Chapter 6 - THE CRASH
Detective Alvarez arrived the next day.
He listened to everything.
The recordings.
The financial documents.
Victor's confession.
Then he said something unexpected.
"We never closed the accident investigation."
"What?"
"Not officially."
"Why?"
"Because the truck driver disappeared."
I stared at him.
"Disappeared?"
"Left the country."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"We didn't have evidence connecting him to anything."
"Do you now?"
"Possibly."
He showed me photographs.
Daniel's vehicle.
The highway.
A damaged guardrail.
Then a photograph of a tire mark.
"See this?"
I nodded.
"That's not consistent with the truck's reported path."
"What does that mean?"
"The truck may have changed lanes intentionally."
My stomach tightened.
"Could someone have paid the driver?"
"We're investigating."
Then he showed me another photograph.
A piece of metal recovered from the wreckage.
"What's that?"
"Part of a tracking device."
I stared.
"Tracking?"
"Someone may have been monitoring Daniel's vehicle."
I felt sick.
"Why?"
"That's what we're trying to determine."
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I sat in Daniel's office.
I played his last recorded conversation.
My father.
Daniel.
The argument.
Then I heard something I hadn't noticed before.
A third voice.
Quiet.
Behind the door.
Kelsey.
She said:
"He's leaving tomorrow."
My father replied:
"Then we have one chance."
I stopped the recording.
My heart hammered.
I called Margaret.
She answered.
"Emily?"
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"I think Daniel's accident wasn't an accident."
Silence.
Then she said:
"Daniel suspected it."
I closed my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"He wanted to protect you."
"Everyone keeps saying that."
My voice broke.
"But protecting me by keeping me ignorant almost got me killed."
She apologized.
Then she told me something else.
"Daniel had a contingency."
"What?"
"A secure vault."
"Where?"
"At the company headquarters."
I went there immediately.
Victor met me.
He looked terrible.
"You shouldn't be here."
"I need the vault."
He hesitated.
Then unlocked it.
Inside was a single envelope.
Daniel's handwriting.
I opened it.
Emily,
If you have reached this point, something has gone very wrong.
There is one person you must not trust.
Not Richard.
Not Kelsey.
Not Victor.
I stared.
Then turned the page.
The person closest to you.
I read it again.
My blood went cold.
Who was closest to me?
Margaret?
Victor?
Someone at the company?
My own security?
Then my phone buzzed.
A text.
Unknown number.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE WHEN YOUR FATHER TOLD YOU TO.
Another message arrived.
NOW YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE YOUR DAUGHTER TOO.
I stood frozen.
Then I felt pain in my stomach.
A contraction.
Too early.
I grabbed the desk.
Victor rushed toward me.
"Emily?"
I looked down.
There was blood.
Not much.
But enough.
"Call the hospital."
Victor reached for his phone.
Then I saw the expression on his face.
Fear.
Real fear.
He wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid of whoever was watching us.
And suddenly I understood.
Daniel's warning wasn't about one person.
It was about someone who had access to everything.
Someone who knew where I lived.
May you like
Someone who knew my pregnancy.
Someone who knew exactly when to strike.
