Chapter 14: The Truth About the Night Emily Died
Samuel Brooks lived in a small house outside Westbridge.
He was sixty-three, with a weathered face and a slight limp.
When Daniel and I arrived, he was waiting on his front porch.
He recognized the photograph immediately.
"That's her.""
I showed him Emily's picture.
"You're certain?""
Samuel nodded.
"I'll never forget that night.""
We sat in his living room.
He told us he had been driving home after finishing a delivery when he noticed two cars moving unusually fast along the old highway.
The first was Emily's blue sedan.
The second was a black SUV.
"At first, I thought they were racing," he said.
"Then I noticed the SUV kept getting close to her rear bumper.""
My hands tightened.
"Did it hit her?""
Samuel looked down.
"I saw the SUV move toward her. Her car swerved. Then she lost control.""
I couldn't breathe.
"What happened next?""
"She went off the road and hit a tree.""
"Did the SUV stop?""
Samuel shook his head.
"No. It slowed down for a moment. Then it drove away.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Did you see the driver?""
Samuel hesitated.
"I saw someone through the side window.""
"Who?""
He looked at me.
"Richard Sloan.""
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
"Are you absolutely certain?""
Samuel nodded.
"I'd seen him before. He owned a business near the delivery route. I recognized his face.""
"Why didn't you tell the police?""
"I did.""
Daniel opened his folder.
"The original report contains no mention of this statement.""
Samuel sighed.
"An officer came to my house two days later. He told me the case was being handled as a single-vehicle accident. He said I was probably mistaken because I hadn't seen the actual collision clearly.""
"Did you sign anything?""
"No.""
"Did anyone pressure you?""
Samuel looked toward the window.
"About a week later, a man came to my house. He said I should stop talking about what I'd seen.""
"Who?""
"I didn't know his name.""
"Can you describe him?""
Samuel closed his eyes.
"Scar beneath his left eye.""
Ethan Cole.
I looked at Daniel.
He wrote something down.
"Did you ever see the man again?""
Samuel nodded.
"At the hospital.""
My stomach tightened.
"What hospital?""
"The night Emily died. I went there because I couldn't stop thinking about the accident. I wanted to tell her family what I'd seen.""
He paused.
"But the man with the scar was standing outside her room.""
I remembered the photograph.
Ethan had a scar beneath his left eye.
I felt confused.
"Are you saying Ethan threatened you?""
Samuel looked surprised.
"Ethan?""
"You know his name?""
"I didn't know his name then. But I saw him later in the newspaper. He was the man who came to my house.""
Daniel and I exchanged glances.
Ethan had told us he worked for my father.
He had also claimed he had been trying to protect Emily.
But Samuel's account suggested he had been intimidating a witness.
"Did he speak to you at the hospital?"" Daniel asked.
Samuel nodded.
"He told me Emily's family didn't need any more trouble. He said if I wanted to keep my job, I should forget what I'd seen.""
I felt sick.
There were too many people hiding pieces of the truth.
When we left Samuel's house, I called Ethan.
He answered immediately.
"Marcus.""
"Did you visit Samuel Brooks?""
Silence.
"Who?""
"The delivery driver who witnessed Emily's accident.""
Ethan exhaled.
"Where did you get that name?""
"Did you threaten him?""
"No.""
"He says a man with your scar came to his house.""
Ethan was quiet.
Then he said, "I need to explain something.""
"Start talking.""
"I was investigating Richard at the time. Samuel had witnessed something important, but he refused to speak to the police. I went to his house to persuade him.""
"By threatening his job?""
"I was trying to keep him safe.""
"That's what everyone says.""
"Marcus, you don't understand. Richard had people everywhere. If Samuel had given a statement, he could have disappeared.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was ashamed of how I handled it.""
I ended the call.
Daniel looked at me.
"We need to verify everything before drawing conclusions.""
I nodded.
But one thing was certain.
Richard had been following Emily.
And someone had tried to silence the witness.
That evening, I returned home to find Margaret waiting in the living room.
She looked frightened.
"Marcus, I need to tell you something.""
I sat down.
"What happened?""
She placed a small envelope on the table.
"Your father gave me this after Emily died.""
I stared at it.
"Why didn't you give it to Daniel?""
"Because I only found it this morning. It was hidden inside the lining of an old suitcase.""
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten statement from my father.
I spoke to Richard after Emily's accident.
He admitted following her that night. He claimed he only wanted to talk.
I asked him why he didn't stop after she crashed.
He said he was afraid.
I looked up.
"Afraid of what?""
Margaret shook her head.
"The letter continues.""
I read the final paragraph.
Richard told me he saw another vehicle approaching after Emily's car left the road. He said he was not the only person following her.
I felt a chill.
"Another vehicle?""
Margaret nodded.
"Your father believed there was someone else involved.""
I looked at the letter.
Then my phone rang.
It was Daniel.
"Marcus, I need you to come to the office immediately.""
"What happened?""
"We received a call from Ethan Cole.""
"And?""
"He wants to make a formal statement. He's admitted that he concealed evidence from the original investigation.""
I stood.
"What evidence?""
Daniel's voice lowered.
"A photograph taken from a security camera near the accident scene.""
I drove to Daniel's office.
Ethan was already there.
He looked exhausted.
His hands trembled as he placed a small memory card on the desk.
"I should have given this to Robert years ago," he said.
I stared at him.
"What's on it?""
"Footage from a private security camera. It captured the highway entrance shortly before Emily's accident.""
Daniel inserted the card into a computer.
The video was grainy.
A blue sedan appeared first.
Emily's car.
A black SUV followed.
Then, approximately forty seconds later, another vehicle entered the frame.
A silver sedan.
The license plate was partially visible.
Daniel enlarged the image.
I recognized the vehicle.
It belonged to Patricia.
I stared at Ethan.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
He lowered his head.
"Because I thought she was following Richard to stop him.""
"Did she?""
Ethan shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Daniel paused the video.
The silver sedan disappeared around the same bend.
Less than a minute later, Emily's blue car was no longer visible.
Then the black SUV returned.
But it was driving alone.
Ethan spoke quietly.
"I believe Patricia was there that night.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
"Marcus, please don't trust Ethan.""
"Who is this?""
"It's Patricia.""
I looked at Daniel.
Patricia continued.
"Richard wasn't the only one following Emily. But if you think Ethan was trying to save her, you need to see what happened after the accident.""
"What happened?""
Her voice cracked.
"Your father paid him to destroy the original footage.""
I stared at Ethan.
He didn't move.
Patricia whispered one final sentence.
"And the second car wasn't following Emily to hurt her. It was following Richard because someone knew what he was planning.""
The call ended.
I looked at the memory card.
Then at Ethan.
"Tell me the truth.""
He closed his eyes.
"I didn't destroy the footage.""
"Then who did?""
Ethan slowly looked toward Daniel.
"Your father's former attorney.""
I felt my blood run cold.
The same attorney whose name appeared in Emily's financial records.
The same man who had handled the transfer of my father's property.
May you like
And suddenly, the mystery was no longer just about Richard Sloan.
It was about a network of people who had spent years making sure the truth never reached me.
