Chapter 8: The Original Owner
We didn't call the police first.
We called Emma.
Kayla insisted.
“She has to be somewhere safe.””
Jordan dialed his daughter's number.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Kayla's hands shook.
“She's at her friend's house.””
“Which friend?”” I asked.
“Lily.””
“Where?””
“Across town.””
Jordan was already reaching for his coat.
“I'll get her.””
“I'll come.””
Kayla grabbed my arm.
“No.””
I pulled away.
“You don't get to tell me where I go anymore.””
She looked at me.
“I need you.””
“No.””
“You're the only person they won't expect.””
I stared at her.
For a moment, I saw the woman who had once cried at my kitchen table.
The woman who had hugged me and called me Mom.
Then I remembered my husband's photograph being removed from the wall.
My chair being taken.
My signature being forged.
“No,” I repeated.
Her eyes filled.
“Please.””
It was the first time she had ever said that word without demanding something afterward.
I hesitated.
Then Jordan's phone rang.
A man's voice said,
“If you want your granddaughter alive, bring the box.””
Jordan froze.
I grabbed the phone.
“Who is this?””
The caller laughed.
“You know what we want.””
“You're threatening a child.””
“I'm negotiating.””
“You're a coward.””
The line went dead.
Jordan looked at me.
“What do we do?””
I looked at Kayla.
She whispered, “Give them the box.””
“No.””
“They'll hurt her.””
“We don't know that.””
“I do.””
“Why?””
“Because I've seen what they do.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“I know where they'll take her.””
Everyone looked at him.
“Where?””
“The old Northstar warehouse.””
Jordan shook his head.
“That's been abandoned for years.””
“Not completely.””
I stared at Daniel.
“Take us there.””
He hesitated.
“Mrs. Bennett—”
“Take us there.””
We drove through the snow in Daniel's car.
Kayla sat beside me in the back.
For twenty minutes, nobody spoke.
Then she whispered, “I never wanted this.””
I looked out the window.
“You wanted my house.””
“Yes.””
“You wanted my signature.””
“Yes.””
“You wanted my money.””
“Yes.””
“Then don't tell me you never wanted this.””
She lowered her head.
“I wanted to stop being afraid.””
I looked at her.
“So did I.””
She cried silently.
I didn't comfort her.
Not yet.
The warehouse stood at the edge of an industrial district.
The windows were broken.
The loading doors were chained.
Daniel parked behind a row of abandoned trucks.
“We go in through the side.””
Jordan looked at me.
“You stay here.””
“No.””
“Mom.””
“I'm not sitting in a car while my granddaughter is inside.””
Daniel nodded.
“She comes.””
We entered through a rusted side door.
The building smelled of oil, damp concrete, and old paper.
A light flickered overhead.
Then we heard a child's voice.
“Mom?””
Kayla ran.
“Emma!””
She stopped when a man stepped from the shadows.
He held Emma by the shoulder.
She looked frightened but unharmed.
The man smiled.
“Good.””
Jordan stepped forward.
“Let her go.””
“Not yet.””
I held up the box.
“This is what you want.””
The man looked at it.
“Yes.””
“Then let her go.””
He laughed.
“You really think this is a negotiation?””
Daniel stepped beside me.
“Voss.””
The man's smile disappeared.
“Daniel.””
“You're supposed to be dead.””
“So are you.””
Daniel's jaw tightened.
I looked at him.
“You know him?””
“Yes.””
The man was Martin Voss.
The man Kayla had named.
The man supposedly imprisoned.
I looked at Kayla.
“You knew he was alive.””
She nodded.
“I did.””
Martin smiled.
“She's smarter than she looks.””
I said, “What do you want?””
“The original records.””
I held up the box.
“Why?””
“Because Jack was careless.””
“Don't talk about my husband.””
“He discovered something.””
“What?””
Martin looked at Emma.
“Something that belongs to her.””
Kayla stepped forward.
“Leave her out of this.””
“You brought her into it.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
He pointed at me.
“Your husband created the trust because he knew the records couldn't remain in his name.””
I stared at him.
“What records?””
“The ownership records.””
Daniel whispered, “Eleanor…”
Martin smiled.
“Northstar wasn't owned by me.””
“Then who?””
He looked at Emma.
“Her.””
Jordan shook his head.
“That makes no sense.””
Martin laughed.
“Her grandmother inherited the original shares.””
I stared.
“My grandmother?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Martin said,
“Your husband.””
I couldn't breathe.
“Jack owned Northstar?””
“Not exactly.””
He took a step closer.
“Jack's father did.””
The pieces began moving.
My husband had always avoided talking about his father's business.
He had once said, “My father made money in ways I didn't respect.””
I had never pressed him.
Martin continued.
“Jack inherited controlling shares but refused to participate.””
“And you?””
“I became his proxy.””
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded slowly.
“That's why Jack had access.””
Martin's eyes hardened.
“He wanted out.””
“But you wouldn't let him.””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew too much.””
Jordan stepped forward.
“You killed him.””
Martin looked at him.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Martin smiled.
“Ask Kayla.””
Kayla went rigid.
I turned.
“What does he mean?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Kayla.””
“I didn't.””
Martin laughed.
“You delivered the bottle.””
My stomach turned.
“You gave him the poison?””
“No.””
“You put it in the house?””
“I didn't know what it was!””
Martin's voice became cold.
“You knew exactly what it was.””
Kayla began crying.
“I thought it was a sleeping medication.””
Martin shrugged.
“Doesn't matter.””
I looked at Kayla.
“You poisoned my husband.””
“No.””
“You put something in his coffee.””
“I didn't know it would kill him.””
I stepped backward.
Jordan whispered, “Mom.””
I couldn't look at him.
Kayla collapsed to her knees.
“I was supposed to scare him.””
Martin's expression remained empty.
“He was supposed to sign.””
“And when he didn't?””
“He was supposed to be threatened.””
“By you?””
“No.””
She looked toward Daniel.
“By him.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You're lying.””
“You told me to bring the bottle.””
“I told you to bring the papers.””
“You told me Jack would cooperate.””
“I thought he would.””
I felt sick.
Six years of grief.
Six years of believing my husband had died naturally.
And now I knew.
Kayla had been in the room.
She had brought the poison.
But someone else had planned it.
I looked at Martin.
“Where is the evidence?””
He pointed toward the box.
“That's what you're carrying.””
I opened it.
At the bottom was a small digital recorder.
I pressed the button.
Static filled the warehouse.
Then Jack's voice.
My husband's voice.
Alive.
Afraid.
“If you're hearing this, I didn't make it.””
My knees nearly gave out.
Jordan grabbed my shoulder.
Jack continued.
“Ellie, I need you to know one thing.””
The recording crackled.
“Trust Jordan.””
I looked at my son.
He was crying.
Jack's voice returned.
“The person who betrays you won't be Jordan.””
A loud bang echoed outside.
Martin turned.
Daniel shouted,
“Down!””
Gunfire cracked through the warehouse.
Emma screamed.
Jordan grabbed her.
I dropped behind a concrete pillar.
More shots.
Then silence.
Martin was gone.
So was Daniel.
And Kayla was nowhere beside us.
I looked around wildly.
“Kayla?””
No answer.
Then I saw the door swinging open.
She had disappeared.
But she had left one thing behind.
Her phone.
On the screen was a message.
*MEET ME AT THE HOUSE. COME ALONE.*
May you like
And beneath it was a second message from an unknown number.
*OR YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER DIES.*
