.
The recording from Daniel’s final night.
The same voice.
The same person.
Hammer looked at me.
“You recognize it.””
I nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
Michael leaned forward.
“Who?””
I looked at the recorder.
“My father-in-law.””
Nobody moved.
For years, Robert had been the man who brought flowers on Daniel’s birthday.
The man who told stories about his son.
The man who cried at the funeral.
And all this time…
He was the person Daniel feared.
We returned home before sunset.
I wanted Noah away from all of this.
But as soon as we arrived, I saw something strange.
The front door was open.
I froze.
We had locked it.
Hammer immediately moved in front of me.
“Stay back.””
We entered slowly.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
The living room was untouched.
The kitchen was untouched.
Then we saw Noah’s room.
The door was open.
My heart stopped.
“Noah!””
I ran inside.
Empty.
The bed was made.
His favorite stuffed bear was gone.
And on the pillow was a note.
I grabbed it.
Three words.
COME ALONE, EMMA.
My hands shook.
Below it was a second line.
YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIEL?
A phone number was written underneath.
Michael looked over my shoulder.
“No.””
“What?””
“That’s Robert’s number.””
I stared at the paper.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then a familiar voice whispered:
“Emma.””
I closed my eyes.
“Where is my son?””
Robert didn’t answer.
Instead, he said:
“You’ve spent eleven months believing Daniel died protecting you.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“Where is Noah?””
His voice lowered.
“But you never asked the most important question.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“What question?””
A pause.
Then Robert whispered:
“Why did Daniel leave Noah to me if he knew I was the enemy?””
I froze.
Because I had never thought about that.
Not once.
And then Robert said something that made my blood run cold.
“Emma, your husband didn’t hide Noah from me.””
A pause.
May you like
“He hid Noah from you.””
The call ended.
