Chapter 9: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
For almost a full minute, nobody spoke.
I kept staring at the paper in my hands.
The name didn't change.
George Carter.
My father.
Dead for six years.
A man whose funeral I attended.
A man whose ashes my mother kept in a wooden box beside her bed.
A man whose last breath I watched in a hospital room.
But the document showed his name.
A transaction three months ago.
A signature.
A withdrawal.
My hands began shaking.
"No.""
Rachel stepped closer.
"Daniel...""
"No.""
I dropped the paper onto the table.
"This is impossible.""
Thomas leaned against the porch railing.
For the first time all night, he looked less confident.
"Your father had a lot of secrets.""
I turned toward him.
"You knew?""
"I suspected.""
"You knew my father was alive?""
Nobody answered.
That silence was enough.
I looked at my mother.
Her face had lost all color.
"Mom.""
She sat down slowly.
"Daniel...""
"Did you know?""
Tears filled her eyes.
"Not like this.""
My chest tightened.
"What does that mean?""
She looked at the floor.
"It means your father contacted me.""
The room went silent again.
"When?""
"A month after the funeral.""
I stared at her.
"No.""
"Daniel, listen—"
"No.""
My voice cracked.
"I buried him.""
"I know.""
"I watched him die.""
"I know.""
"Then how could he call you?""
My mother covered her face.
"Because he wasn't supposed to survive.""
Those words made no sense.
"Explain.""
She took a shaky breath.
"Your father was sick. The doctors thought he had weeks. He made arrangements.""
"Arrangements?""
"He wanted everyone to believe he was gone.""
I looked around the room.
Every person here had lied to me.
My wife.
My mother.
A stranger who was connected to my past.
And now my dead father.
"Why?""
Mom looked at the papers.
"Because he discovered something.""
"About what?""
She looked at Thomas.
Thomas looked away.
I followed her gaze.
"You.""
Thomas's expression hardened.
"What?""
Mom whispered,
"Your father believed someone close to him was trying to take everything.""
My eyes moved to Rachel.
Then Thomas.
Then back to the document.
"Why fake his death?""
Linda finally spoke.
"Because your father realized the people around him would stop pretending if they thought he was gone.""
I looked at her.
"You knew?""
"No.""
Her voice shook.
"I knew George was investigating something. I didn't know he planned this.""
Thomas laughed.
"Your father always loved his games.""
I turned.
"You were part of it.""
"Your father ruined my life.""
"You stole from him.""
"I was framed.""
"You've said that.""
"Because it's true.""
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
I stared at the screen.
Mom whispered,
"Daniel.""
I answered.
"Hello?""
Static.
Then a voice.
Older.
Weak.
But familiar.
"Daniel?""
I couldn't breathe.
My knees almost gave out.
"Dad?""
Nobody moved.
The voice on the phone cracked.
"I didn't want you to find out this way.""
I pressed the phone tighter.
"Where are you?""
"Somewhere safe.""
"You've been alive for six years?""
A long silence.
"Yes.""
My mother started crying.
"Why?""
My father's voice was quiet.
"Because I thought I was protecting you.""
"By letting me think you were dead?""
"By making sure they stopped watching you.""
I closed my eyes.
"Who is they?""
Another silence.
Then my father said,
"Thomas isn't the only person who betrayed me.""
Everyone looked at me.
"Who else?""
My father exhaled.
"Daniel, listen carefully.""
I could hear fear in his voice.
Real fear.
"Do not trust the person standing closest to you.""
My eyes slowly moved.
Rachel was standing beside me.
She immediately shook her head.
"No.""
My father continued.
"I made one mistake.""
"What mistake?""
"I believed I knew who wanted my money.""
The line crackled.
Then he said,
"But I never looked closely enough at who wanted my family.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Rachel looked devastated.
"Daniel, please.""
I stepped back.
"Don't.""
"I know how this looks.""
"Do you?""
She swallowed.
"I didn't know your father was alive.""
"Did Thomas?""
"No.""
"Did my mother?""
She looked at Evelyn.
"No.""
"Then who knew?""
Nobody answered.
Then the front door opened.
We all turned.
A man stood inside the house.
Older.
Gray hair.
A cane in one hand.
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that face.
I had seen it in old family photographs.
My father's best friend.
The man who had given the speech at his funeral.
Robert Bennett.
Rachel's father.
He looked at the papers on the table.
Then at me.
"I was hoping you would never learn the truth.""
Rachel whispered,
"Dad?""
Robert slowly closed the door behind him.
"I told you to stay away from him.""
Rachel stepped back.
"You knew?""
Robert didn't answer her.
He looked at me.
"Daniel, your father made a terrible mistake.""
I stared.
"What mistake?""
May you like
Robert's expression turned cold.
"Trusting me.""
