Chapter 9: The Person Standing Beside Me
I stared at Marcus.
The phone was still pressed against my ear.
My mother's voice was still there.
*Do not trust the woman standing next to you.*
But there was no woman standing next to me.
There was only Marcus.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Because if my mother was warning me about him...
Then why hadn't she just said his name?
Why hide behind a sentence?
Why make me question everyone?
I slowly lowered the phone.
Marcus looked at me.
"What happened?""
I didn't answer.
His eyes moved to the screen.
Then back to me.
"Michael.""
I stepped away.
The movement was small.
But he noticed.
And the expression on his face changed.
Pain.
Not anger.
Pain.
"You think it's me.""
I wanted to say no.
I wanted to deny it.
Because Marcus had been my friend for fifteen years.
He was there when Emily died.
He was there when Sophie was born.
He was there when I thought I couldn't survive losing my wife.
But that was exactly the problem.
He was always there.
The person closest to the truth.
The person who knew every wound.
Every weakness.
Every secret.
"I don't know what to think.""
The words came out quietly.
Marcus nodded.
"I understand.""
"Do you?""
"Yes.""
I looked at him.
"Because everyone says they understand.""
My voice cracked.
"My father understood.""
"My mother understood.""
"Lauren understood.""
"Everyone understands except me.""
Marcus looked down.
"I deserve that.""
That answer surprised me.
I expected an argument.
A defense.
An explanation.
Instead, he just stood there accepting the anger.
And somehow that made me more confused.
"Why did you hide the drive?""
Marcus didn't answer immediately.
Then he said:
"Because your father asked me.""
"You keep saying that.""
"Because it's the truth.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"The truth is you made a choice.""
He looked at me.
"Yes.""
"A choice that affected my entire life.""
"Yes.""
"Then why?""
Marcus took a deep breath.
"Because the night Emily died...""
He stopped.
His voice changed.
Like he was returning to a memory he had spent years avoiding.
"She didn't just give me the drive.""
I waited.
"She gave me a warning.""
"What warning?""
Marcus looked at me.
"She said the person who betrayed your father wasn't the person everyone suspected.""
I frowned.
"Robert?""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"Daniel?""
"No.""
"Then who?""
Marcus looked away.
"I don't know.""
I almost laughed.
"Again.""
"I really don't.""
"Then why hide it?""
"Because Emily said if the wrong person found out I had it, they would use you to get to me.""
I froze.
"Use me?""
He nodded.
"She knew you were the weakness.""
The word bothered me.
Not because it was untrue.
Because it was.
Everyone I loved had used my love against me.
My father disappeared to protect me.
My mother lied to protect me.
Lauren manipulated me because of what she wanted.
And now Marcus had hidden the truth.
All because of me.
"Where is the drive now?""
Marcus looked at the laptop.
"It's not here.""
I stared.
"What?""
"I moved it.""
"When?""
"After I realized someone had been searching Emily's house.""
I looked around.
"So you knew people were looking?""
"Yes.""
"And you didn't tell me?""
"No.""
My anger returned.
"Why?""
"Because they were watching you.""
I stepped closer.
"Who?""
Marcus looked at me.
"I don't know.""
"Stop.""
"I'm serious.""
"Stop saying you don't know.""
I pointed toward him.
"You're either the person behind this or you're the worst detective in the world.""
Marcus didn't react.
Instead, he said:
"I know who attacked your father.""
The room went silent.
I stared.
"What?""
He swallowed.
"I know who tried to kill him.""
"Who?""
Marcus looked at me.
"Your uncle.""
I froze.
Again.
Another dead person.
Another impossible truth.
"My uncle has been dead for ten years.""
Marcus nodded.
"I know.""
"Then explain.""
"Your uncle wasn't dead.""
I felt numb.
"Who else knows?""
"Your father.""
"My mother?""
"Yes.""
"Lauren?""
Marcus hesitated.
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
The list kept growing.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except me.
"Why would my uncle fake his death?""
Marcus answered quietly:
"Because he was one of the people running Project Horizon.""
I looked back at the documents.
The names.
The accounts.
The signatures.
Everything connected.
My family wasn't destroyed by one person.
It was destroyed by a group.
A group that had been hiding for years.
"Where is he now?""
Marcus didn't answer.
I looked at him.
"Marcus.""
"He was at the church.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
"The man watching the wedding.""
The photo.
The stranger.
The person outside my mother's house.
"You knew?""
"I suspected.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I wasn't sure.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Nobody is ever sure.""
Then my phone rang.
Again.
Unknown number.
I answered.
This time, nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then:
"Michael.""
A man's voice.
Older.
Calm.
Controlled.
My body froze.
Because I knew it.
Not from the videos.
Not from memories.
From somewhere else.
A voice I had heard in childhood.
"Uncle David?""
Silence.
Then a quiet laugh.
"Good.""
My hands tightened around the phone.
"You remember me.""
"You were dead.""
"That was the point.""
"Where are you?""
"Closer than you think.""
My eyes moved toward the window.
"Why?""
"Because your father failed.""
My chest tightened.
"Failed at what?""
"Protecting you.""
I looked at Marcus.
"What do you want?""
"The drive.""
"Why?""
"Because it belongs to me.""
"No.""
David laughed softly.
"You sound just like your father.""
My anger rose.
"You don't know my father.""
"I knew him better than you did.""
The words hurt.
Because they might have been true.
"What happened to Emily?""
Silence.
A long one.
Then:
"She was never supposed to die.""
My heart stopped.
"Who killed her?""
Another pause.
Then:
"Ask Lauren.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Marcus watched me.
"What did he say?""
I didn't answer.
Because I was tired.
Tired of every answer creating five more questions.
I grabbed the laptop.
"We find Lauren.""
Marcus looked surprised.
"You trust her?""
"No.""
"Then why?""
"Because everyone else has had six years to lie.""
I looked at the door.
"She only has one chance to tell the truth.""
I found Lauren at a small motel outside Nashville.
Of course she wasn't at home.
Of course she was hiding.
That was all anyone did anymore.
Hide.
When she opened the door and saw me, she looked shocked.
Then relieved.
Then afraid.
"Michael.""
I walked inside.
"Tell me about Emily.""
Her face changed.
Immediately.
"I knew this would happen.""
"Then answer.""
She closed the door.
"I didn't know everything.""
I stared.
"If you say that again, I'm leaving.""
She looked down.
"Okay.""
A long silence.
Then:
"My father was obsessed with destroying your family.""
"Why?""
"Because your father found out what he was doing.""
"Project Horizon.""
She looked surprised.
"You know.""
"Keep going.""
She sat down.
"Robert used people.""
"People like you?""
She looked away.
"Yes.""
The honesty surprised me.
"How?""
"He knew I needed money.""
"For what?""
"My brother.""
I frowned.
"Your brother?""
"He was sick.""
I said nothing.
"My father promised he would help if I got close to you.""
I felt sick.
"So the entire relationship...""
"Started as a lie.""
"And then?""
She looked at me.
"Then I fell in love with you.""
I hated that part of me believed her.
Because emotions were cruel.
People could love you and still hurt you.
"Why marry me?""
"Because I needed access.""
"To what?""
"Your father's documents.""
"The papers.""
She nodded.
"But I never found them.""
"Because they weren't where you thought.""
"No.""
She looked at me.
"Emily moved them.""
I froze.
"How do you know?""
"Because she told me.""
The room went silent.
"You talked to Emily?""
Lauren nodded.
"Before she died.""
My chest tightened.
"When?""
"The night before.""
"What happened?""
Lauren's eyes filled with tears.
"She knew I was working for my father.""
I stared.
"She knew?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"Because she thought I could still be saved.""
I looked away.
Emily.
Even when betrayed.
Still trying to save people.
"What did she say?""
Lauren whispered:
"She said, 'You don't have to become your father.''"
I closed my eyes.
"What happened after?""
Lauren looked terrified.
"She gave me something.""
"What?""
"A location.""
"Where?""
She looked at me.
"The place where your father hid the real evidence.""
I waited.
"Where?""
Lauren whispered:
"The old family cabin.""
My blood ran cold.
The cabin.
The place my father used to take me fishing.
The place nobody had visited in years.
"Why didn't you go there?""
"Because someone followed me.""
"Who?""
She looked at me.
"The person who killed Emily.""
The room became silent.
"Who?""
Lauren's voice dropped.
"Your mother.""
I stepped back.
"No.""
"I know what it sounds like.""
"No.""
"Michael—"
"No.""
I couldn't accept it.
Not again.
Not another person.
Not another betrayal.
Then Lauren reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small envelope.
And placed it on the table.
"Emily left this for you.""
My hands froze.
My name was written on the front.
In Emily's handwriting.
The handwriting I had seen on birthday cards.
Love notes.
Grocery lists.
The handwriting of the woman I lost.
I touched the envelope.
And for the first time in six years...
I felt like she was reaching back.
I opened it.
Inside was one page.
Only one sentence.
My breath stopped.
Because Emily had written:
*Michael, if you are reading this, it means I was wrong about the person I trusted most.*
Below it, another line.
*And it means our daughter is in danger.*
I looked up.
Lauren was crying.
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
One photo.
Sophie.
Standing outside my mother's house.
Taken moments ago.
The message underneath was simple.
*You should have listened.*
I dropped the phone.
Because the person who wanted the evidence...
was no longer trying to scare me.
They had my daughter.
And this time...
May you like
I wasn't chasing the truth.
The truth was coming for me.
