Chapter 11: The Recording Daniel Left Behind
I stared at the photograph.
Richard's handwriting was unmistakable.
I had seen it on birthday cards, anniversary notes, grocery lists, and the little messages he used to leave on my office desk when we were newly married.
Make sure he never talks.
The words looked almost harmless written in blue ink.
But they had been written one day before my father's accident.
I handed the photograph to Detective Harris.
"Can this be used as evidence?""
"It can be investigated. We'll need to establish where it came from and whether the writing is authentic.""
Sophie tugged at my sleeve.
"Can I have it back?""
I looked down.
"Where did you get this, sweetheart?""
"From Daddy's office.""
"Did he tell you to keep it?""
She nodded.
"He said it was a secret.""
"Did he say why?""
Sophie shook her head.
Then she whispered, "He said if Grandma got angry, I should hide it.""
I felt a chill.
Richard had used a four-year-old child to hide evidence.
I gently tucked the photograph into an evidence envelope.
"Thank you for showing me.""
Sophie leaned against me.
"Are you angry?""
"No, sweetheart.""
"Because I took Daddy's picture?""
I kissed her forehead.
"No. You did something very brave.""
Margaret took us to her office later that afternoon.
She had received a call from a former associate of Daniel's.
His name was Thomas Reed.
He had worked as Daniel's financial adviser before the accident.
According to Margaret, Thomas had contacted her after seeing a photograph of Eleanor online.
"He says Daniel left something with him," she explained.
"What?""
"A recording.""
My heart began racing.
"What kind of recording?""
"He wouldn't say over the phone.""
We met Thomas in a small conference room.
He was in his seventies, with thick white hair and a walking stick.
When he saw Eleanor, he stopped.
"Good Lord.""
Eleanor stood.
"Thomas?""
He nodded slowly.
"I thought I'd never see you again.""
They embraced.
Then Thomas turned toward me.
"Emily?""
I nodded.
He studied my face.
"You have your father's eyes.""
I sat down.
"Did you know what happened to him?""
Thomas looked toward Margaret.
Then he removed a small silver key from his pocket.
"Daniel gave me this three days before his accident.""
He placed it on the table.
"He told me that if anything happened to him, I was to give it to his daughter when she was old enough to understand.""
My throat tightened.
"What's it for?""
"A storage unit.""
Margaret immediately leaned forward.
"Which one?""
Thomas handed her a card.
"Number 214. The facility is outside Boston.""
Edward called the facility.
The unit was still active.
The account had been paid annually through a trust that Margaret had never seen before.
We drove there with Detective Harris.
The storage facility smelled of dust, metal, and old cardboard.
Unit 214 was at the end of a long corridor.
Thomas unlocked it.
Inside were several boxes, a filing cabinet, and an old wooden desk.
On the desk sat a cassette recorder.
Beside it was a sealed envelope.
My name was written across the front.
I touched it carefully.
"Another letter?""
Thomas nodded.
"Daniel left it for you.""
I opened it.
My dearest Emily,
If Thomas has given you this letter, then I failed to protect you.
I need you to understand something. Your mother loves you. Whatever anyone tells you, never doubt that.
Patricia is not the person I once believed her to be. Arthur has made promises to her that he cannot keep. Richard has become his messenger.
I stopped reading.
My hands were trembling.
I continued.
I discovered that Arthur had been using the company to move money through false property transactions. I also discovered that the money was being used to fund private arrangements involving newborn children.
I looked up.
"Children?""
Thomas nodded.
"Daniel suspected an illegal adoption network.""
Eleanor covered her mouth.
I returned to the letter.
I have evidence. I have names. I have dates. But the most dangerous part is that one of the children involved is my own.
I looked at Thomas.
"Did he mean Sophie?""
Thomas nodded.
"Yes.""
The next paragraph made my heart pound.
Patricia gave birth to a daughter. Arthur arranged for the child to be transferred. He claimed it was necessary to protect the family. But I learned that the child was being used as leverage against Patricia.
I looked at Eleanor.
"Leverage?""
Thomas explained.
"Arthur knew Patricia was vulnerable. He told her that if she cooperated, he would make sure her daughter was safe.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"He used his own daughter.""
Thomas nodded.
"That's what Daniel believed.""
I continued reading.
I have also discovered that Arthur has been hiding another secret. A woman named Laura Collins was involved in the arrangement. She tried to expose him. I believe she knows where the money went.
I looked at Detective Harris.
"Laura is Sophie's mother.""
He nodded.
"That would explain why Richard was threatening her.""
Thomas switched on the cassette recorder.
The tape hissed.
Then my father's voice filled the storage unit.
"October 12, 2006. If anyone is listening to this, I want it understood that I did not consent to the transfer of my daughter.""
My knees weakened.
It was him.
My father.
Older than in my memories, but unmistakably him.
He continued.
"Arthur has arranged documents without my permission. Patricia is involved, though I believe she's being threatened. Richard has been delivering messages between them.""
There was a pause.
Then a sound.
A door opening.
My father's voice became quieter.
"Who's there?""
Another voice answered.
Richard.
"Daniel, we need to talk.""
I stopped breathing.
The recording continued.
Daniel spoke.
"You shouldn't be here.""
Richard laughed.
"Arthur wants the documents.""
"They're evidence.""
"Then give them to me.""
"No.""
A chair scraped.
Then Richard said something that made Eleanor gasp.
"You have two daughters, Daniel. Do you really want to lose both?""
My father's voice became furious.
"Don't you ever threaten my children.""
A second voice entered.
Arthur.
"Daniel, this is your last chance.""
The tape crackled.
Daniel spoke again.
"If anything happens to me, Emily gets everything. Do you understand? Everything.""
Arthur laughed.
"She won't even know who you were.""
Then came a loud bang.
The recording stopped.
I stood motionless.
Detective Harris immediately asked Thomas whether there was another tape.
Thomas pointed toward the filing cabinet.
"There's a digital recorder too. Daniel bought it shortly before the accident.""
He opened the drawer.
Inside was a small USB drive.
Margaret connected it to her laptop.
A video appeared.
It showed a parking garage.
Daniel was standing beside his car.
Richard approached him.
They argued.
Then Arthur appeared.
I leaned toward the screen.
Arthur handed Richard a folder.
Richard looked inside.
Then he nodded.
A few seconds later, Daniel walked away.
The video ended.
Detective Harris replayed it.
"Can we identify the date?""
Margaret checked the file properties.
"October 13, 2006.""
The day before the accident.
I stared at Richard's face on the screen.
Then something caught my attention.
He was wearing a silver ring.
A distinctive signet ring.
The same ring I had found in his desk drawer six years ago.
I had asked him about it once.
He told me it belonged to an old family friend.
Now I knew better.
Thomas leaned forward.
"There's one more thing Daniel told me.""
"What?""
He looked directly at Eleanor.
"Daniel believed Arthur had arranged for someone to tamper with his car.""
Eleanor began sobbing.
My phone vibrated.
A message from Laura.
Emily, I've found the original hospital ledger.
Another message followed.
It proves Arthur wasn't Sophie's biological father.
I exhaled.
Then the third message appeared.
But it also proves Patricia gave birth to another child before Sophie.
I stared at the screen.
"Another child?""
Laura replied immediately.
Yes. A boy. And according to the records, he was never adopted.
I looked up.
May you like
Eleanor's face had gone white.
"Daniel had a son too," she whispered.
