Chapter 7 - The Name Behind the Secret
I stared at Jonathan.
"That's impossible."
He didn't argue.
Instead, he walked toward the window.
"Three years ago, Daniel survived the crash."
My heart pounded.
"You said that already."
"No."
He turned toward me.
"I said he survived."
"What's the difference?"
"He didn't die afterward."
The room seemed to disappear.
"What?"
"Daniel was taken to a private medical facility."
"By whom?"
"The people who caused the crash."
"Why?"
"Because they needed him alive."
Claire began crying.
Jonathan continued.
"They believed Daniel had copied everything."
"Did he?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
Jonathan looked at Claire.
"She knows."
Claire shook her head.
"I gave it to him."
"Where?"
She whispered:
"Somewhere they would never look."
I stepped toward her.
"Where?"
She looked at me.
"Inside Lily's birthday dress."
My blood ran cold.
"The dress?"
"The original one."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel knew no one would search a child's belongings."
I remembered the dress Lily had worn three years earlier.
Her fifth birthday.
The pink dress was still stored in a box.
I looked at Jonathan.
"That's what they were looking for."
He nodded.
"Someone knew the evidence existed."
"Who?"
Jonathan didn't answer.
"Tell me."
He looked toward Claire.
"She did."
I turned.
Claire shook her head.
"I didn't betray you."
"Then why did Jonathan say you did?"
"He meant I knew who had."
"Who?"
Claire stared at me.
Then she whispered:
"Your mother."
I couldn't speak.
"My mother?"
"She was the person who gave Daniel's location to them."
I stepped backward.
"No."
Claire's voice broke.
"She didn't know what they intended to do."
"You're lying."
"She thought they wanted to scare him."
"She gave them his location?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because they threatened your father."
I shook my head.
"My father was already dead."
"Not then."
I stared at her.
The timeline twisted inside my mind.
Daniel's accident.
My father's death.
My mother's silence.
Everything I believed about those years was suddenly uncertain.
Jonathan placed a small memory card on the table.
"The original evidence is on this."
I stared at it.
"The second device?"
"No."
"The recording?"
"More than that."
"What?"
"Financial records."
"Names?"
"Names. Dates. Payments. Everything."
I reached for it.
Jonathan stopped me.
"Once you open this, there is no pretending anymore."
"I stopped pretending three years ago."
I took the card.
Then my phone rang.
It was my mother.
I answered.
"Mom?"
Her voice was trembling.
"Mara."
"Where are you?"
"At home."
"Is Lily with you?"
"No."
I closed my eyes.
"Mom, I know about Daniel."
Silence.
Then she whispered:
"I'm sorry."
My heart cracked.
"Did you give them his location?"
"I didn't know."
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because they said they would kill your father."
"Who were they?"
My mother started crying.
"Mara, listen to me."
"Who?"
"Your father wasn't innocent."
I couldn't breathe.
"He helped build the entire operation."
I looked at Claire.
She nodded.
My mother continued:
"But Daniel found out."
"Then why did he disappear?"
"Because Daniel made a deal."
"What deal?"
"He agreed to disappear if they left you and Lily alone."
I felt dizzy.
"Where is he now?"
My mother didn't answer.
"Mom."
"Mara..."
"Where is my husband?"
A long pause.
Then she said:
"Under the old Bellmore building."
The call ended.
Jonathan grabbed my arm.
"We have to go."
"Why?"
He pointed toward the window.
A black SUV had stopped outside.
Two men stepped out.
Claire whispered:
"They found us."
Jonathan took the memory card.
"No."
I grabbed it back.
"I'm going to get my daughter."
We ran down the emergency stairs.
But when we reached the lobby, the hotel doors were locked.
Every exit was sealed.
Then the elevator bell rang.
The doors opened slowly.
Lily stepped out.
Her dress was clean.
Her face was calm.
And beside her stood a man I had buried three years earlier.
May you like
Daniel looked at me and whispered:
"Mara."
