Chapter 3 - THE DEAD BROTHER'S MESSAGE Detective Sarah Cole arrived at 8:27 p.m. with four officers and a forensic technician.
Detective Sarah Cole arrived at 8:27 p.m. with four officers and a forensic technician.
Within fifteen minutes, the Bennett estate was surrounded.
Vivian's disappearance immediately complicated everything.
Was she Marcus's accomplice?
His hostage?
Both?
Daniel showed Detective Cole the security footage.
The detective watched Vivian release Noah from the balcony twice without speaking.
Then she watched Marcus appear.
“You're certain that's your brother?”
“Yes.”
“You haven't seen him in eleven years?”
“No.”
“And he was legally declared dead?”
“Yes.”
Cole folded her arms.
“Mr. Bennett, dead men don't usually break into houses.”
Daniel gave her a tired look.
“I noticed.”
The detective ignored the sarcasm.
“What happened between you and Marcus before his disappearance?”
Daniel stared toward the dark windows.
“We were brothers.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Daniel sighed.
Marcus had always been their father's favorite.
Charismatic, fearless, reckless.
Daniel had been quieter.
More disciplined.
When their father founded Bennett Technologies, everyone assumed Marcus would eventually run it.
Then Marcus began gambling.
First thousands.
Then hundreds of thousands.
Eventually millions.
Their father discovered Marcus had used company assets as collateral.
He threatened to remove him from the business.
Two weeks later, Marcus disappeared.
Daniel had spent years believing guilt drove him into that storm.
Now he wondered whether the crash had been staged.
Detective Cole listened carefully.
“Who benefited from his disappearance?”
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
“I did.”
“And your father?”
“He kept the company.”
“Anyone else?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“My father's attorney.”
“Name?”
“Charles Voss.”
Cole wrote it down.
Across the room, Elena sat beside Lily while Noah slept in her arms.
Lily had refused to leave.
Daniel understood why.
Truth had saved her brother tonight.
He would not punish her for wanting more of it.
Detective Cole approached her.
“Lily, can I ask you something?”
The girl nodded.
“How did you know about the recording?”
“I saw Mrs. Bennett upstairs.”
Daniel looked sharply at his daughter.
“You saw Vivian?”
Lily nodded.
“Before Noah fell.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“You weren't home.”
“What exactly did you see?”
Lily swallowed.
“She was arguing with someone.”
“Marcus?”
“No.”
The room became still.
“Who?”
“I couldn't see. They were inside Dad's office.”
Daniel stared at her.
“What did you hear?”
Lily looked frightened.
“One sentence.”
“What sentence?”
“She said, ‘If Daniel learns what really happened to Rachel, he'll destroy us.’”
Daniel stopped breathing.
Rachel.
Lily's mother.
Daniel's first wife.
Dead for seven years.
Her death had been ruled an accident.
A drunk driver had crossed the center line and struck her vehicle on a rainy highway.
The driver died too.
The investigation had closed within weeks.
Daniel looked toward Detective Cole.
“Get me everything on Rachel Bennett's accident.”
Cole's expression changed.
“You think it's connected?”
“I don't know anymore.”
Elena shifted Noah gently.
Daniel noticed something white protruding from the baby's blanket.
A folded piece of paper.
“Elena.”
She looked down.
“What is that?”
She removed it.
A handwritten note.
Daniel recognized Vivian's handwriting.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, MARCUS LIED TO ME TOO.
Daniel unfolded the rest.
There was only one more sentence.
RACHEL DIDN'T DIE BECAUSE OF MARCUS.
Daniel's hands tightened.
Detective Cole stepped closer.
“Then who?”
Daniel turned the paper over.
Nothing.
Lily whispered, “Maybe Vivian knows.”
Daniel looked toward the blank security screen.
Perhaps.
But Vivian was missing.
Marcus was alive.
And someone had been hiding the truth about Rachel's death for seven years.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Daniel?”
Vivian.
Her voice trembled.
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Did Marcus take you?”
Silence.
“Vivian?”
“I thought he was helping me.”
“Helping you do what? Murder Noah?”
Vivian began crying.
“He told me the baby wasn't yours.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“What?”
“He showed me DNA results.”
“You believed him?”
“He said Noah was part of their plan.”
“Whose plan?”
Vivian suddenly whispered, “Oh God.”
A noise sounded behind her.
“Vivian?”
“They found me.”
“Who?”
The call disconnected.
Daniel immediately called back.
Nothing.
Detective Cole ordered technicians to trace the number.
Daniel stood motionless.
Then Lily spoke.
“Dad.”
He looked at her.
“There's something else.”
She reached into her jeans pocket.
And removed a tiny silver key.
“Mom gave me this before she died.”
Daniel stared at it.
“She told me never to give it to anyone unless someone tried to hurt Noah.”
Daniel's face drained of color.
“Lily…”
“How could Rachel know about Noah?” Elena whispered.
Everyone looked at the baby.
Lily shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Daniel did.
There was only one possible explanation.
Rachel hadn't been talking about Noah.
May you like
She had been talking about another child.
A child Daniel knew nothing about.
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