Chapter 12: The Photograph From the Diner
Marcus didn't move.
The photograph remained on his phone.
Their mother was smiling.
Angela was standing beside her, wearing a police academy sweatshirt.
And behind them stood the man who had supposedly been impersonating Marcus.
"Who is he?"" Marcus asked.
Angela stared at the image.
"I don't know his real name.""
"Then how do you know him?""
She pulled out a chair and sat down.
For several seconds, she seemed unable to speak.
Finally, she said:
"His name was Daniel.""
Marcus frowned.
"Daniel Brooks?""
"No. Not Detective Brooks. Another Daniel.""
She looked at the photograph again.
"Mom introduced him to me as a family friend. She said he was helping her with some financial paperwork.""
Marcus shook his head.
"Why have I never heard about him?""
"Because you were living in Chicago.""
"That doesn't explain why you never mentioned him.""
Angela rubbed her forehead.
"Because I only met him twice.""
"When?""
"Once at that diner. The second time was about a month before Mom died.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
"What happened?""
Angela took a slow breath.
"Mom called me late at night. She was frightened. She asked me to meet her at the old courthouse parking lot.""
"And?""
"When I arrived, Daniel was there.""
"With Mom?""
"Yes. They were arguing.""
"About what?""
"Money. Documents. I couldn't hear everything.""
Marcus stared.
"What did you do?""
"I approached them. Daniel walked away.""
"Did Mom explain?""
Angela shook her head.
"She told me it was a private matter. Then she made me promise not to get involved.""
Marcus looked down.
His mother had been frightened.
She had been hiding something.
And Angela had known more than she had admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Angela's eyes filled.
"Because I was twenty-seven years old. I was a junior officer. I thought Mom was dealing with some personal financial problem. I didn't know she was in danger.""
Marcus's voice rose.
"But you knew about the man!""
"Yes.""
"And when she died?""
Angela looked away.
"I was assigned to the initial scene.""
Marcus froze.
"What?""
"I wasn't the lead investigator. I was one of the responding officers.""
"You were there?""
"Yes.""
"At the accident?""
Angela nodded.
Marcus stood.
"You told me you were called to the hospital.""
"I was.""
"After you were at the scene?""
Angela couldn't meet his eyes.
"Yes.""
He took several steps toward the window.
For years, he had believed his sister had received the news at the hospital.
He remembered her arriving with blood on her uniform.
He remembered her crying.
He remembered holding her while she repeated that their mother was gone.
But now he understood something.
Angela had been there before the ambulance arrived.
She had seen the wreckage.
She had seen the evidence.
And she had never told him.
"Did you see another vehicle?"" he asked.
Angela nodded slowly.
"There were tire marks near the guardrail.""
"Why weren't they in the report?""
"They were.""
"Then why did the report say there was no second vehicle?""
Angela closed her eyes.
"Because the marks were described as unrelated.""
"By whom?""
"Detective Richard Vaughn.""
Marcus felt the air leave his lungs.
"Vaughn investigated Mom's death?""
"He was a lieutenant at the time.""
"And you accepted his report?""
"I was young. I trusted him.""
Marcus laughed bitterly.
"You trusted him enough to let him investigate the death of our mother?""
Angela stood.
"Marcus, I was not in charge. I was one of the responding officers. I didn't have access to the full case file.""
"But you knew something was wrong.""
"Yes.""
The admission hung between them.
Marcus looked at her.
"Did you ever reopen the case?""
Angela hesitated.
"Once.""
"When?""
"About six years ago.""
"And?""
"The original evidence had been transferred to an off-site archive. When I requested the file, several documents were missing.""
Marcus stared.
"Which documents?""
"The vehicle inspection report. The witness statements. And the original photographs from the scene.""
He shook his head.
"So you knew.""
"I suspected.""
"You suspected our mother might have been murdered, and you never told me?""
Angela's voice broke.
"I was afraid.""
Marcus turned.
"Of what?""
"Of losing you too.""
He stared at her.
Then his phone vibrated again.
Another message from the old number.
*THE BOX ISN'T AT YOUR HOUSE.*
Marcus frowned.
"What?""
A second message appeared.
*YOUR MOTHER MOVED IT BEFORE SHE DIED.*
Then an address.
An abandoned building on the eastern edge of the city.
Marcus recognized it immediately.
It was the old Carter family bakery.
Their parents had owned it for twenty years before selling it when Marcus was a teenager.
The building had been empty for almost a decade.
Angela looked at the address.
"Who sent this?""
"I don't know.""
"Then we're not going anywhere until we verify it.""
Marcus opened the old family photographs on his phone.
One showed their mother standing inside the bakery.
Another showed her holding a wooden box.
He zoomed in.
On the side of the box was a small brass plate.
Three initials were engraved.
*E.C.*
Below them was a date.
October 12.
Marcus looked up.
"That's the date Mom died.""
Angela swallowed.
"Someone wants us to go there.""
"Yes.""
"And it could be a trap.""
"I know.""
Hayes approached.
"Commissioner, I've been listening. I think there's a way to verify the address without exposing either of you.""
He took out his phone and contacted a trusted forensic investigator.
He explained the situation and asked for a discreet property check.
Ten minutes later, the investigator called back.
"Captain, we found something.""
Hayes put the call on speaker.
"What?""
"The building has an active electricity connection.""
"Who pays the bill?""
"An account registered to Sentinel Protective Solutions.""
Marcus looked at Angela.
The investigator continued.
"And there's a vehicle parked behind the building.""
"What kind?""
"Black sedan.""
"Can you identify the driver?""
A pause.
"Yes.""
Hayes's expression tightened.
"Who?""
"The driver is Detective Daniel Brooks.""
Marcus stood.
"He's there?""
"Yes, sir.""
Angela took the phone.
"Is anyone else inside?""
The investigator hesitated.
"We can see movement through one of the windows.""
"How many people?""
"At least two.""
"Can you identify them?""
The investigator zoomed in through the camera.
Then his voice changed.
"Commissioner, I think you should see this.""
A photograph arrived.
Angela opened it.
The image showed Detective Brooks standing beside a wooden table.
On the table sat a small wooden box.
The same box Marcus's mother had given him.
But beside Brooks stood another man.
The man from the interrogation photograph.
The man with Marcus's face.
Marcus stared.
The stranger slowly turned toward the camera.
Then he raised one hand.
Not in greeting.
He held up a photograph.
A photograph of Marcus holding Maya outside Centennial Park.
On its back, someone had written:
*ONE BROTHER WILL LEAVE. ONE WILL STAY.*
Angela's phone rang.
This time, it was Detective Brooks.
She answered.
"Brooks.""
His voice sounded almost cheerful.
"Commissioner. I believe we have something that belongs to your family.""
"Put it down.""
"Come to the bakery.""
"You're surrounded.""
Brooks laughed.
"By whom? Your suspended officers? Your compromised captain? Your imaginary federal friends?""
Angela glanced at Hayes.
Brooks continued.
"Bring Marcus. Bring the baby.""
"Leave my niece out of this.""
"Then perhaps you should have stayed away from your brother's business.""
Angela's jaw tightened.
"What do you want?""
Brooks lowered his voice.
"The truth.""
"Then tell us.""
"Not over the phone.""
He paused.
"And Commissioner?""
"What?""
"Your mother left something in that box specifically for you.""
Angela felt a chill.
"What?""
Brooks's answer came slowly.
"A letter explaining why she was willing to die rather than tell you what happened that night.""
The call ended.
Marcus stared at his sister.
Angela looked back at him.
And for the first time, both of them understood that the mystery surrounding their mother's death was only the beginning.
May you like
Because whatever was inside that wooden box had been powerful enough to make someone spend years manufacturing an entirely new identity for Marcus Carter.
And now, someone was willing to kill again to keep it hidden.
