Chapter 7
I read the sentence five times.
If anything happens to me, please keep Maya away from Marcus Reed.
The words didn't change.
I looked at Grandma.
"Did Dad send you this?"
She took the phone.
Her expression slowly changed.
"I've never seen this letter."
"Who sent it?"
The email address contained only a first name.
Leonard.
Grandma's eyes narrowed.
"Leonard Price."
I remembered.
Dad's former business partner.
The man Grandma had mentioned to Detective Mitchell.
I showed the email to him before touching anything else.
He asked us to forward it to an official evidence address and avoid contacting the sender without speaking to him first.
Denise agreed.
But I couldn't stop thinking about those words.
My father had known Marcus was dangerous.
And years later, Marcus had married my mother.
That night, I barely slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined Dad sitting at a desk writing the warning.
Had he been frightened?
Had he suspected someone was stealing from him?
Had he known Marcus would someday come near us again?
By morning, I was exhausted.
But there was news.
Detective Mitchell had located Leonard Price.
He was living in Virginia.
He had agreed to speak with investigators.
He also confirmed that he had sent the letter.
When I asked whether I could speak to him, Detective Mitchell suggested arranging it with Denise present.
Two days later, Leonard joined us by video call.
He was in his sixties, with tired eyes and a voice that shook when he mentioned my father.
"Daniel was a good man," he said.
I sat very still.
"Then why didn't you tell us about Marcus?"
Leonard lowered his head.
"Because I was ashamed."
He explained that Marcus had worked as an outside contractor for Redbrook Freight.
He was charming.
Ambitious.
And very good at convincing people that every financial problem could be solved by borrowing more money.
Dad eventually discovered irregular transactions.
He confronted Marcus and insisted on an independent review of the accounts.
"Marcus said Daniel was destroying the company," Leonard explained.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Daniel left. He wanted his investment returned."
"Did Marcus threaten him?"
Leonard hesitated.
"They argued."
I leaned forward.
"About what?"
"Money. Records. Who was responsible for the missing funds."
Grandma spoke.
"And the letter?"
Leonard looked miserable.
"Daniel drafted it after finding out Marcus had collected private information about his family. He wanted me to deliver it if Marcus ever contacted Claire or Maya."
I felt sick.
"Why didn't you?"
"Because after Daniel died, Marcus disappeared. I convinced myself it no longer mattered."
I gripped the edge of the table.
"It mattered to me."
Leonard wiped his face.
"I know."
He explained that he had recently seen Marcus's name connected to another questionable business venture.
When he learned Marcus had married Claire, he started looking for a way to warn us.
Then he discovered public records showing someone was attempting to use the house as collateral.
"That's when I knew I couldn't stay quiet."
I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.
"Did Marcus have anything to do with my father's accident?"
Leonard was silent.
Then he looked directly at me.
"I don't know, Maya."
The words hurt.
But at least he didn't lie.
"I do know your father had been reviewing the company's financial records. He had evidence of missing money."
Grandma leaned closer.
"Where is that evidence?"
Leonard looked uneasy.
"Daniel kept copies."
"Where?"
"I don't know. But he told me once that if anything happened to him, the records would be somewhere nobody would think to search."
I stared at him.
"Where?"
Leonard gave a sad smile.
"He said, 'The safest place is the place I built for my little girl.'"
My heart skipped.
My father had built something for me?
Grandma suddenly stood.
"The bookshelf."
I turned.
"What?"
"The bookshelf in your bedroom."
I remembered the tall wooden bookshelf beside my window.
My father had made it himself when I was six.
It had followed us from our old apartment into the house Grandma purchased.
For years, I had kept my schoolbooks and trophies on it.
Grandma was already reaching for her purse.
"Daniel always said there was a secret in the woodwork."
I almost laughed.
"He told me that too."
When I was little, Dad used to tap the side of the bookshelf and say, "Every great story has a hidden chapter."
I thought it was a joke.
Maybe it wasn't.
We contacted Detective Mitchell and explained what Leonard had said.
He arranged to meet us at the house.
Claire opened the front door when we arrived.
She looked nervous.
But she stepped aside without arguing.
My bedroom was exactly as I had left it.
The balloons from my birthday were still visible through the open doorway downstairs.
I tried not to look at them.
The detective examined the bookshelf with our permission.
Grandma pointed to a decorative wooden panel near the bottom.
Dad had carved three tiny stars into it.
I touched them.
He used to tell me they represented our family.
Mom.
Dad.
Me.
The panel shifted under my fingers.
I froze.
Detective Mitchell carefully helped remove it.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside sat a sealed plastic envelope.
I started crying before anyone opened it.
My father had placed it there.
He had left something behind for me.
The detective documented the discovery and opened the envelope.
Inside were financial records, a small notebook, and a USB drive.
There was also a handwritten note.
For Maya, when she's ready.
The detective turned the page over.
Another sentence appeared.
If Marcus Reed ever returns, the truth is in these records.
I looked toward the bedroom door.
Claire stood there, shaking.
Then she whispered something I hadn't expected.
"I remember that notebook."
Everyone turned.
She swallowed.
"Daniel showed it to me before he died."
Grandma stared at her.
"Claire?"
My mother's eyes filled.
"He told me Marcus had stolen money."
My breath caught.
May you like
She covered her mouth.
"And I told him to stop making trouble."
