Chapter 7: The Man Daniel Trusted
Nobody wanted to be the first person to say the name.
It sat on the paper between us like a secret that had been waiting decades to escape.
Victor stared at the handwriting.
Richard looked confused.
Evelyn looked terrified.
And I felt my heart telling me something I didn’t want to believe.
“Who is it?”” I whispered.
Victor slowly lifted his eyes from the page.
Then he looked at Richard.
“Read it.””
Richard hesitated.
“I think you should.””
Victor’s voice hardened.
“Read it.””
Richard stepped closer.
His eyes moved across the bottom of the letter.
Then his face changed.
“No.””
“What?”” Victor asked.
Richard shook his head.
“That’s impossible.””
I looked between them.
“Someone tell me what it says.””
Richard swallowed.
“The name…”
He looked at me.
“The name Daniel wrote was Marcus Hale.””
The room went silent.
I turned toward Richard.
Slowly.
“Your name is Hale.””
Richard didn’t move.
His face had lost all color.
“No.””
Victor stepped toward him.
“You said your family represented the estate.””
Richard looked at the letter.
“I do.””
“Then explain why Daniel wrote your name.””
Richard looked away.
“I don’t know.””
The answer sounded empty.
Too empty.
Victor noticed too.
“You’re lying.””
Richard immediately looked back.
“I’m not.””
“Then tell us the truth.””
Richard opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
I watched him carefully.
For the first time since he entered my house, I didn’t see a confident lawyer.
I saw someone who had been carrying a burden.
Finally, he spoke.
“Marcus Hale was my father.””
Nobody reacted.
Because none of us knew what that meant.
Richard continued.
“My father worked with Thomas Blackwood years ago.””
Victor frowned.
“So?””
Richard looked at him.
“My father was the man who helped Daniel disappear.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
I gripped the back of a chair.
“No.””
Richard immediately shook his head.
“Not like that.””
“Then what?””
He looked at the photograph.
“My father didn’t hurt Daniel.””
He paused.
“He saved him.””
Victor stared.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
Richard nodded.
“I know.””
He walked to the table and opened his briefcase again.
Inside was another folder.
“My father kept records of everything.””
He pulled out several pages.
“Thomas wasn’t just stealing money. He was planning to take complete control of the company. Daniel found evidence.””
Richard placed the documents down.
“My father helped Daniel create a new identity so Thomas couldn’t find him.””
I looked at him.
“Then why didn’t Daniel tell me?””
Richard’s expression softened.
“Because Thomas threatened everyone connected to him.””
My eyes filled.
“Even after all those years?””
Richard nodded.
“Thomas never stopped looking.””
Victor looked toward the window.
“The SUV.””
Richard’s face tightened.
“Yes.””
A heavy silence followed.
Then I remembered something.
Something Daniel said years ago.
A sentence I never understood.
“He told me once that if something happened to him, I should never trust someone who arrives with answers.””
Everyone looked at Richard.
Richard slowly stepped back.
“Mrs. Carter…”
I shook my head.
“No.””
I wasn’t accusing him.
I was remembering.
Because Daniel had known.
He had known this day might come.
Then the sound of tires outside interrupted us.
Victor immediately moved toward the window.
Another vehicle had arrived.
Not the SUV.
A black sedan.
Evelyn’s face went pale.
“No.””
Victor turned.
“What?””
She whispered:
“He found us.””
“Who?””
Evelyn looked at the front door.
“Thomas.””
Nobody spoke.
Then the doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
A calm voice came from outside.
“Evelyn.””
The sound alone made her freeze.
“Open the door.””
Victor looked at me.
“Stay back.””
But I didn’t.
I stepped forward.
Because after twenty-eight years of losing my son to someone else’s secrets…
I was done being afraid.
The door opened.
And the man standing there was older.
Gray hair.
Expensive coat.
A polite smile.
He looked nothing like the monster I expected.
That made it worse.
His eyes moved around the room.
They stopped on the photograph.
Then on me.
“Margaret Carter.””
My name sounded strange coming from him.
“You look exactly like Daniel described.””
My blood turned cold.
“You knew my son.””
Thomas smiled sadly.
“I knew him better than anyone.””
Victor stepped forward.
“You’re Thomas Blackwood.””
Thomas looked at him.
“And you must be Victor.””
Victor froze.
“How do you know me?””
Thomas smiled.
“Because your brother spent years talking about you.””
Then he looked back at me.
“And because Daniel left something behind.””
I held my breath.
“What?””
Thomas reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small envelope.
May you like
The same kind of envelope Daniel used.
“I think you deserve to know why your son really died.””
