Chapter 4
I followed Detective Ellis into a small conference room.
Angela came with me.
Claire remained in the waiting area.
The detective placed a laptop on the table.
Before he opened the footage, he looked directly at me.
“Mr. Bennett, I need you to understand that this is still an active investigation.”
I nodded.
“Understood.”
He played the recording.
The image was grainy.
A dark sedan stopped near a convenience store at 9:18 p.m.
The driver's face wasn't clearly visible.
But the car matched Jada's.
A man exited the passenger side.
He wore a dark jacket and baseball cap.
He walked toward the store.
Minutes later, he hurried back to the vehicle.
The sedan sped away.
Ellis paused the recording.
“Recognize him?”
I leaned closer.
The man's face was partially covered.
But something about his posture seemed familiar.
Then he turned slightly.
I noticed a large silver watch on his left wrist.
My stomach tightened.
I had seen that watch before.
“Darius,” I whispered.
Ellis studied me.
“You know him?”
“Darius Cole. Jada's biological father.”
The detective nodded.
“We've identified him as a person of interest.”
Angela leaned forward.
“Do you have evidence identifying the driver?”
“Not yet.”
I stared at the screen.
There was no clear view of the driver's face.
Anyone could have been behind the wheel.
But I knew one thing.
Jada had told me Darius borrowed her car.
The footage supported part of her story.
It didn't prove everything.
But it mattered.
Angela asked whether the video had been preserved and whether other cameras covered the route.
Ellis confirmed that investigators were reviewing additional footage.
Then he said something unexpected.
“We also found evidence suggesting this robbery may be connected to a larger financial operation.”
I frowned.
“What operation?”
He hesitated.
“Possibly stolen merchandise and money laundering.”
The words made my stomach tighten.
Jada had delivered three packages for Darius.
Packages she claimed contained electronics.
I wondered what had really been inside them.
After the meeting, Angela returned to Jada.
I stepped outside with Claire.
She looked exhausted.
“What happened?”
I told her about the video.
Her face went pale.
“I knew Darius would ruin everything.”
I turned toward her.
“Claire, I need the entire truth.”
She wiped her cheeks.
“I've told you everything.”
“No. You told me what you thought I needed to know.”
She stared at me.
I continued.
“Darius contacted you six months ago. You paid him five thousand dollars. Then you hid it from me while our daughter was being manipulated.”
She looked away.
“I'm sorry.”
“I need more than an apology.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Why did he think threatening you would work?”
Claire went silent.
I stared at her.
“Is there something else?”
She began crying.
“Marcus, please.”
My heart sank.
“What?”
She looked toward the parking lot.
“Before I met you, Darius and I were involved in something.”
“What kind of something?”
She swallowed.
“Financial fraud.”
I stepped backward.
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Claire covered her face.
“I was young. I made terrible choices.”
“How serious?”
“We helped people open accounts using false information. Darius handled most of it.”
My legal instincts immediately recognized the significance.
“Were you ever charged?”
“No.”
“Did you participate knowingly?”
She hesitated.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
Fourteen years of marriage.
And I was discovering this in a police station parking lot.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I was ashamed.”
I laughed without humor.
“Claire, I'm a criminal defense attorney. I've spent my career helping people face the consequences of mistakes.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you think hiding this was better?”
She began crying harder.
“Because you were the best thing that ever happened to us. I was terrified you'd leave.”
I looked at her.
I loved Claire.
That hadn't disappeared.
But something fundamental had shifted.
She had made decisions that affected our daughter and our marriage without allowing me to understand the risks.
And now Jada was sitting inside a police station facing charges that could destroy her future.
“Did Darius threaten to expose your past?”
Claire nodded.
“That was why I paid him.”
I felt anger rise.
“He blackmailed you.”
“Yes.”
“Did you save that message too?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
I took a breath.
“We need to tell Angela.”
Claire looked frightened.
“Will I get arrested?”
“I don't know.”
She began crying.
“But hiding it now will only make things worse.”
We returned inside.
Angela listened carefully.
She advised Claire to obtain separate legal representation because her past involvement with Darius could create conflicts.
I agreed.
Then Angela turned toward me.
“Marcus, you need to stop trying to handle every part of this yourself.”
I looked at her.
“She is my wife.”
“And Jada is your daughter. That's exactly why you need professional distance.”
I nodded reluctantly.
Angela was right.
My emotions were interfering with my judgment.
That evening, Jada was transferred to a county detention facility while her attorneys prepared for a bond hearing.
I hated watching her walk away.
She looked back at me through the hallway.
“Dad?”
I stepped closer.
“Yes?”
“Are you going to be there tomorrow?”
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
Then she whispered, “I'm sorry I said you weren't my father.”
My throat tightened.
“We'll talk when this is over.”
She disappeared through the door.
Claire stood beside me.
For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Then my phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
I answered.
A man's voice spoke immediately.
“Marcus Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“This is Darius Cole.”
My blood ran cold.
He laughed softly.
“I hear you've been asking questions about me.”
I gripped the phone.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“What do you want?”
He paused.
May you like
Then he said something that made my heart stop.
“If you want Jada to stay out of prison, you'll do exactly what I say.”
