Chapter 7: The Call From The Missing Man
The phone kept ringing.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody moved.
Emma stared at the screen like it was a ghost.
Her father’s name.
A name she had spent years trying to forget.
A name she had secretly hoped to see again every single day.
But now that it was actually there…
She was terrified.
“Answer it,” Naomi whispered.
Everyone looked at her.
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“No.””
Naomi turned.
“You just told us he might be alive.””
“Yes.””
“Then why shouldn’t she answer?””
Daniel’s expression was serious.
“Because whoever is calling knows we found the phone.””
Emma looked down.
The phone continued vibrating in her hand.
“What if it really is him?””
Daniel didn’t respond.
That was enough.
Because everyone understood.
If it was really Emma’s father, he could explain everything.
But if it wasn’t…
Someone was using the one person Emma had spent years missing to manipulate her.
The ringing stopped.
The silence afterward felt worse.
Emma looked at the screen.
Then the phone rang again.
This time, Naomi noticed something.
The number wasn’t saved.
It wasn’t labeled as Emma’s father.
Only the name appeared because Emma had changed the contact years ago.
She had saved it herself.
A number she had never been able to delete.
Coach Reynolds spoke quietly.
“Put it on speaker.””
Emma looked at him.
“I don’t know if I can.””
Naomi stepped closer.
“I’ll be here.””
Emma looked at her.
The pain between them was still there.
The betrayal.
The years of lies.
But for the first time that day, Naomi saw something else.
Fear.
Not the fear of getting caught.
The fear of losing someone.
Again.
Emma nodded.
Then answered.
“Hello?””
At first, there was only static.
Everyone leaned closer.
Then a voice came through.
A tired voice.
A voice that sounded older than it should.
“Emma?””
Her knees nearly gave out.
She covered her mouth.
“Dad?””
Nobody spoke.
The voice continued.
“Emma, listen to me carefully.””
Tears filled her eyes.
“I thought you were dead.””
A long silence.
Then:
“I know.””
The simple answer broke something inside her.
“You know?””
Emma’s voice shook.
“You knew I thought you were dead?””
“I had no choice.””
Naomi looked at Daniel.
Daniel’s face remained unreadable.
Emma gripped the phone.
“No choice?””
Her voice grew louder.
“You disappeared.””
“I was protecting you.””
“You left me.””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
Everyone went silent.
Emma looked like she had forgotten how to breathe.
“Alive from what?””
The voice on the phone lowered.
“From the same people who destroyed Naomi’s family.””
Naomi felt a chill.
The man continued.
“Where are you?””
Emma looked at Daniel.
Then at Naomi.
She hesitated.
Daniel shook his head slightly.
But Emma answered:
“At school.””
The voice immediately changed.
“Leave.””
Everyone froze.
“What?””
“Leave now.””
Emma frowned.
“Why?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because they know you found the phone.””
The line suddenly crackled.
Naomi stepped forward.
“Who is this?””
The voice became quiet.
“Naomi?””
Her heart stopped.
Nobody had said her name.
Not on this call.
Not yet.
“How do you know me?””
A long pause.
Then:
“I knew your father.””
Naomi grabbed the phone.
“What happened to him?””
The voice on the other end became emotional.
For a second, it sounded like he was trying not to cry.
“He tried to protect both of you.””
Naomi’s fingers tightened.
“Both of us?””
“Yes.””
The voice continued.
“Your father and I found out the truth. We thought we could stop them.””
“Who?””
The man didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“The person who has been controlling everything.””
Suddenly, a loud sound interrupted the call.
Like a door opening.
The voice changed.
Someone was nearby.
“Emma, you need to go.””
“What’s happening?””
“No more questions. Just listen.””
The line became filled with static.
Then the man said:
“The evidence isn’t hidden where your father put it.””
Naomi looked confused.
“What does that mean?””
The voice became urgent.
“It means someone moved it.””
“Who moved it?””
A pause.
Then:
“Someone Naomi trusts.””
The call ended.
Emma stared at the phone.
Nobody spoke.
Then Callie said quietly:
“Again?””
Everyone turned.
She looked nervous.
“Another person Naomi trusted.””
Naomi looked at her.
“What are you trying to say?””
Callie shook her head.
“Nothing.””
“No.””
Naomi stepped closer.
“You started this. You don’t get to hide now.””
Callie’s face hardened.
“You think I know everything?””
“I think you know more than you’re saying.””
For several seconds, Callie said nothing.
Then she looked away.
“My father used to talk about someone.””
Daniel immediately looked at her.
“Who?””
Callie swallowed.
“A person inside the school.””
Everyone froze.
Coach Reynolds’ expression changed.
“What?””
Callie nodded slowly.
“He said there was someone feeding information to him.””
Naomi felt a wave of nausea.
Someone inside the school.
Someone who knew schedules.
Fundraisers.
Security systems.
Someone who had access.
Someone who could manipulate everything from the inside.
“Who was it?”” Naomi asked.
Callie looked at her.
“I don’t know.””
“You expect us to believe that?””
“I was younger.””
“You’re not answering.””
Callie’s jaw tightened.
“Because I never saw their face.””
The answer only made things worse.
Daniel looked around the pool.
“Your father said someone close to Naomi knew where the evidence was.””
Emma whispered:
“And now her father says someone Naomi trusts moved it.””
Naomi looked down.
Her thoughts spun.
Who?
Her mother?
A teammate?
A teacher?
Someone who had comforted her?
Someone who had pretended to help?
Then she remembered something.
A tiny detail.
Something she had ignored because it seemed impossible.
The day the fundraiser money disappeared.
The day the envelope was found.
Someone had been in the locker room before her.
Someone had told her:
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.””
Naomi’s face changed.
Emma noticed.
“What?””
Naomi looked up.
“I need to check something.””
Coach Reynolds frowned.
“Check what?””
“My locker.””
Everyone looked confused.
“It doesn’t make sense.””
“What doesn’t?””
Naomi looked at the phone.
“The envelope.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What about it?””
“The envelope that was planted in my bag.””
She thought back.
“The day they framed me.””
Her voice became quieter.
“Someone had already opened my locker before I got there.””
Nobody spoke.
Callie looked at her.
“Who?””
Naomi’s memory replayed.
A hand on her shoulder.
A familiar voice.
A comforting smile.
A person who told her everything would be okay.
Her stomach twisted.
“No.””
Emma stared.
“Naomi?””
She looked toward the hallway.
Because suddenly, she remembered.
The person who found her crying.
The person who hugged her.
The person who said:
“I believe you.””
The person who had access to everything.
The person who knew exactly when Naomi would be alone.
Naomi whispered the name.
And everyone went silent.
Because it was the one person nobody had suspected.
Coach Reynolds looked shocked.
“Are you sure?””
Naomi shook her head.
“No.””
A pause.
“But I know one thing.””
She looked at the pool cameras.
At the lockers.
At the evidence that had been hidden for years.
“Every time something happened…”
Her voice dropped.
“They were already there.””
Suddenly, the school alarm sounded.
Everyone jumped.
A loud emergency tone echoed through the building.
Then the intercom activated.
A voice came through.
A voice Naomi recognized.
A voice that made her blood run cold.
“Naomi Carter.””
The entire pool deck froze.
The voice continued.
“I know you’re looking for the truth.””
A pause.
“But if you find it…”
The speakers crackled.
“And if you expose me…”
Another pause.
May you like
Then the final words:
“You’ll lose the last person your father tried to protect.””
