Chapter 8: The Brother Who Knew Too Much
The police separated everyone immediately.
Nobody was allowed to leave.
Not me.
Not Claire.
Not Ethan.
Not Vanessa.
The house that had once been filled with family memories had become a place where everyone was a suspect.
I sat in the living room while Detective Reed questioned Ethan.
Through the glass doors, I watched rain begin to fall over the backyard.
The same backyard where my father used to grill on Sundays.
The same backyard where Ethan and I played as children.
Now it felt like another lifetime.
“You never told me Dad was murdered,” I said when Ethan finally joined me.
He sat across from me.
“I tried.””
“When?””
“After the funeral.””
I stared at him.
“You called me once.””
“Yes.””
“And you said you needed to talk.””
He looked down.
“You never answered.””
I remembered that.
I remembered ignoring his calls.
I was angry.
My father had died.
Claire and I were struggling.
I didn’t want more problems.
“I thought you were asking for money.””
Ethan nodded.
“I know.””
The guilt in his voice bothered me.
“What happened?””
He took a deep breath.
“Dad found out someone was draining his accounts.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“Because everyone is afraid.””
He leaned closer.
“Daniel, Dad wasn’t a good man. You know that.””
I nodded.
“But he wasn’t stupid.””
“No.””
“He built that hidden room because he knew someone was coming after him.””
I looked toward the staircase.
“And Claire found it.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you help her?””
His face changed.
A flash of pain crossed his eyes.
“I tried.””
“When?””
“The night she disappeared.””
I stood.
“What?””
Ethan looked at me.
“I followed Dad’s instructions.””
My anger rose.
“My father’s instructions?””
“He left me a letter.””
I froze.
“What letter?””
Ethan looked toward Detective Reed.
Then back at me.
“The letter said if anything happened to him, I had to protect Claire.””
My hands tightened.
“Then why didn’t you?””
“Because I was too late.””
The room went quiet.
“Tell me.””
Ethan rubbed his face.
“I arrived here after Claire found the hidden room.””
Claire, sitting nearby, looked up.
“You were here?””
Ethan nodded.
“I saw you arguing with someone.””
Claire’s expression changed.
“Who?””
Ethan looked at her.
“I couldn’t see his face.””
“Then how do you know?””
“Because I heard his voice.””
My stomach tightened.
“Whose?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Your voice.””
Nobody spoke.
I laughed.
A nervous, broken laugh.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
“You think I attacked Claire?””
“No.””
“Then why say it?””
“Because someone wanted me to believe that.””
Detective Reed stepped closer.
“What happened next?””
Ethan looked at the floor.
“I saw Claire fall.””
Claire covered her mouth.
“I thought I was dead.””
Ethan nodded.
“Then someone hit me from behind.””
The room became colder.
“When I woke up, Claire was gone.””
“And you did nothing?””
“I looked.””
His voice cracked.
“For eighteen months, I looked.””
I wanted to believe him.
I did.
Because the alternative was too painful.
Then Vanessa entered the room.
She looked at Ethan.
“You should have told him earlier.””
Ethan turned.
“You should have too.””
I looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
Neither answered.
That was when I noticed something.
They weren’t looking at each other like strangers.
They looked like two people who had been carrying the same secret.
“What are you hiding?””
Vanessa sat down slowly.
“Daniel…”
“No.””
I pointed at both of them.
“Every person in my life knew something except me.””
My voice shook.
“My wife knew.””
“My brother knew.””
“You knew.””
I looked around the room.
“And I was the only idiot living in my own house.””
Claire stood.
“Daniel, that’s not fair.””
“Isn’t it?””
The hurt on her face stopped me.
But only for a second.
Because then Ethan said:
“There’s something else you need to know.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He pulled out a small envelope.
“The night Dad died, he left one final message.””
I took it.
The envelope had my name written across the front.
My father’s handwriting.
Inside was a single sentence.
*Daniel, the biggest mistake I ever made was trusting you.*
I stared at the words.
Then Ethan whispered:
“That’s why I came here.””
I looked up.
“Why?””
May you like
His face was pale.
“Because I think Dad knew something about you.””
