Chapter 7: The Voice in the Phone
Daniel looked at me as if he had just seen a ghost.
“Who was that?”” Michael asked.
I lowered the phone.
“She said she knows what happened that night.””
Daniel's face tightened.
Michael stepped toward him.
“You know her.””
Daniel didn't answer.
“Dad.””
Still nothing.
Michael's voice hardened.
“You know who called Mom.””
Daniel finally whispered, “Yes.””
“Who?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Your mother.””
My heart stopped.
“My mother is dead.””
“I know.””
“Then who was that?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Her sister.””
I stared at him.
“My mother didn't have a sister.””
Daniel shook his head.
“She did.””
“No.””
“She had one.””
I looked at Mr. Harris.
He had gone completely still.
“You knew?””
He nodded slowly.
“Your mother had a younger sister.””
I felt dizzy.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?””
Mr. Harris looked down.
“Because your father made sure you never knew.””
Michael stepped closer.
“What's her name?””
Daniel answered.
“Rebecca.””
The name struck something deep inside me.
Rebecca.
I remembered my mother once mentioning it.
Only once.
I had been a child, sitting at the kitchen table while she folded laundry.
I remembered asking, “Who's Rebecca?””
My mother had stopped folding.
Then she had said, “Nobody you need to worry about.””
I hadn't asked again.
Michael pulled out his phone.
“Where is she?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.””
“You just said you knew her.””
“I knew her twenty years ago.””
“What happened?””
Daniel looked at me.
“She found out what your father was doing.””
“What?””
“She confronted him.””
“And?””
“He threatened her.””
“With what?””
“She had a daughter.””
I stared at him.
“She had a daughter?””
Daniel nodded.
“Chloe.””
The room seemed to tilt.
I looked toward the empty doorway.
“Chloe is Rebecca's daughter?””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
Michael stepped backward.
“No.””
Mr. Harris whispered, “That explains everything.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“The white suit.””
I didn't understand.
“What does her clothes have to do with anything?””
Mr. Harris shook his head.
“Nothing.””
Then he looked at Daniel.
“But the name does.””
Michael's phone buzzed.
A message.
He opened it.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He showed me.
*UNKNOWN: Meet me at 6:00 p.m. The old diner on East Harrisburg. Come alone.*
Michael looked at Daniel.
“Is that her?””
Daniel nodded.
“Probably.””
“I’m going.””
“No.””
Michael stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because she may be dangerous.””
Michael laughed bitterly.
“After everything today, she's the dangerous one?””
Daniel grabbed his arm.
“Listen to me.””
Michael pulled away.
“You don't get to tell me who to trust anymore.””
Daniel flinched.
I stepped between them.
“I'll go.””
Michael shook his head.
“No.””
“I need answers.””
“So do I.””
“Then we'll go together.””
Daniel immediately said, “No.””
I turned toward him.
“Why not?””
He hesitated.
“Because Rebecca isn't the person you remember.””
I stared at him.
“I don't remember her at all.””
“Exactly.””
At six that evening, Michael and I sat in a booth at the old diner.
The place had changed.
The walls were painted a darker shade of red.
The booths had been replaced.
But the smell was familiar.
Coffee.
Fried onions.
Warm bread.
My old life.
I had worked at Linda's Diner for nineteen years.
Now I was sitting across from my son, waiting for a woman who had apparently been hidden from me for decades.
Michael checked his watch.
“Six-oh-three.””
“She may not come.””
“She will.””
“How do you know?””
“Because she called you.””
He reached across the table.
“You okay?””
I smiled.
“No.””
He smiled back.
“Me neither.””
The bell above the door rang.
A woman entered.
She was in her late sixties.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
Dark coat.
She looked around the diner.
Then her eyes found mine.
She stopped.
I knew immediately.
Not because I recognized her.
Because she recognized me.
She walked toward us.
“Emma?””
I stood.
“Yes.””
She began crying.
“Oh, God.””
She covered her mouth.
“You look just like your mother.””
I couldn't move.
“You're Rebecca.””
She nodded.
Michael stood beside me.
“I'm Michael.””
Rebecca stared at him.
Then she whispered:
“You have his eyes.””
Michael frowned.
“Whose?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“Your father's.””
I sat down.
“Tell me everything.””
Rebecca slid into the booth.
She placed a worn envelope on the table.
“I've been waiting twenty years.””
“Why?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of my father?””
“Yes.””
“He's dead.””
“I know.””
“Then why are you still afraid?””
Rebecca looked at Michael.
“Because dead men leave living people behind.””
She pushed the envelope toward me.
“This belongs to you.””
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
My mother.
My father.
Rebecca.
And a fourth person.
A man I didn't recognize.
I turned the photograph over.
There was a handwritten note.
*Daniel Carter — 1999.*
I looked at Rebecca.
“Who is this man?””
She pointed to him.
“That was Daniel's employer.””
Michael stared.
“Grandpa?””
“No.””
Rebecca's voice dropped.
“His name was Victor Hale.””
I frowned.
“Who is Victor Hale?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“The man who helped your father build the company.””
Michael pulled out his phone.
He searched the name.
Then his face went pale.
“Mom.””
“What?””
“Victor Hale died twelve years ago.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Officially.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
“He didn't die.””
She leaned closer.
“He disappeared.””
Michael looked at the photograph again.
“Why?””
Rebecca took a breath.
“Because he was the one who created the false documents.””
My fingers tightened around the picture.
“The divorce papers?””
“Yes.””
“The property transfer?””
“Yes.””
“The signature?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
“Because your father was going to expose him.””
I stared at her.
“My father?””
“No.””
She looked at Michael.
“Daniel.””
Silence.
Michael shook his head.
“Dad was trying to expose Victor?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did he leave?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“Because Victor gave him a choice.””
I already knew the answer.
“Me or the truth.””
Rebecca nodded.
“He chose you.””
I swallowed.
“And my father?””
“He helped Victor.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Money.””
Michael looked sick.
“So Grandpa was involved.””
“Deeply.””
I pressed my hands against the table.
“Then why did Grandma create the trust?””
“Because she found out.””
“And the house?””
“She bought it secretly.””
“For me?””
“For you and Michael.””
I looked down.
My mother's handwriting covered the envelope.
“Then why did she never tell me?””
“Because she was trying to keep you alive.””
I looked up sharply.
“Alive?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your father had people watching you.””
Michael whispered, “Mom…”
Rebecca continued.
“The night Daniel left, he wasn't alone.””
I felt cold.
“What do you mean?””
“There were two cars outside your apartment.””
My breath caught.
“One belonged to Daniel.””
“The other?””
“Victor's.””
Michael leaned forward.
“What happened?””
Rebecca looked at him.
“Daniel came to me earlier that evening.””
“What did he say?””
“He said he had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“Everything.””
She opened another envelope.
“He asked me to hide it.””
I stared at the envelope.
“Did you?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
Rebecca's hands trembled.
“I hid it in the only place I knew your father would never search.””
“Where?””
She looked directly at me.
“In your mother's house.””
My heart stopped.
“The house?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your house.””
Michael stood.
“What is inside?””
Rebecca's eyes filled with fear.
“Records.””
“Which records?””
“Bank transfers.””
“Anything else?””
She hesitated.
Then she said:
“A video.””
Michael froze.
“A video of what?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“The night Daniel left.””
My hands went numb.
“You have a recording?””
“I did.””
“Did?””
Rebecca looked toward the window.
“I don't have it anymore.””
Michael's voice sharpened.
“Who took it?””
Rebecca whispered:
“Chloe.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
“She found me two years ago.””
“Why?””
“She wanted the truth.””
Michael's jaw tightened.
“And she got it?””
Rebecca nodded.
“She knows everything.””
I thought of Chloe stealing my seat that morning.
Her cold smile.
Her confidence.
Her certainty that she belonged in my son's victory.
“Then why did she humiliate me?””
Rebecca looked at me sadly.
“Because she was trying to make you angry enough to leave.””
Michael went still.
“Why?””
Rebecca reached across the table.
“Because Chloe knew someone was watching you.””
The bell above the diner door rang.
We all turned.
A man in a dark jacket stood in the doorway.
Rebecca's face went white.
“It's him.””
Michael stood.
“Who?””
Rebecca grabbed my wrist.
“The man who has been looking for that video.””
The man took one step inside.
May you like
Rebecca whispered a name.
“Victor.””
