Chapter 9: The Last Lie
My hands went numb.
*Marcus Bennett.*
I stared at the name.
Marcus's name.
The man who had spent ten years protecting me.
The man who had just taken a bullet for me.
The man I'd accused of betrayal.
I looked up.
He was standing twenty feet away, holding his wounded shoulder.
“Nia.””
I held up the page.
“Why is your name here?””
Marcus stopped.
His face changed.
“I didn't know.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“Yes.””
“You've lied to me for ten years.””
“I know.””
“You hid my mother's death.””
“I know.””
“You knew my father was involved.””
“I knew pieces.””
“You knew enough.””
He looked at the page.
“I never saw that.””
Richard was on the ground, pinned beneath Daniel.
Vanessa was crying beside them.
Calloway had disappeared.
The police were approaching from the road.
But none of that mattered.
I needed the truth.
“What did you do?””
Marcus looked at me.
“Nothing.””
“Then why did she write your name?””
He took a slow breath.
“Because she was warning you.””
“About me?””
“About my father.””
I frowned.
“What does your father have to do with your name?””
Marcus pointed to the bottom of the page.
“Look at the handwriting.””
I stared.
The name wasn't written by my mother.
It was written in another hand.
Marcus's.
I looked at him.
“You wrote it?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Tonight.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“I added my name.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew eventually you'd find the ledger.””
He stepped closer.
“I wanted you to see my name before someone else could use it against me.””
I stared at the page.
“You planted it?””
“No.””
“Then why?””
“Because there is something in that ledger that could destroy me.””
“What?””
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out the memory card.
The original recording.
“I lied about losing this.””
My heart dropped.
“You still had it?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I needed to know whether your mother had named the person who ordered everything.””
“And?””
“I listened.””
He handed me his phone.
The recording began.
My mother's voice.
“If Marcus is listening, then I failed.””
I looked at him.
Her voice continued.
“Marcus, I know your father is involved.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“But I don't blame you.””
My breathing stopped.
“You are the only person I trust to protect Nia.””
Then my mother's voice softened.
“Don't tell her everything immediately.””
A pause.
“She is still grieving.””
Another pause.
“When she's ready, tell her this.””
I leaned closer.
“Her father didn't kill me.””
I froze.
“What?””
My mother's voice continued.
“Edward Bennett was framed.””
My eyes filled with tears.
“The person who ordered my death was someone neither of you suspects.””
The recording crackled.
Then she said a name.
“Calloway.””
I looked at Marcus.
The same attorney who had just tried to shoot us.
The man who had handled my parents' estate.
The man who had comforted me at my mother's funeral.
The man who had spent ten years pretending to protect our family.
My mother knew.
She'd known.
And she'd trusted Marcus to find him.
I listened again.
My mother's voice became urgent.
“Calloway has the second ledger.””
Marcus whispered, “That's why he wanted you.””
I nodded.
The pieces finally aligned.
Calloway had framed my father.
He had manipulated Richard.
He had used Samuel.
He had used Vanessa.
He had destroyed my mother's reputation.
And when Marcus started investigating, he had tried to destroy my marriage.
Because the truth was buried in two ledgers.
The first was in my hands.
The second was with Calloway.
I turned toward Richard.
“You knew?””
He nodded.
“Calloway used my father.””
“Why?””
“Money.””
“That's all?””
Richard shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at Marcus.
“Your father discovered Calloway was stealing from everyone.””
Marcus went still.
“Then why did he work with him?””
“He didn't.””
Richard looked at me.
“He was trying to stop him.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“My father died believing he'd failed.””
Richard nodded.
“He hadn't.””
I looked at Marcus.
“Your father left something too.””
Marcus shook his head.
“What?””
Richard smiled.
“A letter.””
“Where?””
“In Calloway's office.””
The police officer approached.
“We'll get a warrant.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
The officer frowned.
“We're not waiting.””
I pointed toward the road.
“Calloway will destroy it.””
Marcus looked at me.
“You're right.””
Daniel grabbed his keys.
“I know where the office is.””
The officer stopped us.
“No one is going anywhere.””
Then a police radio crackled.
“Unit three, suspect vehicle spotted near downtown.””
The officer's face changed.
“Calloway.””
I looked at Marcus.
He nodded.
“We have to go.””
The officer sighed.
“Fine. But you're staying with us.””
We drove downtown.
Calloway's office was dark.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, drawers had been emptied.
Papers covered the floor.
A window stood open.
“He's gone,” Daniel said.
I looked around.
Then saw a framed photograph on the wall.
My mother.
My father.
Calloway.
And another man.
My blood ran cold.
The fourth person was Marcus's father.
Behind the frame was a hidden compartment.
Inside sat a black leather book.
The second ledger.
Marcus reached for it.
Then stopped.
“You open it.””
I did.
The first page contained dates.
The second contained names.
The third contained payments.
Then I saw the final entry.
A payment made three years ago.
To a hospital.
For a patient named:
*Samuel Bennett.*
I stared.
“Samuel was alive?””
Daniel whispered, “Three years ago.””
Marcus took the book.
“He wasn't the person who died.””
“What?””
Marcus turned the page.
A photograph was attached.
Samuel Bennett.
Alive.
Standing beside Calloway.
But the photograph had been taken *two weeks ago*.
My blood ran cold.
“That's impossible.””
Marcus looked at the date.
“Unless…”
The office door slammed shut.
We spun around.
A voice came from the darkness.
“Unless the man you thought was dead never died.””
The lights came on.
An older man stood in the doorway.
I knew his face.
I'd seen him in my childhood photographs.
I'd seen him in dreams.
I'd seen him standing beside my father.
Samuel Bennett.
My uncle.
Alive.
He smiled at me.
“Nia.””
Marcus stepped in front of me.
Samuel laughed.
“Still protecting her, Marcus?””
I stared at him.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked at the ledger.
“Because your mother was wrong about one thing.””
“What?””
“She thought Calloway was the mastermind.””
He smiled.
“He wasn't.””
My heart stopped.
“Then who was?””
May you like
Samuel's eyes moved to me.
“You were.””
