Chapter 9: The Night My Father Died
I drove back to my mother's house with Robert beside me.
Neither of us spoke.
My brother's confession played over and over in my head.
He had been there the night our father died.
And my mother had been there too.
When I arrived, Patricia was sitting beside my mother's bed.
My mother was awake.
She looked at my face and immediately understood.
"Daniel told you.""
I pulled a chair beside her.
"Yes.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Marcus, I wanted to tell you.""
"Then tell me now.""
She looked toward the window.
"Your father and Daniel argued that night.""
"About the money?""
"Yes.""
"How much was Daniel involved?""
My mother closed her eyes.
"Richard had convinced him to approve several transfers. Daniel believed the money was going into a legitimate investment.""
"Did he know Richard was stealing?""
"Not at first.""
"And when he found out?""
"He tried to hide it.""
I stood up.
"Why?""
"Because Richard told him he would report him. He said Daniel would go to prison.""
"So Daniel helped him cover it up?""
My mother nodded.
I paced across the room.
"Mom, Dad knew?""
"He found the missing records. He confronted Daniel first.""
"Then what?""
My mother began crying.
"Daniel begged him not to tell anyone. Your father told him he would help him, but only if he admitted everything.""
I turned.
"Did Daniel agree?""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Richard had promised to protect him.""
I shook my head.
"Protect him from what?""
"From the consequences.""
I sat down again.
"What happened that night?""
My mother took a long breath.
"Your father came home around eight. He was carrying a folder. He told me he had spoken to his attorney and was going to report Richard in the morning.""
I listened without interrupting.
"Daniel arrived shortly after nine. They argued in the study. I heard your father say he would rather lose the company than allow another family to suffer because of Richard.""
My mother wiped her eyes.
"Then I heard a crash.""
My heart pounded.
"What kind of crash?""
"A glass hitting the floor.""
"Did you go inside?""
"Yes.""
She stared at her hands.
"Your father was standing beside the desk. Daniel was holding his arm.""
I felt sick.
"What was Daniel doing?""
"He was trying to stop him from leaving.""
My mother swallowed.
"Your father told Daniel to let go.""
"And?""
"He fell.""
I stared at her.
"Fell?""
"His chest hurt. He couldn't breathe properly. Daniel called Richard instead of calling an ambulance.""
I stood so quickly that the chair scraped backward.
"He called Richard?""
My mother nodded.
"Richard arrived before the ambulance.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Why would he do that?""
"He told Daniel that if the police came, they would discover everything. He said your father had probably suffered another heart episode and that there was nothing anyone could do.""
My hands trembled.
"Did anyone call emergency services?""
My mother lowered her head.
"Eventually.""
"Eventually?""
"Richard made Daniel wait.""
The room became unbearably quiet.
I looked at my mother.
"How long?""
She began crying harder.
"Twenty-three minutes.""
I couldn't breathe.
Twenty-three minutes.
My father had been struggling to breathe while the two people he trusted most argued over what to do.
"Did Dad survive if they'd called immediately?""
My mother shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"Did the doctors know about the delay?""
"No.""
I backed away.
"Why did you keep this secret?""
"Richard threatened us.""
"With what?""
"He said Daniel would be arrested. He said the company would collapse. He said you and Lily would lose everything.""
I stared at her.
"So you protected Daniel?""
"I was trying to protect both my sons.""
I felt tears burning behind my eyes.
"Mom, you let me believe Dad died peacefully.""
She reached for my hand.
"I know.""
"You let me stand at his funeral and tell everyone how grateful I was that he didn't suffer.""
Her face crumpled.
"Marcus...""
"You knew he might have been saved.""
She began sobbing.
I turned away.
For several minutes, I couldn't look at her.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
"Why did you wait twenty-three minutes?""
His breathing was ragged.
"Marcus, please listen.""
"Why?""
"I panicked.""
"You called Richard instead of an ambulance.""
"He told me he would handle it.""
"He let Dad die.""
Daniel began crying.
"I didn't know what else to do.""
"You were thirty-two years old!""
"I know!""
"You were his son!""
"I know!""
His voice broke.
Then he said something that made me stop pacing.
"Marcus, I have the original recording.""
I froze.
"What?""
"The complete recording from that night.""
"Where?""
"At my house.""
"Why didn't you give it to the police?""
"Because it proves I was there.""
I closed my eyes.
"Daniel, it already proves that.""
"No. You don't understand.""
"What don't I understand?""
He lowered his voice.
"The recording contains Richard admitting that he deliberately delayed the ambulance.""
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Then send it to me.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because Richard has it too.""
I stared at the phone.
"How?""
"Vanessa gave him the copy.""
I felt a cold wave move through me.
"Vanessa has been working with Richard?""
Daniel didn't answer.
"Daniel!""
He finally spoke.
"Marcus, she wasn't just helping him steal the jewelry.""
I gripped the phone.
"What else did she do?""
"She was the one who contacted Richard the night Dad died.""
I couldn't speak.
My wife had helped cover up the circumstances surrounding my father's death.
But Daniel wasn't finished.
"There's one more thing.""
"What?""
"Richard didn't just want Dad's company.""
I heard a door close on Daniel's end.
Then he whispered:
"He wanted Mom's signature on something that night. Dad refused to give it to him.""
"What document?""
Daniel took a shaky breath.
"The original deed to the family property.""
I looked toward my mother.
She was watching me with tears streaming down her face.
Daniel continued.
"And Marcus, there's a reason Richard has been trying to get that house for eight years.""
"What reason?""
"Your father discovered something beneath the property. Something worth far more than the house itself.""
Before I could ask another question, the call disconnected.
I stood motionless.
Then my mother reached toward the bedside table.
Her fingers shook as she pulled out a folded photograph.
It showed my father standing in front of our family home.
Behind him was a small wooden building that had been demolished years earlier.
My mother turned the photograph over.
On the back, my father had written:
*THE ORIGINAL RECORDS ARE UNDER THE FOUNDATION.*
I stared at the words.
Then I noticed something else.
A date.
The day before my father's death.
May you like
And beneath the date, in my mother's handwriting, were five words:
*Richard already knows about Lily.*
