Chapter 5: The Man Who Had Been Dead for Four Years
I drove with one hand gripping the steering wheel and the other holding Danielle's memory card.
My wife sat beside me, wrapped in a blanket from the guest room.
She had refused to go to the hospital until we found Ava.
I couldn't blame her.
The police were on their way, but I didn't know whether I could trust anyone connected to the original investigation.
Four years ago, Daniel had told me the police were doing everything they could.
Four years ago, he'd encouraged me to stop searching.
Four years ago, he'd helped bury the truth.
Now he had my daughter.
“Where are we going?”” Danielle asked.
“Daniel gave me an address.””
She looked at the phone in my hand.
“Did he tell you where?””
“An old warehouse near the river.””
Her face drained.
“That's where they took me.””
I glanced at her.
“You were there before?””
She nodded.
“Before they brought me under the house, they kept me in a warehouse for six days.””
“Why?””
“To force me to give them the memory card.””
I looked down at the small plastic-wrapped object.
“Why didn't they find it?””
“Because they thought I had swallowed it.””
I stared at her.
“You hid it in your hair?””
A faint, exhausted smile touched her face.
“Your father taught me to sew tiny pockets into the lining of my clothes. I had it hidden in a piece of fabric for months.””
I shook my head.
“Dad knew this was happening?””
“He suspected. He didn't know how far Robert would go.””
The road curved toward the river.
Ahead, a rusted sign marked the entrance to an abandoned industrial property.
I slowed down.
“Danielle, stay in the car.””
“No.””
“You've been locked away for four years.””
“And my daughter has been taken.””
She reached for my hand.
“I'm not losing another minute with her.””
We entered the warehouse through a side door.
The smell hit first.
Damp concrete. Old oil. Rust.
A single light flickered above the center of the room.
Daniel stood beneath it.
Ava was sitting on a wooden chair beside him.
Her stuffed rabbit was in her lap.
“Daddy!””
I rushed forward.
Daniel lifted one hand.
“Stop.””
I froze.
“Let her go.””
“Give me the memory card.””
“First, Ava.””
Daniel looked at my daughter.
“Sweetheart, stand up.””
Ava climbed down.
She ran toward me.
I caught her and held her so tightly she squealed.
“Daddy, I want to go home.””
“I know, baby.””
I kissed her hair.
“I'm here.””
Then I looked at Daniel.
“Why?””
He lowered his eyes.
“Because I didn't have a choice.””
“You always had a choice.””
“Not with Robert.””
“Where is he?””
Daniel looked toward the back of the warehouse.
A metal door opened.
A man stepped out.
He was tall, wearing a dark suit and carrying a silver walking stick.
His hair was almost entirely white.
His face was deeply lined.
But I recognized him.
I'd seen him in photographs.
At Vanessa's graduation.
At our engagement dinner.
At the charity gala where he'd shaken my hand and congratulated me on finding happiness again.
Robert Cole.
Vanessa's father.
The man I'd believed was living in London.
The man everyone said had died in a private plane accident four years earlier.
I stared at him.
“You're supposed to be dead.””
Robert smiled.
“That's what made everything so convenient.””
Danielle stepped forward.
“Stay away from him.””
Robert looked at her.
“Danielle. You look terrible.””
My hands curled into fists.
“You kept my wife under my house.””
Robert adjusted his cuff.
“I kept a dangerous woman from destroying several legitimate businesses.””
“You imprisoned her.””
“She stole confidential documents.””
“She found evidence of your crimes!””
Robert's smile disappeared.
“Careful, Marcus.””
He tapped his walking stick against the concrete.
“You're standing on land that belongs to me.””
“No, it belongs to my family.””
“Your family has been in debt for decades. Your father knew that. He accepted my assistance, and in return, he allowed me to use certain properties.””
“Until he changed his mind.””
Robert's eyes narrowed.
“Your father became sentimental.””
Danielle stepped closer.
“He wanted to go to the police.””
“And look how that ended.””
The words were delivered casually.
Too casually.
I felt the room tilt.
“What did you do to my father?””
Robert looked at me.
Then he smiled.
“Ask your brother.””
I turned toward Daniel.
My brother was staring at the floor.
“Daniel?””
He didn't answer.
“Did Robert kill Dad?””
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“Marcus, I tried to stop him.””
My voice cracked.
“Did you know?””
“I knew something was wrong.””
“Did you know he was planning to kill him?””
Daniel finally looked up.
“I was there.””
The warehouse went silent.
Ava buried her face against my chest.
I could barely breathe.
“You were there when Dad died?””
Daniel nodded.
“He'd found out Robert was moving money through the estate. He threatened to expose everything. Robert came to the house that night.””
“And?””
“They argued.””
“What happened?””
Daniel's eyes filled.
“Robert pushed him.””
I felt my knees weaken.
“Dad fell?””
Daniel nodded.
“He hit his head on the marble fireplace. He was still breathing.””
I stared at him.
“And you?””
“I called Robert.””
“You didn't call an ambulance?””
Daniel began crying.
“I was afraid.””
Robert struck his walking stick against the floor.
“Enough.””
Daniel flinched.
I looked at the older man.
“You killed my father.””
Robert shrugged.
“Your father made a poor decision.””
I wanted to attack him.
I wanted to make him feel even a fraction of what he'd made my family feel.
But Ava was in my arms.
Danielle was beside me.
I couldn't risk either of them.
Robert extended his hand.
“The memory card.””
I didn't move.
“Let my family leave.””
“Give me the card.””
“Let them leave first.””
Robert smiled.
“You still think this is a negotiation.””
He nodded toward the warehouse entrance.
Two men stepped inside.
Both wore dark jackets.
One held a phone.
The other held a small black case.
Robert pointed at Danielle.
“Your wife has been a very expensive problem.””
Then he looked at Ava.
“And children are remarkably effective at making men cooperate.””
Danielle moved in front of us.
“Don't you dare touch her.””
Robert ignored her.
“Marcus, give me the card, and I may allow you to take your daughter home.””
I slowly reached into my pocket.
The memory card was there.
But I wasn't giving him the original.
I'd made a copy before leaving the house.
And I'd sent that copy to someone who could bring the entire operation down.
I lifted my hand.
Robert's eyes fixed on the small plastic object.
“Good,” he said.
I held it out.
Then my phone rang.
Ava lifted her head.
“Daddy, that's Mommy's song.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She pointed toward the phone.
The ringtone was the little melody Danielle and I had made up years ago.
But I hadn't set it as my ringtone.
Nobody had.
The screen showed an incoming call from an unknown number.
I answered.
A familiar voice spoke.
“Marcus, this is Detective Helen Brooks. We have your message, and we're outside the warehouse.””
Relief surged through me.
Then she added:
“Don't move. We have a warrant for Robert Cole, and there's something else you need to know.””
I swallowed.
“What?””
“We recovered the original surveillance footage from your father's estate.””
My eyes moved toward Robert.
The smile had disappeared from his face.
Detective Brooks continued.
“The footage shows someone entering the house on the night your father died.””
“Who?””
There was a pause.
Then she answered.
“Vanessa Cole.””
Danielle grabbed my arm.
I looked at my wife.
Her face had gone completely white.
“No,” she whispered.
Robert suddenly laughed.
A deep, ugly laugh that echoed through the warehouse.
“You really thought Vanessa was the villain?””
He stepped closer.
“Marcus, there is one thing your wife hasn't told you.””
I turned toward Danielle.
“What?””
She couldn't meet my eyes.
Robert leaned on his silver walking stick.
“Vanessa wasn't sent to marry you because of the property.””
He smiled.
“She was sent to make sure you never discovered who your real father was.””
I stared at him.
“What are you talking about?””
Robert looked at Danielle.
“Tell him.””
My wife began to cry.
Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, she said:
“Marcus, Robert Cole isn't just Vanessa's father.””
May you like
She looked directly into my eyes.
“He's yours, too.””
