Chapter 7: The Last Person Who Saw Him Alive
Darius had spent eight years believing Naomi was the woman who saved him from heartbreak.
Now she stood in front of him, holding the key to his father's darkest secret, while his sixteen-year-old son might be in danger.
"Say that again," Darius demanded.
Naomi's fingers curled around the strap of her purse.
"I was the last person who saw your father alive.""
"You're telling me you were with my father the night he died?""
"Yes.""
"Why have you never mentioned that?""
"Because he asked me not to.""
Darius stared at her.
Behind them, Vivian hurried toward the greenhouse door, apparently eager to escape the confrontation. Tanya's voice crackled through his phone, still connected despite the interruption.
"Darius? What's happening? I heard you say something about Dad.""
He put the phone to his ear.
"Naomi says she was with him the night he died.""
Silence.
Then Tanya whispered, "Don't let her leave.""
Darius stepped away from the door, blocking Naomi's path.
"You're not going anywhere until you tell me everything.""
Naomi looked at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"Your father called me because he knew I loved you. He wanted me to convince you to stay away from the business for a few weeks.""
"Why?""
"He had discovered something about Martin Hale. Something involving money, forged documents, and a company registered under a false name.""
Darius glanced at the brass key in his hand.
"The safe-deposit box.""
Naomi nodded.
"He said the box contained proof that Martin had been stealing from your family for years. He also said Martin had arranged transactions that could destroy the company if they became public.""
"Why would my father trust you with that information?""
"He didn't trust me. He trusted my father, who had been his business partner for twenty years.""
Darius remembered the long dinners between their families, the holiday parties, and the way Naomi had always seemed to know what was happening inside his father's office.
She had been around long before Elena disappeared.
Long before the children were born.
"What happened that night?"" he asked.
Naomi looked toward the cracked glass ceiling.
"Your father was frightened. I'd never seen him frightened before. He told me Martin had threatened to expose financial irregularities in the company and blame everything on him.""
"Was my father involved?""
"He had approved some transactions without knowing where the money was going. By the time he discovered the truth, Martin had created enough false records to make it look as if your father was responsible.""
Darius felt sick.
"And then?""
Naomi swallowed.
"Your father gave me the key and asked me to hide it. He said if anything happened to him, I should make sure you opened the box.""
"Did he think someone would kill him?""
"He said he didn't trust Martin anymore.""
"That's not an answer.""
Naomi's face crumpled.
"He told me he was afraid he wouldn't live to see the end of the week.""
The greenhouse fell silent.
Darius stared at her, remembering his father's funeral eight years earlier. He remembered Naomi standing beside him, holding his hand as the casket descended into the ground.
She had cried harder than anyone.
He had interpreted those tears as grief.
Now he wondered what she had been grieving.
"Why didn't you tell the police?""
"I was twenty-four. I had no proof. And Martin told me that if I spoke, he'd make sure you went to prison for your father's crimes.""
"So you kept quiet.""
"Yes.""
"And then you helped him take my children.""
Naomi flinched.
"I didn't understand how far he was willing to go.""
"You knew enough to be afraid.""
"Yes.""
Darius stepped back, horrified by the simplicity of her answer.
His phone buzzed.
Tanya had sent a message.
*Police are on their way to the Hale property. Don't go alone.*
He showed Naomi.
She stared at the screen.
"You're involving the police?""
"My son is missing. What exactly do you expect me to do?""
Naomi grabbed his sleeve.
"If the police find the documents before we do, Martin's people will destroy the evidence.""
"Martin is dead.""
"His people aren't.""
Before Darius could respond, a car horn sounded outside.
Tanya had arrived.
She pushed through the greenhouse door, breathless, carrying a laptop bag.
"Where's Lucas?""
"At the old house, according to his phone call," Darius said.
"Someone interrupted us.""
Tanya opened her laptop on the wooden table.
"Then we need his last known location. I can send the recording and the messages to the police while we go.""
Naomi shook her head.
"You don't understand. The old house has a basement.""
Tanya looked up.
"What?""
"Martin used it to store documents. There was a separate entrance through the garage. If Lucas went looking for the recording, he might have found the files.""
Darius snatched up his car keys.
"Then we're going.""
Tanya caught his arm.
"We're not walking into a building where someone may be holding your son without a plan.""
"He's sixteen!""
"And he's still your son whether you reach him in five minutes or fifteen. Think!""
Darius stared at her, breathing hard.
Tanya softened her voice.
"Let the police secure the property. We'll give them everything we know.""
Naomi suddenly laughed.
Both siblings turned toward her.
"What's funny?"" Tanya demanded.
Naomi wiped her eyes.
"You think the police will save him? Martin spent years cultivating people who owed him favors. The last time I tried to report him, my complaint disappeared before it reached a detective.""
Tanya's expression hardened.
"Then we'll go above them.""
Naomi looked at Darius.
"There's one more thing you need to know about your father's death.""
Darius's patience snapped.
"What now?""
"He wasn't supposed to die that night.""
The words froze him.
Naomi reached into her purse and removed a folded piece of paper.
It was a photocopy of an old appointment calendar.
One entry had been circled in red.
*November 18 — 9:30 p.m. — Edward Cole.*
Beneath it, in a different handwriting, someone had written:
*Move the original before he gets there.*
Darius recognized the handwriting.
Martin Hale's.
His father's death certificate listed the time of death as 9:42 p.m.
Tanya covered her mouth.
"Oh, my God.""
Darius looked at Naomi.
"Where did you get this?""
"From Martin's office, the morning after your father died.""
"You had it for eight years?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because I was afraid.""
Darius stared at her, then folded the paper carefully.
He had no time to process the confession.
His son was missing.
His daughter was frightened.
Elena was dying.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it lay the truth about a death everyone had accepted as natural.
He headed toward the door.
Naomi called after him.
"Darius!""
He stopped without turning.
"If you find Lucas, don't tell him everything at once.""
"Why?""
"Because he believes his father was murdered by your family. And he has spent his entire life preparing to make you pay for it.""
Darius turned slowly.
"His father?""
Naomi's lips trembled.
"Martin Hale wasn't just the man who arranged his adoption.""
She looked at the brass key in Darius's hand.
"Martin was the man Lucas believed was his father.""
Tanya's phone rang.
She answered, listened for three seconds, and went pale.
"What is it?"" Darius demanded.
She lowered the phone.
"The police just arrived at the Hale property.""
"And?""
Tanya looked at him.
"They found the front door open. The basement door was locked from the outside.""
Darius felt his heart slam against his ribs.
"Did they find Lucas?""
May you like
Tanya shook her head.
"They found blood on the stairs.""
