Chapter 14: The Brother Who Came Back
The name Thomas Cole had haunted our family for nearly three decades.
My father's younger brother.
The man who supposedly helped him fight Richard.
The man who disappeared after the shooting.
The man whose car was later found at the bottom of a ravine.
Now Camille claimed he was alive.
Peter claimed the man who disappeared wasn't really Thomas.
And my mother looked as though she had just heard a ghost speak.
"Peter," I said, "explain.""
He rubbed his face.
"Your uncle Thomas had a twin.""
I stared at him.
"You're joking.""
"No.""
Peter explained that Thomas had a brother named Samuel who had been given up for adoption as an infant. Only a handful of relatives knew about him.
The brothers had reunited shortly before Michael's death.
Samuel had been working as an accountant for Richard's property business.
He discovered the fraudulent transfers and contacted Thomas.
"Why did nobody tell me?"" I asked.
"Because Samuel was the person Richard had been paying to monitor your father.""
I felt cold.
"So he was working for Richard?""
"At first. But he changed sides after he discovered what Richard intended to do.""
Peter paused.
"The night Michael died, Samuel was at the property. He wore Thomas's coat and drove Thomas's car afterward. Richard needed the police to believe Thomas had fled.""
I stared at him.
"Then whose body was found in the ravine?""
Peter looked down.
"Nobody could identify it. The vehicle had been burned, and Richard arranged for the investigation to close quickly.""
Jonathan stood.
"We need to locate Samuel.""
Peter nodded.
"I know where he is.""
The address led us to a small house outside the city.
It stood at the end of a narrow road, surrounded by trees.
Daniel insisted on coming despite his injury.
"You shouldn't be out of bed," I told him.
"I've spent twenty-seven years waiting for someone to tell the truth. I'm not missing this.""
We approached the front door together.
Peter knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
A curtain moved.
Then the door opened.
An elderly man stood in the doorway.
His hair was white.
His face was thinner than the photographs of Thomas I remembered.
But his eyes were familiar.
"Peter," he said.
Peter nodded.
"Samuel.""
The man looked at me.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he stepped aside.
"Come in.""
The house was filled with old newspapers, boxes, and photographs.
On the wall hung a framed picture of my father.
Samuel noticed me looking.
"Michael was a good man.""
I turned.
"Did you help kill him?""
He lowered his eyes.
"No.""
"Did you help Richard cover it up?""
He didn't answer.
"Then tell me what happened.""
Samuel sat down.
"I was working for Richard. I was young, ambitious, and foolish. He promised me a share of the company if I helped him identify weaknesses in the trust.""
"Did you?""
"Yes.""
He looked at Daniel.
"I gave him the original ownership records. I told him about the separate beneficiary accounts.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"You helped him steal from our father.""
"I did.""
Samuel's voice trembled.
"But when I discovered he intended to eliminate Michael, I tried to stop him.""
"Why didn't you call the police?""
"Because Richard had already arranged for me to be arrested for fraud. He had evidence prepared. If I went to the authorities, I would have been blamed for everything.""
I stepped closer.
"What happened the night Dad died?""
Samuel closed his eyes.
"Richard had invited Michael to the property. He said he wanted to negotiate. But when Michael arrived, Richard demanded the original trust agreement.""
"And Dad refused.""
"Yes.""
Samuel looked at me.
"Then Richard pulled the gun.""
I felt my fists tighten.
"Did he shoot him?""
Samuel nodded.
"I tried to stop him. Thomas did too. But Richard fired before either of us could reach him.""
"Where was my mother?""
"She was outside the office. She heard the argument and came in after the shot.""
I swallowed.
"Who took Dad away?""
"Peter and Thomas.""
"Why did Peter say Thomas was dead?""
Samuel looked at him.
"Because Thomas died that night.""
The room went silent.
I stared at Samuel.
"What?""
"Richard shot him too.""
Peter's eyes filled.
"Thomas pushed Michael out of the way when Richard fired again. The bullet struck Thomas.""
I felt sick.
"Then who escaped in Thomas's car?""
"Me.""
Samuel lowered his head.
"Richard ordered me to take the car and disappear. He wanted the police to believe Thomas had run away. I agreed because he threatened my children.""
I looked at him.
"And you stayed hidden?""
"For years.""
"While my mother lived in fear?""
Samuel nodded.
"Yes.""
"While Daniel was attacked?""
"Yes.""
"While Richard stole our father's company?""
Samuel began crying.
"Yes.""
I stepped back.
"Then you're not innocent.""
"No," he whispered.
"I'm not.""
He reached beneath the table and removed a metal box.
Inside were documents, photographs, and a small cassette recorder.
"I kept everything.""
He handed me a folder.
"These are the original transfers. Richard's instructions. The names of the people he paid. And the documents proving he altered the accident report.""
Jonathan opened the folder.
His expression changed.
"These are substantial.""
Samuel nodded.
"But there's one more thing.""
He removed a photograph.
It showed Richard standing beside a woman outside a courthouse.
The woman was young.
Her face was familiar.
I leaned closer.
It was Camille.
Samuel placed another photograph beside it.
This one showed Richard handing a sealed envelope to a police officer.
"Camille wasn't just helping Richard," Samuel said.
"She was reporting to him.""
I stared at the images.
"She was his informant?""
"Yes. But after Daniel disappeared, she began working against him.""
"Why?""
Samuel looked at me.
"Because she discovered that Richard intended to take her daughter away.""
Daniel stood.
"Sophie?""
Samuel nodded.
"Richard wanted to use the girl to force Camille to remain loyal. He threatened to expose her role in the fraud and have her arrested if she ever cooperated with Daniel.""
Daniel looked devastated.
"Where is Sophie now?""
Samuel hesitated.
"She was taken from Camille's apartment three days ago.""
My blood ran cold.
"Taken by whom?""
Samuel slid a final document across the table.
It was a flight itinerary.
A private charter had been booked under Margaret Holdings.
Destination: an airfield in northern Michigan.
Passenger name: Sophie Lawson.
I looked at Daniel.
He was already reaching for his phone.
"That's my daughter.""
Jonathan took the itinerary.
"We need to contact the authorities immediately.""
But my phone rang before he could finish.
Camille.
I answered.
"Where is Sophie?""
Her voice was frantic.
"Adrian, listen carefully. Richard has her.""
"Where?""
"I don't know exactly. But he's taking her somewhere tonight.""
"Why?""
"Because she has the one thing he still needs.""
"What thing?""
Camille began sobbing.
"The original trust agreement. She found it in my apartment.""
I looked at Jonathan.
He was already calling the police.
"Camille, why would Sophie have that?""
"Because I gave it to her.""
I froze.
"You stole it from the bank.""
"No. I took a copy. The original was never in the safety deposit box.""
"Then where is it?""
Camille whispered:
"Inside the sewing machine your mother has used for thirty years.""
I turned toward Evelyn's empty chair.
The sewing machine.
The same place she had hidden the documents Thomas brought her after my father's death.
Camille continued.
"Your mother doesn't know what she has. But Richard does now.""
A car engine roared through the phone.
Then a man's voice shouted.
"Get in!""
Camille screamed.
The call disconnected.
I looked at Jonathan.
"Get the police to the airfield.""
Daniel was already moving toward the door.
I followed.
May you like
Because after twenty-seven years, my family had finally found the truth.
And now Richard was trying to bury it with the last person who could prove it.
