Chapter 5: The Man at the Front Door
I ran.
I didn't wait for Mr. Bennett.
I didn't wait for Claire.
I ran down the hallway, past the family portraits, and toward the front entrance.
The housekeeper, Mrs. Collins, was standing beside the door with a confused expression.
"Miss Maya, there's a gentleman asking for you.""
I reached for the handle.
Mr. Bennett caught up with me.
"Slowly, Maya. Let me see who it is first.""
"I know who it is.""
He studied my face, then nodded to Mrs. Collins.
She unlocked the door.
A man stood on the porch.
He was tall, but his shoulders were slightly bent. His dark hair had turned mostly gray, and there were deep lines around his eyes.
He wore a navy coat over a simple white shirt.
In one hand, he held a photograph.
The same photograph I had seen in my grandfather's study.
My mother.
Except this time, she was standing beside him.
The man looked at me.
His lips trembled.
"Maya.""
I stared at him.
I had imagined this moment so many times that I had stopped believing it would ever happen.
"What do you want?""
His expression crumpled.
"To see my daughter.""
I laughed, but it came out sounding like a sob.
"You've had sixteen years.""
"I know.""
"You knew where I lived?""
"Not always.""
"You came here last summer?""
He nodded.
"Your grandfather invited me. I wanted to meet you, but he said we needed to resolve something first.""
"What?""
He looked over my shoulder.
His expression changed.
"Daniel.""
My uncle had appeared at the end of the hallway.
"Get off this property," Daniel said.
Thomas didn't move.
"I came to speak to Maya.""
"You have no business here.""
"Actually, I do.""
Thomas lifted the photograph.
Daniel's eyes went straight to it.
"Put that away.""
I stepped between them.
"Stop talking like I'm not here!""
Both men looked at me.
I turned toward Thomas.
"Why didn't you come to see me when Mom died?""
He lowered his eyes.
"Because I was told you had been placed in protective custody and that any attempt to contact you would put you in danger.""
"Who told you that?""
"Your grandfather.""
I frowned.
"Grandpa?""
"He believed Daniel had people watching the family. He said your mother had left evidence that could put several powerful people in prison. He didn't want me to approach you until he knew who he could trust.""
I looked toward Daniel.
"Is that true?""
"He's lying.""
Thomas shook his head.
"I have the letters, Daniel.""
Daniel's face tightened.
"What letters?""
"The ones you sent Evelyn.""
A terrible silence followed.
Thomas reached inside his coat and removed a small envelope.
"I kept everything.""
Mr. Bennett stepped forward.
"Mr. Reed, may I see those?""
Thomas handed him the envelope.
Inside were several photocopied letters, each bearing Daniel's signature.
The first was dated two weeks before my mother's accident.
It contained a single paragraph.
Evelyn,
You have no idea what you've started. Give me the documents and stop interfering. If you involve Dad, you will regret it.
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Daniel.
"Did you write this?""
He didn't answer.
Thomas pulled another letter from the envelope.
"This one was delivered the night before she died.""
Mr. Bennett read it aloud.
"You have until midnight. After that, I won't be responsible for what happens.""
My throat tightened.
"Did you threaten my mother?""
Daniel rubbed his face.
"Those letters are out of context.""
Thomas stepped closer.
"Then explain the context.""
"She was trying to ruin my life!""
"She was your sister!""
"She was destroying everything Dad had built!""
The words burst out of him.
Claire covered her mouth.
I stared at my uncle.
For the first time, he wasn't pretending to be the concerned family member who had taken me in after my grandfather's death.
He looked like someone who had finally lost control of a carefully constructed lie.
Mr. Bennett placed the letters back in the envelope.
"These will need to be preserved and examined.""
Daniel turned toward him.
"You can't use private family correspondence as evidence.""
"I can preserve documents that may be relevant to a suspected crime.""
Thomas looked at me.
"There's something else.""
He reached into his coat again and removed a small silver locket.
My breath caught.
I recognized it immediately.
I had seen it in photographs of my mother.
"She wore that every day," I whispered.
Thomas nodded.
"She gave it to me the night before the accident.""
He opened the locket.
Inside was a tiny photograph of my mother holding me as a baby.
On the other side was a folded strip of paper.
My name was written on it.
Maya.
Thomas handed it to me.
I unfolded the paper.
There were only a few words.
If Daniel ever tells you I abandoned you, remember that he was the one who made sure I couldn't come home.
I looked up.
"What does that mean?""
Thomas's eyes filled.
"Your mother was trying to leave the country with you. She believed Daniel was arranging to have you taken away from her.""
My chest tightened.
"Why?""
"Because she had discovered that someone had used your identity to open financial accounts. Accounts connected to the family company.""
I looked toward Mr. Bennett.
He was already writing something down.
Thomas continued.
"She wanted to report it. But before she could, her car was sabotaged.""
Claire suddenly spoke.
"I know who did it.""
Every head turned.
Daniel stared at her.
"Claire, don't.""
She stepped toward me.
"I was there when Evelyn called for help. I knew she was frightened. I knew Daniel had threatened her.""
"Then why didn't you help her?"" I asked.
Claire began crying.
"Because I was afraid of him.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You let Mom die because you were afraid?""
"I thought he was bluffing. I thought he would never actually hurt his own sister.""
Thomas closed his eyes.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Claire reached into her handbag and removed a small black notebook.
"I took this from Daniel's office the week after Evelyn died.""
Daniel lunged toward her.
Mr. Bennett immediately stepped between them.
Claire held the notebook against her chest.
"I kept it because I knew one day this would happen.""
Daniel's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Give it to me.""
"No.""
She opened the notebook and handed it to me.
The first page contained a list of bank transfers.
The second contained several names.
And on the third page was a handwritten entry dated the day before my mother's accident.
*Payment confirmed. Vehicle inspection bypassed. E.H. will not reach the meeting.*
My hands went cold.
E.H.
Evelyn Hayes.
I looked at Daniel.
He was staring at the notebook as if it were a loaded weapon.
"Who made that payment?"" I whispered.
Claire turned the page.
At the bottom was a signature.
Not Daniel's.
Not Claire's.
May you like
It belonged to someone whose name I had never expected to see.
My grandfather.
Related Stories
