Chapter 7: The Brother Who Lied
The tape stopped.
But nobody moved.
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything we had heard.
I stared at Lucas.
Then at the cassette player.
Then back at Lucas.
“My uncle?””
Lucas looked just as shocked as I was.
“Robert Bennett.””
The name sounded like a stranger’s name coming from his mouth.
But it wasn't.
Robert Bennett had been my father's younger brother.
He was the man who came to my house after Dad disappeared.
The man who sat beside my mother while she cried.
The man who held my hand at my father's memorial service even though there was no body to bury.
The man who told me, “Your father loved you more than anything.””
My stomach twisted.
“No.””
Lucas looked at me.
“You know him?””
I laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“He raised me after my father disappeared.””
Julian slowly turned toward me.
“Grace.””
“My uncle Robert helped my mother. He paid bills when she couldn't work. He drove me to school.””
Lucas looked devastated.
“Then he knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That I survived.””
The words hit the room like a gunshot.
I stepped back.
“No.””
Lucas's face tightened.
“He knew.””
“You don't know that.””
“I heard his voice.””
“You haven't remembered everything.””
“But I remembered him.””
He pointed toward the tape.
“Your uncle was there that night.””
Julian walked toward the recorder.
“We need to hear the rest.””
The cassette was damaged, but after several attempts, the security manager managed to restore part of the audio.
Static.
Voices.
Then Robert.
“I don't understand why you brought me into this.””
Richard Mercer laughed.
“You're already involved.””
“You said you only needed information.””
“You gave me information.””
My hands went cold.
Julian looked at me.
“Information?””
Robert's voice became clearer.
“Thomas trusts me.””
I covered my mouth.
No.
No, no, no.
My uncle had been my father's closest friend.
His brother.
The person my father trusted most.
“He told you everything,” Richard said.
“I told you what he was planning.””
“Where are the copies?””
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
“I swear.””
A loud noise interrupted the recording.
Then my father's voice.
“You.””
My breath stopped.
Thomas.
Alive.
Terrified.
“Robert?””
Nobody in the room moved.
My father's voice continued.
“What did you do?””
Robert answered.
“Thomas, listen to me.””
“You brought them to me.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“You sold me out.””
The recording crackled.
Then Richard spoke.
“Enough.””
A chair scraped.
My father's breathing grew heavier.
“You don't understand what you're doing.””
Richard replied calmly.
“I understand exactly.””
The tape cut.
I stared at the machine.
My knees weakened.
Julian caught my arm.
“Grace.””
“I defended him.””
Nobody answered.
“I defended him for twenty years.””
Lucas looked at me with sadness.
“You were a child.””
“I was old enough to know.””
“No.””
His voice softened.
“You were old enough to trust.””
That hurt more.
Because it was true.
Julian turned toward the security manager.
“Can you make another copy?””
“Yes, sir.””
“Do it.””
He looked at Lucas.
“We need to find Robert.””
Lucas shook his head.
“I don't know where he is.””
I did.
A memory surfaced.
A Christmas card.
An address.
A small house outside the city.
“He moved after my mother died.””
Julian looked at me.
“You know where?””
“I think so.””
Two hours later, we were parked outside a quiet suburban house.
The neighborhood was peaceful.
Almost painfully normal.
The porch light was on.
Julian turned off the engine.
“Grace, stay behind me.””
I looked at him.
“You think my uncle is dangerous?””
“I think someone spent twenty years hiding the truth.””
Lucas sat in the back seat.
His face was pale.
“I need to see him.””
I nodded.
We walked to the door.
I knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
My father's signal.
The door opened slowly.
An elderly man stood there.
Robert Bennett.
His hair was completely white now.
His eyes moved from me.
To Lucas.
And all the color disappeared from his face.
“No.””
The word came out like a prayer.
I stepped forward.
“Uncle Robert.””
He looked at Lucas.
His lips trembled.
“Thomas.””
Lucas stared at him.
“You knew.””
Robert grabbed the doorframe.
“I thought you were dead.””
The anger in Lucas's face was immediate.
“You hoped I was.””
“No.””
“You left me.””
“I thought Richard killed you.””
“Then why didn't you tell her?””
Robert looked at me.
His silence answered.
I felt something inside me break.
“Tell me what?””
He closed his eyes.
“Grace…”
“Tell me.””
Robert looked older than he had seconds before.
“Your father discovered what Richard was doing.””
“I know.””
His eyes moved to Lucas.
“And he discovered what I had done.””
Lucas stepped forward.
“You helped him.””
Robert looked down.
“Yes.””
The confession was barely audible.
My voice shook.
“What did you help him do?””
Robert swallowed.
“I gave Richard information.””
“Why?””
“Because I was scared.””
The simplicity of the answer made me angry.
“You let my father disappear because you were scared?””
“I thought I could control it.””
Lucas laughed bitterly.
“No one controls Richard Mercer.””
Robert looked at him.
“You don't remember everything.””
Lucas froze.
“What?””
Robert stepped outside.
“I need to tell you the truth.””
The porch light flickered above us.
“I wasn't the one who caused the collapse.””
Lucas stared.
“Then who was?””
Robert looked directly at Julian.
And said something that made the entire world tilt.
“Your father wasn't trying to kill Thomas.””
Julian stiffened.
“Who was?””
May you like
Robert whispered:
“You.””
