Chapter 2: The Phone Call That Changed Everything
At 8:17 p.m., my father was sitting in the living room, watching the local news.
He had changed into his gray sweatpants and poured himself a glass of bourbon. The storm rattled the windows, but the house was warm, and the lights in the kitchen reflected off the polished wooden floors.
Karen sat curled into the corner of the sofa beneath a blanket.
She had stopped crying.
“Do you think Emily will come back tonight?”” she asked.
Richard didn't look away from the television.
“Not unless she's ready to apologize.””
“She was really angry.””
“She has a lot to be angry about,” he said.
“Most of it is her own fault.””
Karen tucked her feet beneath the blanket.
“I just don't want anything bad to happen to her.””
It was a perfect performance.
Richard sighed, finally turning toward her.
“You did the right thing telling me.””
“But she's my sister.””
“And you're the one who tried to help her. Don't let her make you feel guilty for that.””
Karen nodded.
For a moment, the only sound was the television and the rain against the windows.
Then the landline rang.
Richard frowned.
Almost nobody called the house anymore. Most people used his cell phone, and the few relatives who still had the landline number generally called during the day.
He reached across the coffee table.
“Hello?””
“Is this Richard Walls?””
The man on the other end sounded calm, but there was something deliberate about his voice.
“Yes. Who's calling?””
“Officer Daniels with the County Police Department. I need to ask you a few questions about your daughter, Emily Walls.””
Richard straightened.
“What about her?””
“First, can you confirm that Emily is fifteen years old?””
“Yes. Why?””
“When did you last see her?””
Richard glanced at Karen.
“She left the house earlier.””
“Approximately what time?””
“Just after five.””
“And what was she wearing?””
Richard's expression shifted.
“Why does that matter?””
“Sir, I need you to answer the question.””
He set down his glass.
“She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I don't remember the color.””
“Was she wearing a coat?””
“No.””
There was a pause.
Richard's fingers tightened around the phone.
“Why are you asking me all these questions?””
“Because a motorist found a fifteen-year-old girl unconscious beside County Road 18. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and she had no coat, phone, or money with her.””
The room went silent.
Richard stared at the wall.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to understand the words.
Then he said, “No.””
“Sir?””
“No, that can't be Emily.””
“Her backpack contained school materials bearing her name. We also located a student identification card.””
Richard stood so abruptly that his knee struck the coffee table.
“Is she alive?””
Officer Daniels didn't answer immediately.
That delay was enough to make Richard's face lose its color.
“Is my daughter alive?”” he demanded.
“She was transported to County General Hospital. The medical team is treating her for severe cold exposure. I can't give you a reliable prognosis over the phone.””
Richard grabbed the back of the sofa.
Karen had risen to her feet.
“What happened?”” she whispered.
He held up one hand, ordering her to be quiet.
“Which hospital?”” Richard asked.
“I'll come right now.””
“Before you leave, Mr. Walls, I need to establish a few details. Did Emily have permission to leave the house?””
Richard swallowed.
“We had an argument.””
“Did you ask her to leave?””
He looked toward the front door.
The brass deadbolt was still turned.
“I told her to go outside until she calmed down.””
“Did you provide her with a coat?””
“No.””
“Did you know she had no phone or money?””
Richard closed his eyes.
He could still see me standing on the porch, my wet hair sticking to my cheeks, my backpack lying in a puddle.
He could still hear himself telling me to leave.
“I thought she'd go to a friend's house,” he said weakly.
“Which friend?””
Richard opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He didn't know.
He had never asked.
Officer Daniels continued, his voice firm but controlled.
“Mr. Walls, your daughter was found several miles from your home during severe weather. The person who discovered her reported that she was barely responsive. I need you to understand that this is a serious situation.””
Richard pressed his free hand against his forehead.
“I didn't know she was going to walk that far.””
“Did you attempt to contact her after she left?””
“No.””
“Did anyone in your household?””
Richard looked at Karen again.
She had gone very still.
“No,” he admitted.
Officer Daniels let the silence sit between them.
Then he said, “There's another reason I'm calling.””
Richard's stomach tightened.
“What reason?””
“The emergency crew found an item in Emily's possession that doesn't appear to belong to her. We need to establish how she came to have it.””
“What item?””
“A small, waterproof document pouch. It was tucked inside the lining of her backpack. It contains several photographs and a storage device.””
Richard blinked.
“I don't know anything about that.””
“Do you recognize the name Daniel Mercer?””
The glass slipped from Richard's hand.
It struck the carpet and rolled beneath the coffee table.
Karen stared at him.
“Dad?””
Richard didn't respond.
The name had come out of the telephone like a voice from a grave.
Daniel Mercer.
He hadn't heard it spoken aloud in nearly six years.
He had believed the man was gone. He had believed the matter was finished. He had believed that the documents associated with that name had disappeared when the old house was cleared out.
Most importantly, he had believed his daughters knew nothing about it.
“Mr. Walls?”” Officer Daniels said.
Richard forced himself to breathe.
“Where did you get that name?””
“From the contents of the pouch. I need you to come to the hospital as soon as possible. An investigator is on the way, and we'll need to speak with you.””
“Daniel Mercer is dead.””
Another pause.
“That's interesting,” Officer Daniels replied.
“Because one of the photographs appears to show Mr. Mercer alive and standing beside you.””
Richard's hand began to shake.
Karen stepped closer.
“Dad, what's going on?””
He covered the receiver.
“Go upstairs.””
“But—”
“Now!””
Karen recoiled.
For the first time that evening, her expression was not carefully arranged for an audience. She looked frightened.
She turned toward the staircase, then stopped halfway across the room.
“Dad, what did they find?””
Richard didn't answer.
He returned to the phone.
“Officer, whatever you've found, my daughter doesn't know anything about it.””
“You should discuss that with the investigator, Mr. Walls.””
“She's a child.””
“So is Emily.””
The words landed with brutal simplicity.
Richard stared at the front door.
For the first time, he seemed to see the evening as someone outside his family might see it: a fifteen-year-old girl standing in a storm without a coat, while the adult responsible for her watched the deadbolt slide into place.
He sank onto the sofa.
“Is she conscious?”” he whispered.
“Not when she arrived. The hospital will update you when they can.””
“I need to see her.””
“Then I suggest you leave now.””
The call ended.
Richard remained seated, the receiver pressed against his ear long after the line went dead.
Karen approached him slowly.
“Dad?””
He lowered the phone.
“Go get your shoes.””
“Why?””
“We're going to the hospital.””
Her eyes widened.
“Is Emily okay?””
“I don't know.””
Karen looked toward the hallway.
For a fraction of a second, she seemed relieved that he hadn't asked her anything about Daniel Mercer.
Then Richard spoke again.
“Karen, did you put anything in your sister's backpack?””
She froze.
“What?””
“Did you put anything in Emily's backpack?””
“No. Of course not.””
He studied her face.
She looked exactly as she had looked when she accused me: wide eyes, trembling lips, a hand pressed against her chest.
But this time, Richard didn't immediately believe her.
“Then why,” he asked slowly, “would the police find a hidden pouch inside it?””
Karen's mouth opened.
Closed.
“I don't know.””
Richard stood.
“Get your shoes.””
She ran upstairs.
He watched her disappear, then turned toward the window.
Outside, the storm continued to rage.
For the first time that night, he wondered whether the rain had been the most dangerous thing I had encountered.
Because the name Daniel Mercer had awakened something he'd spent six years trying to forget.
And the police had found evidence that someone in his family had been keeping secrets.
Secrets that might explain why my sister had been so desperate to make me look guilty.
Secrets that might explain why a girl who had never been in trouble at school was suddenly being accused of drug abuse.
And secrets that could destroy everything Richard Walls had built.
He grabbed his car keys.
Then his phone rang again.
This time, it was an unfamiliar number.
“Richard Walls?”” a woman asked.
“Yes.””
“My name is Detective Harris. I'm investigating the contents of the pouch found with your daughter.””
He closed his eyes.
“Detective, I don't know anything about it.””
“Perhaps not. But I need you to listen carefully.””
He waited.
“We've identified the storage device. It contains records connected to an investigation that was officially closed six years ago.””
Richard's knees nearly gave way.
May you like
The detective continued.
“And Mr. Walls, your name appears in those records.””
