Chapter 9: The Room Upstairs
I motioned for everyone to stay where they were.
“Eric,” I whispered, “call the police.””
He reached for his phone.
Then the lights went out.
Maya screamed.
Tasha grabbed her hand.
“Dad!””
“I've got you.””
I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
Denise stood frozen beside the desk.
Eric was already moving toward the stairs.
“Stay here,” I told Maya.
“No.””
“Maya.””
“I know that sound.””
“What?””
“The bedroom door.””
I looked upstairs.
“Whose?””
“Mine.””
We heard another noise.
A drawer opening.
Then closing.
Someone was searching her room.
I motioned to Eric.
We moved up the stairs together.
The house was silent except for the sound of our footsteps.
At the top, Maya whispered,
“He knows about the laptop.””
I looked at her.
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
We reached her bedroom.
The door was open.
I pushed it wider.
Empty.
The window was closed.
The closet door was open.
Clothes were scattered across the floor.
A desk drawer hung open.
Eric moved to the window.
“Nobody left through here.””
I looked around.
Then I noticed the closet.
“Maya, what was in that box?””
She looked.
“My school stuff.””
I opened it.
Inside were notebooks, old assignments, photographs.
And one missing item.
“What?””
Maya shook her head.
“My flash drive.””
“Where was it?””
“In the box.””
“When did you last see it?””
“Yesterday.””
Eric turned.
“What's on it?””
“I don't know.””
“You don't know?””
Maya shook her head.
“I found it in Daniel's office.””
I stared.
“When?””
“Six months ago.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I was scared.””
I closed my eyes.
Six months of secrets.
Six months of people making decisions around me.
Six months of my daughter trying to protect me while I thought she was simply becoming distant.
“Where did you find it?””
“In a drawer.””
“Did you open it?””
“Yes.””
“What was on it?””
“Files.””
“What files?””
“Employee records.””
I frowned.
“Anything else?””
Maya nodded.
“Student names.””
Eric went still.
“Where's the drive now?””
“Someone took it.””
We heard a sound downstairs.
A door opening.
I grabbed the flashlight.
“Stay here.””
Maya caught my arm.
“Dad.””
“What?””
“Don't trust Mom.””
I looked at her.
She was crying.
“She knew about the drive.””
I turned.
Denise stood at the top of the stairs.
Her face was pale.
“Maya,” she whispered.
“You knew,” Maya said.
“I didn't know where it was.””
“You knew what was on it.””
Denise looked at me.
“Marcus…”
I walked toward her.
“Tell me.””
She started crying.
“I found it.””
“When?””
“After Maya brought it home.””
“You opened it?””
“Yes.””
“What did you see?””
“Names.””
“Twenty-three students?””
She nodded.
“And employee records.””
“Yes.””
“What were they connected to?””
Denise looked toward the stairs.
“I don't know.””
“You're still lying.””
“I swear.””
“Then tell me why you wanted Maya gone.””
She covered her face.
“Because they threatened her.””
“Who?””
“I told you. I don't know.””
“Then why did you help them?””
“I didn't.””
“You canceled her ticket.””
“I was trying to get her away.””
“You lied to me.””
“I was afraid.””
“For yourself?””
Denise looked at Maya.
“For her.””
Maya shook her head.
“No.””
Denise's voice broke.
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain it.””
Denise stepped closer.
“I received a photograph of you.””
Maya froze.
“What photograph?””
Denise looked at me.
“It showed Maya leaving school.””
I felt my stomach twist.
“When?””
“Three weeks ago.””
“The threats started then.””
“Yes.””
“What did the message say?””
Denise whispered,
*“If she talks, she disappears.””*
Maya's face went white.
Tasha started crying.
“Mom, why didn't you tell Dad?””
“Because I was told they would hurt him too.””
I stared at Denise.
“Who?””
She shook her head.
“I never saw his face.””
“Whose?””
“The man behind the messages.””
“Daniel?””
“No.””
“Eric?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
She looked toward Maya.
“I think…”
A loud crash came from downstairs.
Everyone froze.
Eric pulled his phone from his pocket.
“The police are on their way.””
I looked down the staircase.
“Then whoever came here knows they have minutes.””
We hurried downstairs.
The front door was open.
Cold night air moved through the house.
I walked into the living room.
The laptop was gone.
So was the folder containing the financial documents.
I turned toward Denise.
“Did you take them?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Eric pointed toward the back door.
“It was opened from inside.””
I walked over.
The security keypad showed the last entry.
A four-digit code.
I recognized it.
My daughter's birthday.
I turned toward Maya.
“Who knows your birthday?””
“Everyone in the family.””
Tasha shook her head.
“Not everyone.””
“What?””
She pointed at the keypad.
“That's not Maya's birthday.””
I looked again.
She was right.
It was my wedding anniversary.
The anniversary Denise and I had celebrated every year.
I looked at my wife.
She stared at the keypad.
“Denise?””
She didn't answer.
“Did you enter that code?””
“No.””
“Then who knows it?””
She slowly looked toward the kitchen.
Her voice was barely audible.
“Andre.””
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A distorted voice said,
“You should have left for Hawaii.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who is this?””
“You were supposed to be on a plane tomorrow.””
“Where is my daughter?””
A quiet laugh.
“She was never the target.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“Then who was?””
The voice said,
“Your wife.””
I looked at Denise.
Her eyes widened.
The caller continued.
“And now that you know the truth…”
The line went dead.
I lowered the phone.
Then Maya screamed.
I turned.
She was staring at the staircase.
At the bottom step sat the missing flash drive.
Beside it was a handwritten note.
I picked it up.
Only four words were written on it.
*ASK DENISE ABOUT ANGELA.*
My blood ran cold.
May you like
Because Denise had never met my first wife.
At least, that was what I had always believed. :::
