Chapter 7 - The Person Evelyn Trusted The Most
The photograph remained on my phone screen.
I couldn't look away.
It showed Evelyn lying in the ICU bed.
The same room where I had held her hand.
The same room where I had promised her I would find the truth.
But someone else had been there before me.
Detective Harold Finch.
Standing beside her bed.
Watching her.
The message underneath the photograph burned into my mind.
"Ask Detective Finch why he visited your wife before you came home."
I slowly lifted my eyes.
Everyone in the basement was watching me.
Finch knew.
The moment he saw my expression, he knew exactly what I had discovered.
"Grant..."
I raised my hand.
"Don't."
My voice was quiet.
But nobody interrupted.
"You have one chance."
Finch looked at me.
"One chance to tell me the truth."
He didn't answer.
That was the worst answer he could give.
I walked closer.
"When did you visit Evelyn?"
His jaw tightened.
"Before you returned."
"How many times?"
Silence.
"How many?"
"Three."
Faith looked shocked.
"Three?"
Finch nodded slowly.
"She contacted me."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because she knew something was wrong."
"She trusted you?"
His expression changed.
"Yes."
I looked away for a moment.
That hurt more than I expected.
Because Evelyn trusted him.
Not me.
Not because she loved him.
Because she was trying to protect me.
She knew something was coming.
And she chose someone else to carry the burden.
"What did she tell you?"
Finch looked toward the basement walls.
"She told me Margaret was hiding something."
"Only that?"
"No."
He took a breath.
"She told me someone inside her family was helping Margaret."
Everyone became silent.
I looked at Meredith.
Then Faith.
Then Thomas.
"Who?"
Finch shook his head.
"She didn't know."
"She didn't know?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
His eyes lowered.
"Because Evelyn asked me not to."
The answer hit me.
"She asked you to hide it from me?"
"She wanted you away from this."
I stepped closer.
"She was attacked."
"I know."
"She almost died."
"I know."
"And you thought keeping me away was the right thing?"
Finch's voice cracked.
"She was terrified."
That stopped me.
"What?"
He looked at me.
"Not of dying."
The room went quiet.
"She was afraid of what would happen to you."
I looked toward the floor.
Because that sounded exactly like Evelyn.
Always protecting others.
Always carrying things alone.
Even when she was the one bleeding.
"What else did she tell you?"
Finch hesitated.
Then reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small envelope.
My eyes narrowed.
"What is that?"
"Something Evelyn gave me."
"Why didn't you give it to me?"
"Because she told me to wait."
"Wait for what?"
Finch looked directly at me.
"Until you found the basement."
Nobody spoke.
I took the envelope.
My name was written on the front.
Grant.
Only my first name.
Like she had written it in a hurry.
My hands shook slightly as I opened it.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
Evelyn's handwriting.
My heart tightened.
Grant,
If you are reading this, it means you found what I was hiding.
I continued.
I wanted to tell you everything. I wanted to call you. I wanted to hear your voice.
But every time I tried, someone was watching me.
I stopped.
Someone was watching her.
Not just threatening her.
Watching her.
I continued.
The person who attacked me was not trying to kill me at first.
My breathing slowed.
They wanted something.
They wanted the evidence I found.
But when I refused to give it to them, everything changed.
I looked up.
Thomas was watching me.
Faith was crying silently.
I looked back at the letter.
Grant, there is one thing you need to know.
The person who betrayed me was someone I loved.
My fingers tightened.
The next line was written darker.
Like Evelyn had pressed the pen harder.
Someone who called themselves family.
The letter ended there.
No name.
No answer.
Only another piece of paper folded behind it.
I unfolded it.
A list.
Names.
Dates.
Locations.
At the bottom was one name circled.
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that name.
Everyone in the room knew that name.
Faith whispered:
"No..."
I looked at her.
"What?"
She shook her head.
"That's impossible."
I stared at the paper.
The circled name was:
FAITH SHAW.
The room changed.
Faith stepped backward.
"No."
I looked at her.
"Explain."
"I don't know why my name is there."
Thomas looked confused.
"Faith?"
She looked at him.
"I swear."
Finch moved toward her.
"Grant, wait."
I turned.
"Why are you defending her?"
"Because this doesn't make sense."
"Neither did my wife's attack."
"Exactly."
He pointed at the paper.
"Someone wants you to believe Faith betrayed Evelyn."
I looked at the name.
"Why?"
"Because Faith is the easiest target."
The words made sense.
The quiet sister.
The scared one.
The one everyone ignored.
The perfect person to blame.
Faith looked at me.
"Grant, I didn't hurt her."
I studied her face.
Fear.
Pain.
Not guilt.
At least not the kind I recognized.
Then my phone rang.
Again.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
No one spoke at first.
Then a woman's voice whispered.
"You're finally learning."
I knew that voice.
Margaret.
"What do you want?"
A soft laugh.
"I want you to stop digging."
"Too late."
"No."
Her voice became colder.
"You still don't understand what you found."
I looked at the paper.
The name.
Faith.
"What is Faith hiding?"
A pause.
Then Margaret said:
"Ask her what happened the night your wife came to the basement."
The call ended.
I looked at Faith.
She looked terrified.
"Grant..."
"Tell me."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't..."
She stopped.
Then looked toward Thomas.
Because something had just changed.
Something she remembered.
"What?"
Faith slowly stepped back.
"I wasn't alone that night."
The basement became silent.
"Who was with you?"
Faith's face turned pale.
"I thought they were helping Evelyn."
My heartbeat increased.
"Who?"
She looked at the basement door.
Then whispered:
"The person who told me to hide the key."
Nobody moved.
"Faith."
Her voice trembled.
"It was..."
Before she could finish, the lights suddenly flickered.
The laptop screen turned on by itself.
A new video file appeared.
No one touched it.
The title was simple.
"FAITH'S CONFESSION."
Faith stared at the screen.
And whispered the words that made everyone freeze.
"That video shouldn't exist..."
The file opened.
May you like
The first frame appeared.
And standing in the recording beside Faith was someone who had been dead for eight years...
