Chapter 12: My Grandfather's Confession
I couldn't understand what he had just said.
"Grandpa?""
Arthur looked at me.
His eyes were filled with tears.
"Daniel thought I was involved.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
He nodded slowly.
"He confronted me the week before the accident. He believed I had allowed Richard to use company money to finance the medical foundation.""
"Did you?""
Arthur looked down.
"I signed the original funding agreement.""
My mother gasped.
Samuel closed his eyes.
Arthur continued.
"I believed it was legitimate research. Daniel had explained that the foundation was developing treatments for people with severe spinal injuries. He wanted to help others avoid what happened to Nia.""
I stared at him.
"Then why didn't Dad tell me?""
"Because he discovered the research was being conducted improperly. He wanted to shut it down.""
"Did you help him?""
Arthur nodded.
"At first.""
He reached into his jacket and removed a folded piece of paper.
"This was the last letter Daniel sent me.""
I took it.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Father,
I know you trusted Richard. I did too.
But the money is gone, and the medical records have been altered. I believe someone is using the foundation to conduct experiments without proper consent.
I need you to help me protect Nia.
I have discovered that her accident may not have been accidental.
If anything happens to me, please remember that the person who has been closest to our family may be the one who has betrayed us.
I looked up.
"Why didn't you show me this before?""
Arthur wiped his face.
"Because I was ashamed.""
"Of what?""
"Of believing Richard over my own son.""
He sat down heavily.
"Daniel came to me with evidence that Richard was stealing money. I refused to believe him. I told him he was becoming paranoid.""
My mother looked at him.
"And the ring?""
Arthur removed it.
"Daniel gave it to me the night before the accident. He said it contained a recording.""
Samuel immediately reached for it.
"What?""
Arthur nodded.
"He told me not to open it unless something happened to him.""
Thomas examined the ring.
There was a tiny seam along the black stone.
He carefully pressed it.
A small compartment opened.
Inside was a microSD card.
I stared at it.
"My father hid evidence inside your ring?""
Arthur nodded.
"He said I would understand when the time came.""
Thomas inserted the card into his laptop.
A single audio file appeared.
The recording was dated the night before the accident.
Samuel pressed play.
At first, there was only static.
Then my father's voice.
"Richard, I know about the transfers.""
Another voice answered.
My uncle.
"You don't know anything.""
"I know you moved six million dollars through Northbridge. I know you falsified medical records. And I know you used Nia's accident to cover your tracks.""
Richard laughed.
"You can't prove any of it.""
"I have the original documents.""
"Then destroy them.""
"No.""
There was a long silence.
Then Richard spoke again.
"Daniel, you have a daughter. Think carefully about what happens if you make this public.""
My father replied quietly.
"Don't threaten my daughter.""
Richard laughed.
"Then stop pretending you can protect her.""
The recording ended.
Arthur looked devastated.
"Richard threatened Daniel.""
Samuel nodded.
"And Daniel recorded it.""
I leaned closer.
"Is there more?""
Thomas checked the card.
"One additional file.""
He opened it.
This time, a woman's voice came through.
I recognized it immediately.
Evelyn Brooks.
"Daniel, you don't understand what you've started.""
My father answered.
"I understand perfectly.""
"You agreed to fund the research.""
"I agreed to fund ethical research. Not to experiment on patients without consent.""
"You signed the documents.""
"Not the altered ones.""
There was a sharp sound.
Then Evelyn spoke again.
"Your daughter is already involved.""
My father's voice became furious.
"Keep her name out of this.""
"She's the only reason the project can continue.""
My mother began crying.
Arthur gripped the edge of the table.
The recording continued.
Evelyn lowered her voice.
"Richard has already made arrangements. If you expose us, neither you nor Nia will be safe.""
My father answered.
"Then I suppose it's time someone went to prison.""
A door slammed.
The recording ended.
Thomas looked at Samuel.
"That's enough to reopen the investigation.""
Samuel nodded.
"But we need the original files and the foundation's complete records.""
Mason stood.
"I know where they are.""
Everyone turned.
Mason looked toward me.
"Evelyn kept a private archive. She stored the original research documents in a secure facility outside the city.""
"Where?""
"An old medical research center. It was closed after the foundation dissolved.""
Thomas shook his head.
"That building was emptied three years ago.""
"Not completely.""
Mason removed a key card.
"She still has access to the underground archive.""
Samuel immediately objected.
"We cannot send anyone there without law enforcement.""
Mason nodded.
"I understand.""
Then he looked at me.
"But there's something else you should know.""
I waited.
"The archive contains the original footage from the hospital.""
My heart began racing.
"What footage?""
"The security cameras from the night of your accident.""
Samuel leaned forward.
"Those recordings were supposedly destroyed.""
"They were supposed to be.""
Mason looked at me.
"Evelyn kept them because she wanted to know whether you remembered anything.""
I felt sick.
"Why?""
"Because your father told her something before the crash.""
"What?""
Mason swallowed.
"He told her that you had witnessed a conversation between him and Richard.""
I frowned.
"I don't remember.""
"You were in the car. But apparently, you had overheard them arguing earlier that evening.""
I tried to remember.
There was a restaurant.
My father had been angry.
I had been sitting in the back seat, drawing on a napkin.
Two men had stood beside the car.
One was Richard.
The other...
I closed my eyes.
A voice.
A man's voice.
She heard everything.
Then my father's response.
She's a child. Leave her alone.
I opened my eyes.
"I remember something.""
My mother grabbed my hand.
"What?""
"I remember Richard standing beside the car. He was holding a folder.""
Arthur looked at me.
"What did he say?""
I swallowed.
"He said, 'The girl knows about the account.''"
Samuel went still.
Thomas stopped typing.
I continued.
"Then Dad told him to stay away from me.""
Mason nodded.
"That matches what Daniel told me.""
Arthur looked devastated.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"I was eight years old in that memory. I didn't understand what I had heard.""
Samuel placed a hand on the table.
"Do you remember anything else?""
I closed my eyes again.
A restaurant parking lot.
The smell of rain.
My father opening the passenger door.
Then a woman approaching.
Not Evelyn.
Not Vanessa.
Someone else.
A woman with a silver bracelet.
She leaned toward my father and said something.
I opened my eyes.
"Grandpa, there was another woman.""
Arthur frowned.
"Who?""
"I don't know. She wore a silver bracelet with a small heart.""
My mother suddenly covered her mouth.
I turned toward her.
"Mom?""
She looked frightened.
"That bracelet...""
She reached into her handbag and removed a photograph.
It showed her and Claire standing together as teenagers.
Both were wearing identical silver bracelets.
One had a tiny heart charm.
My mother stared at the photograph.
"Claire had that bracelet.""
Samuel immediately reached for his phone.
"Then we need to locate her.""
Thomas checked his messages.
His face changed.
"That's going to be difficult.""
"Why?""
He turned the screen around.
A news report had just appeared.
*WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN PRIVATE RESIDENCE — POLICE INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE FOUL PLAY.*
The photograph beneath the headline showed Claire Carter.
My mother's knees nearly gave way.
"No...""
Arthur caught her.
I stared at the screen.
The article had been published only twelve minutes earlier.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
*You should have left the past alone.*
A second message followed.
*Claire is gone. And she's not the only one.*
Before I could respond, Samuel's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then slowly lowered it.
"What happened?"" I asked.
He looked at me.
"The police have just found another body.""
My stomach dropped.
"Whose?""
Samuel's voice was barely audible.
"Dr. Evelyn Brooks.""
I stared at him.
Then he added the words that made my blood turn cold.
"Someone left your father's gold watch beside her body.""
The watch I had recovered at Grandfather's birthday dinner.
The watch that was supposed to be in my possession.
I looked down at my handbag.
I had placed it inside before we left the hotel that morning.
I opened the zipper.
The watch was gone.
And inside the empty pocket was a small folded note.
I unfolded it.
May you like
Five words.
*YOU'RE NEXT, JUST LIKE DANIEL.*
