Chapter 11: The Secret Inside The Secret
I stared at the message until the words blurred.
“She still doesn’t know the truth.””
Six words.
But they felt like a warning.
Or a threat.
“Dad?””
I looked at Lily.
She was watching my face carefully.
“What does it say?””
I folded the paper immediately.
“Nothing you need to worry about.””
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She had learned too much for an eight-year-old.
“You’re lying.””
The words hurt because they were true.
I sat beside her.
“I’m trying to protect you.””
She looked away.
“Everybody says that.””
That sentence stayed with me.
Because everyone in Lily’s life had used those words.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect.
And somehow, protection had become another word for keeping secrets.
“I promise I won’t hide the truth from you anymore,” I said.
She looked at me.
“Promise?””
“Promise.””
I showed her the note.
She read it quietly.
“I don’t know who wrote that.””
“Me neither.””
She looked toward the teddy bear.
“Maybe the recorder has more.””
I hesitated.
The police had taken the other recordings.
But they had returned the teddy bear.
The last recording hadn’t been reviewed yet.
I picked up the recorder.
Emily walked into the room.
“What are you doing?””
“Finding answers.””
She looked worried.
“Daniel…”
“I need to know.””
She nodded slowly.
“Then I’m staying.””
We pressed play.
Static.
Then silence.
Then a voice.
Not Lily.
Not Vanessa.
A man.
“You need to listen carefully.””
I recognized it immediately.
Michael.
The recording continued.
“If anything happens to me, Daniel needs to know.””
My heart started racing.
“When was this recorded?””
Emily whispered.
I ignored her.
Michael’s voice continued.
“Vanessa thinks she knows everything. She doesn’t.””
A pause.
“There is one thing she never found.””
The recording crackled.
“A second file.””
I looked at Lily.
“A second file?””
The voice continued.
“It proves what really happened the night Vanessa’s mother died.””
Then the recording stopped.
That was it.
No explanation.
No location.
No clue.
Just a message left behind.
Emily looked at me.
“Michael recorded this?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
I checked the file information.
My blood ran cold.
“Three months ago.””
Emily stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because Michael wasn’t supposed to be alive.””
The room went silent.
I looked at her.
“What?””
She hesitated.
“I searched his name after he came here.””
“And?””
“He was listed as deceased.””
My skin turned cold.
“Since when?””
Emily swallowed.
“Two years ago.””
I stood up.
“That’s impossible. He was standing in my house.””
“Exactly.””
I grabbed my phone.
I called Michael.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then a message arrived.
From Michael.
*Don’t trust the man who came to your house.*
My heart stopped.
I read it again.
The man who came to your house.
I looked around.
Emily.
Lily.
Rachel.
Nobody spoke.
“What does that mean?”” Emily asked.
I didn’t answer.
Because suddenly one question entered my mind.
If Michael was dead…
Who had been standing in front of me?
I found Rachel downstairs.
She was sitting alone.
“Where is Michael?””
She looked up.
“He left.””
“Where?””
She hesitated.
“Daniel…”
“Where?””
Her face changed.
“I don’t know.””
I stared at her.
“You knew him.””
“Yes.””
“You worked for Vanessa.””
“Yes.””
“And you expect me to believe you don’t know where he went?””
Rachel stood.
“Daniel, listen to me.””
“No.””
My voice was sharper than I intended.
“Everyone keeps telling me to listen.””
She went quiet.
I pulled out my phone.
I showed her the message.
Her face drained.
“That’s impossible.””
“You said that a lot tonight.””
Rachel looked terrified.
“Michael died.””
“Who was he?””
She looked toward the stairs.
At Lily’s room.
Then whispered:
“Someone pretending to be him.””
My heart sank.
“Then who?””
May you like
Rachel slowly said:
“The person Vanessa was afraid of.””
