Chapter 8
I couldn't move.
Daniel closed the door behind him.
Natalie pulled Sophie closer.
“How did you get inside?”
Daniel smiled.
“Your father gave me a key years ago.”
I stared at him.
“You knew about the hidden rooms.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Natalie.”
He hesitated.
“I knew she was missing.”
“You knew she was under this house.”
“I suspected.”
My anger exploded.
“You suspected?”
Daniel looked at Natalie.
“I tried to help.”
She shook her head.
“You never contacted me.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because they were watching me too.”
I stepped closer.
“Who?”
Daniel looked toward the ceiling.
“Your father's enemies.”
“That tells me nothing.”
He sighed.
“Your father discovered a network of people moving money through several companies.”
“Marcus?”
“Marcus was only one part.”
“Vanessa?”
“Another.”
“And you?”
Daniel looked directly at me.
“I tried to stop it.”
I didn't trust him.
“Then why did you disappear after Dad died?”
“Because I thought I would be next.”
He pulled a folder from his coat.
Inside were photographs.
Bank statements.
Names.
Dates.
My father's handwriting.
“This is the full investigation,” Daniel said.
I looked through the pages.
The name Raymond Cole appeared repeatedly.
Then another name.
A company.
And beneath it, the name of the company's owner.
I stared.
It was Daniel's name.
My blood went cold.
“You owned this company.”
“Yes.”
“You moved money through it.”
“Yes.”
Natalie stepped forward.
“Then you're part of it.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I created the company to track them.”
“Why should we believe you?”
He looked at me.
“Because your father trusted me.”
“That doesn't mean anything anymore.”
Daniel pulled out a recording.
“Listen.”
He played it.
My father's voice filled the room.
“Daniel, if Owen ever finds this, tell him I didn't trust the police.”
Daniel's voice answered.
“Why?”
“Because someone inside is protecting them.”
The recording continued.
“If I die, keep Sophie safe.”
I closed my eyes.
Another piece of the puzzle.
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father knew he was in danger.”
“Why didn't he tell me?”
“Because he wanted you far away.”
I looked at Sophie.
My daughter was watching us.
I couldn't let her hear any more.
I sent her upstairs with Natalie.
Then I turned back to Daniel.
“Who killed him?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Raymond was supposed to protect him.”
“But he didn't.”
“Because someone paid him.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“I never proved it.”
I slammed my hand against the table.
“Who?”
He whispered, “A man named Harold.”
I froze.
Harold was the former chief financial officer of my father's company.
He had vanished after the funeral.
The detective had mentioned his name once.
I hadn't thought about him since.
Daniel continued.
“Harold paid Raymond.”
“With whose money?”
“Yours.”
My heart stopped.
“My money?”
“The money Marcus stole.”
Everything connected.
Marcus stole it.
Vanessa helped hide it.
Harold used it to pay Raymond.
Raymond allowed my father to die.
But there was still one missing piece.
“Why?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father was about to expose all of them.”
I stared at the files.
Then I heard a crash upstairs.
Natalie screamed.
I ran.
Sophie was standing in the hallway.
Natalie was on the floor.
A man in black was grabbing her.
I lunged at him.
He shoved me into the wall.
Daniel rushed forward.
The attacker ran.
I chased him downstairs.
The front door slammed.
By the time I reached the foyer, he was gone.
Natalie was holding Sophie.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
But her face was pale.
Then she pointed toward the floor.
A small device was lying near the door.
A recording device.
It was still blinking.
Daniel picked it up.
“They wanted us to hear something.”
He pressed play.
A man's voice came through.
“Owen, if you want your family safe, stop looking.”
I stared at the device.
Then another voice followed.
Harold.
“You've already lost enough.”
The recording ended.
Natalie whispered, “They're threatening us.”
I looked at my family.
“No.”
I picked up the device.
“They're scared.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Scared of what?”
May you like
I held up the evidence.
“The truth.”
