Chapter 10: The Night My Father Disappeared
I read the sentence three times.
Your mother knows who pulled the trigger.
The words blurred together.
My fingers tightened around the note until the paper bent.
I looked at my mother.
She didn't deny it.
That was the most terrifying part.
"Mom.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Sarah...""
"Who pulled the trigger?""
Nobody moved.
Not Captain Williams.
Not Harris.
Not the strangers standing at the door.
Everyone was waiting for her answer.
My entire life had been a locked room.
And somehow, my mother had always had the key.
"I didn't know he would survive.""
The sentence was barely a whisper.
My chest tightened.
"What does that mean?""
My mother sat down slowly.
"That night...""
She looked at the old wooden box.
"The night your father disappeared, he came home bleeding.""
I stopped breathing.
"You saw him?""
She nodded.
"I thought he was dead.""
Captain Williams stepped forward.
"You never told me that.""
My mother looked at him.
"Because Daniel made me promise.""
Williams closed his eyes.
The pain on his face told me he believed her.
But I didn't care anymore.
Promises had destroyed my family.
"Tell me everything.""
My mother looked at Lily.
Then at me.
"After you went to sleep, Daniel came through the back door.""
She swallowed.
"He was holding his side. There was blood everywhere.""
I pictured it.
My father.
The man I thought I lost.
Fighting to stay alive.
"He told me someone inside the department had betrayed him.""
"Who?""
She shook her head.
"He didn't know.""
I looked at the note.
"But he knew who shot him.""
My mother nodded.
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Her lips trembled.
"He couldn't see the person's face.""
My anger rose.
"Then why did Dad write that you know?""
"Because I heard the voice.""
Silence.
"The voice of the person who shot him.""
My skin turned cold.
"What did they say?""
My mother closed her eyes.
"Daniel.""
She looked at Captain Williams.
"It was Richard's voice.""
Nobody spoke.
Captain Williams looked like someone had punched him.
"No.""
My mother shook her head.
"I wanted to believe I was wrong.""
Williams took a step back.
"Evelyn...""
"I heard your voice outside that night.""
His face changed.
"But I never saw you.""
"I wasn't there to hurt him.""
"Then why did you sound like you were?""
Williams had no answer.
Harris looked between them.
"Richard.""
Captain Williams looked furious.
"Don't.""
"No.""
Harris stepped closer.
"All these years, you let everyone think Daniel died because of me.""
Williams's voice broke.
"I was trying to find out what happened.""
"While pretending you didn't know?""
The room exploded with accusations.
Everyone had something to say.
Everyone had something to hide.
And I was done listening.
I picked up the memory card from the box.
"Enough.""
Everyone stopped.
"My father left this.""
I held it up.
"And I'm going to hear what he wanted me to hear.""
Captain Williams looked worried.
"Sarah, we don't know what's on there.""
"Exactly.""
I found an old laptop in the house.
The screen flickered when I inserted the card.
A single video file appeared.
Created:
March 14, 1998.
The day before my father's disappearance.
I pressed play.
The screen showed my father.
Older than the pictures I remembered.
Tired.
But alive.
My heart broke.
"Sarah.""
His voice filled the room.
"If you are watching this, I failed.""
I covered my mouth.
"No...""
He continued.
"I need you to understand something. I never abandoned you.""
Tears fell down my face.
"I left because staying would have put you in danger.""
He looked directly into the camera.
Like he could see me.
"Your mother will blame herself.""
My mother started crying.
"Don't let her.""
A pause.
Then his expression became serious.
"There is someone inside law enforcement who has been helping criminals disappear.""
He leaned closer.
"I discovered the person.""
The screen flickered.
"Richard Williams.""
Captain Williams stepped backward.
Everyone stared at him.
My father continued.
"I don't believe Richard planned what happened. But he knows more than he admits.""
Williams whispered:
"No...""
The video continued.
"If Richard is with Sarah when she finds this, listen carefully.""
My heart stopped.
My father looked into the camera.
"Richard, if you failed me once, don't fail her.""
The room went silent.
Because even my father didn't sound like he hated him.
He sounded disappointed.
Then the final words appeared.
"Sarah, the person who pulled the trigger wasn't Richard.""
Everyone froze.
I looked at my mother.
My father continued.
"It was someone we both trusted.""
The screen went black.
For five seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the laptop restarted.
A new file appeared.
One we hadn't noticed.
No title.
No date.
Just one name.
EMILY.
Harris saw it.
His face changed.
"That's impossible.""
I looked at him.
"Why?""
May you like
Because his voice cracked when he answered.
"Because Emily Harris is the person who shot your father.""
