Chapter 12: The Night Someone Came Back
I didn’t remember leaving the detention center.
I only remembered the sound of my own heartbeat.
Lily.
My daughter.
Alone.
The entire drive home, I called her phone.
No answer.
I called Clara’s.
No answer.
Every second felt like an hour.
When we arrived, police cars surrounded the house.
My legs nearly stopped working.
“Where is she?””
Detective Harris ran toward us.
“She’s safe.””
The air returned to my lungs.
“Where?””
He pointed toward the living room.
I rushed inside.
Lily was sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket.
And beside her was Evelyn.
The moment Lily saw me, she ran forward.
I caught her.
“Daddy!””
I held her as tightly as I could.
“What happened?””
Evelyn looked shaken.
“He came in through the back door.””
My body went cold.
“Who?””
She looked at Clara.
Then at me.
“Daniel.””
The room froze.
Clara stepped forward.
“My brother?””
Evelyn nodded.
“He wasn’t here to hurt her.””
“Then why?””
Evelyn looked at Lily.
“Because he was warning us.””
I frowned.
“Warning us about what?””
Evelyn reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small flash drive.
“He gave me this.””
Detective Harris took it.
“Where is he now?””
Evelyn’s face changed.
“He left.””
“Why?””
“Because someone was coming.””
Nobody moved.
“What someone?””
Evelyn looked toward the dark hallway.
“He said the person who started all of this was on the way.””
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
Everyone stared.
I answered.
A familiar voice spoke.
Not Ethan.
Not Rebecca.
Someone else.
Someone older.
Someone calm.
“Julian.””
I froze.
“Who is this?””
A soft laugh.
“You always were the emotional one.””
My blood ran cold.
Because I knew that voice.
I hadn’t heard it in years.
“Dad?””
The room went silent.
My father was dead.
At least, that was what I believed.
The voice continued.
“You’ve spent so much time looking at Rebecca.””
I couldn’t speak.
“But you never looked at the person who taught her.””
Clara grabbed my arm.
“Julian…”
My father’s voice became colder.
“Your wife survived because I allowed her to.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“You think this was about Rebecca?””
A pause.
“It was never about her.””
I gripped the phone.
“You’re dead.””
Another laugh.
“People believe what they’re told.””
My entire body went numb.
The man I buried years ago.
The man I thought was gone.
Was alive.
And he had been watching.
“You took everything from me,” he said.
“I don’t understand.””
“You built a life without me.””
The voice lowered.
“And now I’m taking it back.””
The call ended.
Immediately, Detective Harris looked at the flash drive.
“We need to open this.””
He connected it to his laptop.
One file appeared.
A video.
The date was from two years ago.
The night of Clara’s crash.
We pressed play.
The screen showed a dark road.
A car.
Rebecca’s vehicle.
Then another person stepped into view.
The person turned toward the camera.
And I felt the world collapse.
Because the face on the screen belonged to someone I had loved.
Someone I had mourned.
May you like
Someone who was supposed to be dead.
My father.
