Chapter 9: The Last Message
Nobody moved.
The phone sat on the table.
Glowing.
Emma.
Impossible.
That was the only word my mind could form.
Daniel stared at the screen like he was seeing a ghost.
“That’s not possible.””
The phone stopped ringing.
Then immediately rang again.
Same name.
Emma.
Ethan whispered:
“Dad…”
Daniel picked it up.
He answered.
“Hello?””
Silence.
Then a voice.
Not Emma.
A man.
“Daniel Carter?””
Daniel’s face changed.
“Yes.””
“You need to listen carefully.””
“Who are you?””
“Someone who knew your wife.””
Daniel stood.
“Where did you get this number?””
The voice ignored the question.
“Vanessa is lying to you.””
We all looked at each other.
Daniel gripped the phone.
“What do you know about my wife?””
A pause.
Then:
“I know what she was trying to protect Lily from.””
My heart stopped.
“Who are you?””
The man continued.
“Your wife left instructions.””
“Instructions?””
“Yes.””
“For who?””
“For the person she trusted most.””
Daniel looked at me.
The man said:
“She wanted the truth to reach you if anything happened to her.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Emma knew she was going to die?””
“No.””
The voice softened.
“She knew someone was watching her.””
A chill moved through me.
The man gave an address.
“Come alone.””
Daniel immediately said:
“No.””
A pause.
“Then you’ll never see the memory card.””
The call ended.
We sat in silence.
Then Ethan spoke.
“That’s a trap.””
“I know,” Daniel said.
“Then why go?””
Daniel looked at the stairs.
Toward Lily’s room.
“Because my wife spent her last days trying to protect our daughter.””
He looked at me.
“And I won’t fail her again.””
We went together.
The address led us to an old storage building outside town.
Daniel walked inside first.
A man waited near the back.
He looked older.
Tired.
But familiar.
Daniel stopped.
“Who are you?””
The man looked at him.
“My name is Mark.””
Then he said:
“I was Emma’s lawyer.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Emma had a lawyer?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t I know?””
“Because she didn’t want you involved.””
Mark opened a folder.
“She knew someone was stealing money from your family.””
Daniel stared.
“Who?””
Mark looked directly at him.
“Your father.””
The words landed like a punch.
“My father?””
“He was involved with dangerous people.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
“I have documents.””
Mark handed him papers.
Bank records.
Transfers.
Names.
And one name appeared again and again.
Vanessa Carter.
Daniel went silent.
“She wasn’t just paying a debt.””
Mark nodded.
“She was covering her connection to the people your father owed money to.””
I felt sick.
“Why blame Lily?””
Mark looked at me.
“Because she knew the necklace was important.””
“The necklace contained evidence?””
“Yes.””
“What evidence?””
Mark reached into his coat.
And pulled out a small envelope.
“I recovered this before Vanessa could find it.””
Daniel stared.
“Then what was the memory card?””
Mark’s expression changed.
“The backup.””
“Backup of what?””
He looked at Daniel.
“Emma recorded a confession.””
A confession.
My heart raced.
“Whose?””
Mark handed him the envelope.
Inside was a note.
Emma’s handwriting.
Daniel read it.
Then his face went completely still.
“What does it say?”” I asked.
He couldn’t answer.
He handed me the paper.
Only one sentence was written.
If Vanessa ever accuses Lily, it means she finally found what I hid.
May you like
Below it was another line.
And it means she knows the truth about what happened the night I died.
