Chapter 9: The Voice From My Father’s Last Call
The phone kept ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sound filled the basement like an alarm.
My mother stood completely still.
“Danielle,” she whispered.
I looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
But she knew it.
And somehow, I knew she was right.
This was the number connected to the last moments of my father’s life.
The number he called before he died.
The number nobody had mentioned for nine years.
My finger hovered above the answer button.
“Don’t.””
My mother’s voice cracked.
I looked at her.
“Why?””
She shook her head.
“Because you don’t know who’s on the other side.””
I stared at the phone.
“That’s exactly why I need to answer.””
I pressed the button.
“Hello?””
For a few seconds, there was nothing.
Only silence.
Then a man’s voice.
“Danielle Parker?””
My entire body froze.
“Yes.””
A pause.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to speak with you.””
My mother covered her mouth.
I turned away from her.
“Who is this?””
The man breathed out slowly.
“My name is Thomas Reed.””
The basement seemed to tilt.
The man from the photograph.
My father’s friend.
The man my father warned me about.
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“Why are you calling me?””
“Because you found the box.””
My eyes moved toward the open metal container.
“How do you know that?””
“Because your father planned for this.””
I frowned.
“My father is dead.””
“I know.””
The sadness in his voice sounded real.
And that made it more confusing.
“You knew him.””
“Yes.””
“You were his friend.””
“Yes.””
“You were also the person he was investigating.””
Silence.
Not denial.
Silence.
Finally, Thomas spoke.
“Your father believed I betrayed him.””
“Did you?””
Another pause.
Then:
“No.””
The answer came quietly.
Too quietly.
I looked at the documents scattered around me.
“Then why did he write your name?””
“Because he was afraid.””
“Of you?””
“No.””
His voice lowered.
“Of what would happen if he was wrong.””
I glanced at my mother.
She was watching me closely.
“Where have you been?””
“Trying to stay alive.””
The words sent a chill through me.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your father discovered something bigger than missing money.””
My heart raced.
“Bigger than the company?””
“Yes.””
“What?””
Thomas was silent.
Then he said:
“Your father found out someone was using his business to hide illegal financial activity.””
I looked at the documents.
The missing money.
The transfers.
The names.
“And you were involved?””
“No.””
“Then why did he suspect you?””
“Because someone made sure the evidence pointed toward me.””
I looked at the photo again.
The picture of my father standing beside him.
“You disappeared after he died.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew someone wanted me blamed.””
“Who?””
The line went quiet.
Then Thomas asked:
“Is your mother with you?””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
“Answer me.””
I looked at my mother.
She looked terrified.
“Yes.””
Thomas exhaled.
“Then she needs to hear this.””
I put the phone on speaker.
My mother immediately shook her head.
“No.””
I ignored her.
Thomas’s voice filled the basement.
“Evelyn.””
My mother closed her eyes.
“You shouldn’t have called.””
“I tried to tell him.””
My mother looked at the phone.
“You ran.””
“I was trying to survive.””
“You left him.””
“No.””
Thomas’s voice sharpened.
“I left because I knew what they would do next.””
I looked between them.
“What are you talking about?””
Neither answered.
I raised my voice.
“Stop.””
The basement went silent.
“I am done watching people talk around me.””
My hands shook.
“My father died. My mother lied. You disappeared. Everyone knew pieces of the truth except me.””
I looked at my mother.
“I deserve the whole story.””
Thomas was quiet.
Then he said:
“You’re right.””
A strange feeling moved through me.
Because that was the first time anyone had admitted it.
“You deserve to know.””
I sat down.
“Then tell me.””
Thomas took a breath.
“The night your father died, he wasn’t going to meet me.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“He was going to meet someone else.””
“Who?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Someone who had access to the company accounts.””
I looked at my mother.
She looked away.
“Who?””
Thomas answered:
“Your sister.””
The world went quiet.
“No.””
The word came out before I could stop it.
“Simone?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“I know.””
“My sister made mistakes. She was irresponsible. But she didn’t—”
“I’m not saying she stole from your father.””
Thomas interrupted.
“I’m saying someone used her.””
I looked at the documents.
The bank transfers.
The messages.
“The account.””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
Thomas continued.
“Simone was desperate. She had debts. She trusted the wrong people.””
“Thomas.””
“She was contacted by someone who promised to help her.””
“Who?””
“We don’t know for sure.””
My jaw tightened.
“You don’t know?””
“No.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“I expect you to understand that your sister was a piece on someone else’s board.””
I hated how much sense it made.
Because Simone had always been easy to influence.
She wanted to believe people saw the best in her.
She wanted quick solutions.
Easy answers.
And someone had used that.
“What did Dad find out?””
Thomas’s voice became quieter.
“He found out Simone’s account was being used to move money.””
My mother whispered:
“Oh God.””
I looked at her.
“You knew.””
She shook her head.
“Not everything.””
“Enough.””
Thomas continued.
“Your father was going to meet Simone that night.””
My heart tightened.
“Why?””
“To tell her the truth.””
“What truth?””
“That she had been manipulated.””
I closed my eyes.
My father wasn’t trying to punish my sister.
He was trying to save her.
“What happened?””
Thomas paused.
“Someone found out about the meeting.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“And?””
“And your father never arrived.””
The basement became silent.
I looked at my mother.
She was crying now.
“What happened to his car?””
Thomas answered carefully.
“That’s the part nobody ever investigated properly.””
“Why?””
“Because the evidence disappeared.””
I stood.
“What evidence?””
“The evidence that showed the crash wasn’t random.””
My heartbeat increased.
“What are you saying?””
“I’m saying your father’s brakes were tampered with.””
My mother gasped.
I turned toward her.
She looked like she had heard it for the first time.
“You didn’t know?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at the phone.
“Then why did you tell me someone wanted the note gone?””
Thomas was silent.
Then:
“Because your mother found the note before the police arrived.””
I looked at my mother.
She lowered her head.
“Mom?””
Her voice broke.
“I didn’t know what to do.””
“You read it.””
“Yes.””
“And?””
She looked at me.
“It said your father knew he was in danger.””
The words hit me.
My father knew.
He knew.
“What else?””
She cried quietly.
“He wrote that if anything happened to him, I needed to protect you.””
My chest tightened.
“Protect me from who?””
She looked at me.
And I saw the answer before she spoke.
“From the person who was closest to him.””
I felt cold.
“Thomas?””
My mother shook her head.
“No.””
The word came instantly.
Not Thomas.
Then who?
My mother looked at the phone.
At Thomas.
Then back at me.
And the fear on her face was the fear of someone finally admitting something they had hidden for years.
“Danielle…”
Her voice trembled.
“The person your father was afraid of wasn’t Thomas.””
I waited.
“Then who?””
She looked at me.
And whispered:
“The person who helped Thomas.””
My heart pounded.
“Who?””
My mother opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, the basement lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A loud crash came from upstairs.
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Someone’s here.””
I froze.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Coming down the stairs.
Thomas’s voice came through the phone, urgent now.
“Danielle, listen to me.””
I held the phone closer.
“What?””
“Take the box and leave.””
“Why?””
The footsteps stopped.
Right outside the basement door.
Thomas whispered:
“Because whoever is there…”
May you like
The doorknob began to turn.
“…is the person your father was trying to expose.””
