Chapter 5: The Last Person
The celebration had completely fallen apart.
Graduation music still played faintly from the speakers, cheerful and absurd against the silence surrounding Kiara's family.
She kept staring at the photograph.
“The building,” she said.
“Where is it?””
Darnell shook his head.
“It doesn't matter.””
“It matters to me.””
“Kiara, you're not going anywhere.””
“You don't get to tell me that.””
Darnell stepped in front of her.
“I know what you're feeling.””
“No, you don't.””
“I spent twenty-two years trying to keep you safe.””
“From my own father?””
“From what happened to him.””
Kiara's expression hardened.
“Then tell me what happened.””
Darnell looked at Rochelle.
She wouldn't meet his eyes.
Andre folded his arms.
“You're running out of places to hide.””
Darnell glared at him.
“You don't know anything about this family.””
Andre answered quietly.
“I know enough to know that every answer today comes with another lie.””
Kiara looked between them.
“I'm done.””
She turned and walked toward the parking lot.
Rochelle followed.
“Kiara, please.””
Kiara stopped.
“Tell me where that building is.””
Rochelle shook her head.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because Calvin wasn't alone that night.””
Kiara slowly turned.
“Who was with him?””
Rochelle's eyes filled with tears.
“I don't know.””
Darnell snapped, “That's not true.””
Rochelle looked at him.
“You want to tell her?””
Darnell went silent.
Kiara stepped closer.
“You know who was with him?””
Darnell rubbed his forehead.
“I know who Calvin called.””
“Who?””
Darnell looked at Andre.
Andre's expression changed.
“Why are you looking at me?””
Darnell said nothing.
Kiara's eyes widened.
“You called him?””
Andre shook his head.
“No.””
“Then why is he looking at you?””
“I don't know.””
Darnell finally spoke.
“Calvin called Andre the night he disappeared.””
Everyone froze.
Andre's mouth opened.
“That never happened.””
“He called you from my phone.””
“I never spoke to him.””
“You did.””
Andre shook his head violently.
“No. I was out of state.””
“Then why did your number appear on my phone?””
Andre stared at him.
“You still have the records?””
Darnell nodded.
“I kept everything.””
Kiara's voice dropped.
“Where?””
Darnell reached into his blazer.
He pulled out a small, worn leather wallet.
From inside came a folded piece of paper.
Kiara opened it.
A handwritten phone number.
A date.
A time.
And beneath it:
*11:47 P.M. — CALLED CALVIN.*
Kiara looked at Andre.
“You talked to him.””
Andre's face had gone rigid.
“I don't remember.””
“You don't remember?””
“It was twenty-two years ago.””
Darnell laughed without humor.
“You remembered enough to disappear the next morning.””
Andre's head snapped toward him.
“What did you just say?””
“You heard me.””
Rochelle stepped between them.
“Stop.””
Kiara's hands shook.
“Mom, why did Andre disappear?””
Rochelle whispered, “Because he was scared.””
“Of what?””
“Of Calvin.””
Andre looked at Rochelle.
“You told me Calvin was going to kill me.””
Kiara stared at him.
“What?””
Andre's eyes widened as he realized what he had said.
Rochelle closed her eyes.
Darnell whispered, “So you do remember.””
Andre stepped backward.
“I didn't hurt him.””
Kiara's voice cracked.
“Did you?””
“No.””
“Did you kill my father?””
“No!””
The shout echoed across the celebration.
Andre's eyes filled with tears.
“I swear to you, Kiara, I didn't.””
Darnell watched him carefully.
“Then why did you leave?””
Andre looked down.
“Because Calvin told me something.””
“What?””
Andre shook his head.
“I can't.””
Kiara stepped closer.
“You owe me.””
Andre finally looked at her.
“He told me your mother wasn't telling the truth about your birth.””
Kiara's breathing stopped.
“You knew?””
“I knew something was wrong.””
“How long?””
“Since before you were born.””
Kiara's face crumpled.
“Then why did everyone keep lying?””
Andre looked at Rochelle.
“Because she asked us to.””
Rochelle whispered, “I was afraid.””
“Of Calvin?””
Rochelle shook her head.
“Of what would happen if he came back.””
Kiara stared at her.
“You said he disappeared.””
“He did.””
“You said there was no body.””
“There wasn't.””
“Then why are you afraid of him?””
Rochelle couldn't answer.
A phone suddenly rang.
Everyone jumped.
It was Kiara's phone.
Unknown number.
She stared at the screen.
Darnell's voice dropped.
“Don't answer.””
Kiara pressed the screen anyway.
“Hello?””
Nothing.
Then a man's breathing.
Slow.
Close.
Kiara's eyes widened.
“Who is this?””
A distorted voice finally spoke.
“Ask your mother where she buried the second birth certificate.””
The call ended.
Kiara slowly lowered the phone.
Rochelle looked like she might collapse.
Darnell stared at her.
“You told me you destroyed it.””
Rochelle whispered, “I didn't.””
Kiara's voice was barely audible.
“Where is it?””
Rochelle looked toward the old photograph.
Then toward Darnell.
May you like
Finally, she whispered:
“In the cemetery.””
