Chapter 8: The Man Who Was Dead
David descended the staircase slowly.
Emma followed close behind.
Claire stayed several steps back.
The man's voice came again.
“David?””
David reached the foyer.
A man stood beside the front door.
Older.
Thinner.
Gray around the temples.
But unmistakable.
David's face lost all color.
“Michael.””
The man looked at him.
“Hello, brother.””
Emma gripped the banister.
“Dad…”
David raised one hand.
“Stay upstairs.””
The man looked toward her.
“So that's Emma.””
David stepped between them.
“Don't look at her.””
Michael gave a tired smile.
“I've wanted to meet her.””
“You're supposed to be dead.””
Michael nodded.
“I know.””
Claire whispered, “Michael?””
He looked at her.
“Hello, Claire.””
She stumbled backward.
“No.””
Victoria appeared at the end of the hallway.
The moment she saw Michael, she covered her mouth.
“You came back.””
Michael looked at her.
“I had to.””
David's voice was shaking with anger.
“You let everyone believe you were dead.””
Michael's smile disappeared.
“I had no choice.””
“You had every choice.””
“I was in danger.””
“From who?””
Michael looked at Victoria.
She looked away.
David noticed.
“You.””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
Michael said quietly, “Not Victoria.””
David stared at him.
“Then who?””
Michael stepped into the house.
“The person who was stealing from Eleanor.””
Emma came downstairs.
“Who?””
David turned.
“Emma, go back upstairs.””
“No.””
Michael looked at her.
“Your mother was trying to protect you.””
Emma's eyes filled.
“How do you know?””
“Because she called me the night before she died.””
David froze.
“She called you?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“She knew something was wrong.””
Michael reached into his coat.
He pulled out an old phone.
“She left me a voicemail.””
David's breathing stopped.
“You have it?””
Michael nodded.
“She's the reason I disappeared.””
Emma stepped closer.
“Can I hear it?””
David hesitated.
Then nodded.
Michael pressed play.
A woman's voice filled the foyer.
Eleanor.
Emma's knees almost gave out.
“Michael, it's me.””
A pause.
“I don't have much time.””
David covered his mouth.
Eleanor continued.
“Someone has been taking money from the account. I know who it is now.””
Emma started crying.
The recording continued.
“I don't know if I can trust David with this yet.””
David flinched.
Eleanor's voice softened.
“If anything happens to me, protect Emma. Don't let them convince her she doesn't belong.””
Emma closed her eyes.
The words echoed through the house.
Don't let them convince her she doesn't belong.
Victoria began crying.
Michael stopped the recording.
David stared at him.
“Who was she talking about?””
Michael looked toward the office.
“The person she confronted.””
“Who?””
Michael shook his head.
“I don't know.””
David's voice rose.
“You said you knew.””
“I know who helped.””
“Who?””
Michael looked at Victoria.
“She did.””
Emma stared at her stepmother.
Victoria shook her head.
“I didn't hurt Eleanor.””
Michael nodded.
“I believe you.””
David frowned.
“What?””
“Victoria helped cover the financial transfers.””
Victoria's face fell.
“But she didn't cause Eleanor's death.””
David stared.
“Then who did?””
Michael looked at Emma.
“Your mother discovered the truth.””
“What truth?””
“That someone was using your father's identity to move money.””
David looked at the notebook.
“The signatures.””
“Yes.””
“Who had access?””
Michael's eyes shifted toward Claire.
Claire began shaking her head.
“No.””
David looked at her.
Michael said, “Claire knew more than she admitted.””
Claire burst into tears.
“I didn't know she would die.””
David stepped toward her.
“What did you do?””
“I only delivered documents.””
“To whom?””
“Victoria.””
Victoria snapped, “You said you never knew about the account.””
“I didn't know what it was!””
“You knew enough to lie.””
Claire sobbed.
“I was scared.””
David looked at Michael.
“What happened to Eleanor?””
Michael's face hardened.
“She was driving home when her brakes failed.””
Emma went still.
“My mother's accident?””
“It wasn't an accident.””
David's eyes widened.
“The police said mechanical failure.””
“They were given false evidence.””
“By whom?””
Michael looked at the red notebook.
“Someone replaced the brake report.””
Emma whispered, “Who?””
Michael reached into his coat again.
This time he pulled out a folded photograph.
He handed it to David.
The photograph showed Eleanor's car in a garage.
Someone stood beside it.
David stared.
Then his hands began to shake.
Emma looked over his shoulder.
She recognized the person.
It was someone she had trusted for years.
“Dad…”
David couldn't speak.
Michael whispered, “Now you understand why I disappeared.””
Victoria sank onto the stairs.
“No.””
David turned toward her.
“You knew.””
“I knew something was wrong.””
“You knew.””
“I suspected.””
“Who is that?””
Victoria stared at the photograph.
Then she whispered the name.
“Richard.””
Emma's heart stopped.
Richard was David's older brother.
Her uncle.
The man who had attended her mother's funeral.
The man who had hugged Emma afterward and promised to protect her.
The man who had later helped David handle the estate.
David's phone suddenly rang.
He answered without looking.
A voice spoke.
“David?””
David went rigid.
It was Richard.
“I hear Michael is back.””
David's face turned cold.
“How do you know?””
A pause.
Then Richard said,
“Because I'm standing outside your house.””
Emma looked toward the front window.
May you like
A shadow moved across the curtains.
And then the doorbell rang.
