Chapter 7: The Man My Father Feared
The name Victor Hale meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to my mother.
I could see it in her face.
“Mom.””
She kept staring at the photograph on my phone.
“Who is he?””
Her lips parted.
No answer.
“Mom.””
She finally looked at me.
“Your father told me Victor was dead.””
Daniel shifted beside us.
“When?””
“Years ago.””
“How many years?””
She swallowed.
“About nine.””
Two years before Dad died.
I looked at the old photograph again.
My father stood between Gregory Mills and Victor Hale outside Carter Precision.
Dad looked younger.
Healthy.
Confident.
Victor was around the same age, tall and thin, wearing a dark suit.
Gregory looked barely thirty.
“What exactly did Dad tell you?””
Mom rubbed her arms.
“That Victor had died overseas.””
“Overseas where?””
“I don't remember.””
“Did you ever meet him?””
“Yes.””
“How often?””
“Before you were born, constantly.””
I stared at her.
“Then why have I never heard his name?””
Mom looked ashamed.
“Because your father asked me never to mention him.””
“Why?””
“I didn't know.””
I laughed once.
Nothing about it was funny.
“Apparently nobody in my family knew anything.””
“Michael.””
“No, Mom. Dad had a secret partner. He had millions in a trust.
He employed Gregory. Someone altered documents. And now an anonymous person is telling me his death matters.””
My voice cracked.
“What else don't I know?””
Mom's eyes filled.
“I don't know.””
The officer interrupted.
“Before we turn this into something it may not be, let's establish facts.””
He was right.
I hated that he was right.
Dad had died from pancreatic cancer.
There had been scans.
Specialists.
Chemotherapy.
Months of treatment.
No mysterious death.
No body disappearing.
No conspiracy.
Cancer killed him.
Whatever secrets surrounded his company, I wasn't going to let an anonymous text convince me otherwise.
“Can you trace the number?””
The officer shook his head.
“Not directly from here. Save everything. Don't delete anything.””
The storage manager finished exporting the security footage.
Mom sat quietly while the police processed the unit.
I walked outside.
Daniel followed.
“You okay?””
“No.””
“Stupid question.””
I leaned against his car.
The wedding ring on my finger caught the security light.
I pulled it off.
For a moment, I stared at it.
Then I closed my fist around it.
“I still love her.””
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
Finally he said, “I know.””
“I hate that.””
“You've known the truth for a few hours. Your feelings haven't caught up.””
“She lied for years.””
“Yes.””
“She used me.””
“Looks that way.””
“She tried to keep Mom away.””
“Yes.””
I looked at him.
“Could she have wanted Mom dead?””
Daniel's expression tightened.
“I don't know.””
Neither did I.
That was the worst part.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Not a text.
A call.
Daniel saw the screen.
“Speaker.””
I answered.
“Hello?””
Silence.
Then a man's voice.
“You're asking the wrong questions.””
“Who is this?””
“You don't have much time.””
“Then stop playing games.””
Daniel moved closer.
“Are you the one sending the messages?””
“Yes.””
“Name.””
“No.””
“Then I'm hanging up.””
“Victor Hale is alive.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Where?””
“I don't know anymore.””
“You expect me to believe that?””
“No. I expect you to verify it.””
“How?””
“Your father left a ledger.””
“What ledger?””
“Black leather. Initials H.C. inside.””
Dad's journal.
The one missing from my safe.
My chest tightened.
“Why do you care about it?””
“Because Harold documented everything.””
“Everything about what?””
The man hesitated.
“Carter Precision wasn't worth eleven million.””
I looked at Daniel.
“How much?””
“At its peak?””
Pause.
“Closer to eighty.””
I stopped breathing.
“That isn't possible.””
“It is.””
“My father sold the company.””
“Most of it.””
“Where did the money go?””
“That's the question Harold spent years trying to answer.””
The caller continued.
“Victor handled foreign contracts. Gregory handled compliance. Your father trusted both of them.””
“Until?””
“Until he discovered money was disappearing.””
“How much?””
“Millions.””
“Did Victor steal it?””
“Harold believed so.””
“And Gregory?””
Another pause.
“Gregory helped hide it.””
I paced across the parking lot.
“Why wasn't anyone arrested?””
“Because by the time Harold had enough evidence, Victor disappeared.””
“And Dad told Mom he died.””
“That was safer.””
“Safer for whom?””
“Your family.””
I stopped walking.
“What does Nia have to do with this?””
The man's voice changed.
“That part surprised even me.””
“What part?””
“She wasn't supposed to become involved.””
“Who are you?””
“Someone who made the mistake of trusting Gregory once.””
“Where is my wife?””
“I don't know.””
“Bullshit.””
“I don't.””
“You're watching the storage facility.””
Silence.
I looked around.
Rows of security lights.
Empty driveways.
Dark buildings.
“Are you here?””
The line went dead.
Daniel immediately scanned the parking lot.
“Did you see anyone?””
“No.””
We went back inside.
Mom listened while I repeated the conversation.
When I mentioned the ledger, she grabbed my hand.
“Your father's journal?””
“Yes.””
“That's what they wanted.””
“Apparently.””
Mom looked frightened.
“He wrote in that book every night.””
“I know.””
“Even during chemotherapy.””
I remembered.
Dad sitting in his recliner with a blanket over his knees.
Writing.
Sometimes for an hour.
I assumed he was recording memories.
Maybe he was recording evidence.
“Did you ever read it?””
“No.””
“I tried.””
Mom looked surprised.
“When?””
“After you gave it to me.””
I stared at the floor.
“I got through about twenty pages.””
“Why did you stop?””
“Because he kept writing about me.””
My voice tightened.
“How proud he was. How sorry he was that he wouldn't see me get married.””
The word married felt poisonous now.
“I couldn't finish.””
Mom squeezed my arm.
“Maybe that's why it stayed safe.””
Until today.
The officer approached.
“We found something.””
He showed us a printed access log.
The storage unit had been entered fourteen times in eight months.
Each access used one of two codes.
“Can you identify who had the codes?””
The manager nodded.
“One was the original renter code.””
My father's identity.
“And the other?””
“A secondary user added later.””
He turned the page.
Name:
Nia Bennett.
I stared at it.
“When was she added?””
“Five months ago.””
Before she'd supposedly learned about the trust.
Another lie.
The officer asked, “Can you see which code was used each time?””
The manager pointed.
Nia's code had been used nine times.
The original code had been used five.
“Who was using Dad's code?””
No one knew.
Then Mom noticed something.
“Look at the dates.””
I did.
The first access occurred eight months ago.
Then seven months ago.
Then six.
Nia wasn't added until five months ago.
“So someone else opened this unit before Nia.””
Daniel nodded.
“Maybe Gregory.””
“Maybe.””
Then I saw the most recent access before tonight.
Yesterday.
11:52 p.m.
The night before my wedding.
Using Dad's code.
“Can we see footage?””
The manager pulled it up.
A dark sedan entered.
A man stepped out.
Baseball cap.
Jacket.
He kept his face turned away.
He opened Unit 314.
Stayed twelve minutes.
Then left carrying nothing.
“Can you zoom?””
The manager tried.
The image became grainy.
Mom leaned toward the screen.
“Wait.””
“What?””
“His hand.””
The man had reached up to lower the storage door.
A ring caught the light.
Large.
Square.
Silver.
Mom gripped my shoulder.
“I've seen that ring.””
“Where?””
She stared at the frozen image.
“Victor.””
The room went silent.
“You're sure?””
“He wore it constantly.””
I looked at the man.
Nine years after my father told Mom Victor Hale was dead, someone wearing Victor's distinctive ring had accessed a storage unit rented under my dead father's name.
My phone rang again.
This time, Robert.
“Michael.””
“What now?””
“We found something in Diane's things.””
I closed my eyes.
“What?””
“Cash.””
“How much?””
“Fifty thousand.””
My stomach tightened.
“Where?””
“In a suitcase.””
I looked toward Mom.
“Ask her where it came from.””
“I did.””
“And?””
Robert's voice broke.
“She says Gregory gave it to her.””
I nearly dropped the phone.
“For what?””
“She won't tell me.””
“Put her on.””
A moment later, Diane's voice came through.
“Michael.””
“What did Gregory pay you to do?””
Silence.
“Diane.””
“I didn't know what he was planning.””
“Planning what?””
“He said he wanted the wedding delayed.””
“That isn't an answer.””
She began crying.
“He wanted Evelyn alone.””
Mom heard.
Her face changed.
“Why?””
Diane sobbed harder.
“He said he needed to talk to her.””
“About what?””
“The ledger.””
I looked at Mom.
“Did Gregory approach you today?””
“No.””
I returned to the phone.
“He never spoke to her.””
Diane went silent.
“Diane?””
“He was supposed to.””
“Instead she was abandoned.””
“I didn't know Derrick would leave her!””
“What did Gregory tell you?””
“That he needed thirty minutes.””
“Thirty minutes for what?””
“I don't know.””
“Stop saying that!””
“I swear!””
Then Robert shouted in the background.
I heard movement.
Something fell.
“Robert?””
No answer.
“Robert!””
Diane screamed.
The call disconnected.
I immediately called back.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Daniel was already moving toward the door.
“What happened?””
“I don't know.””
My phone rang.
Robert.
I answered.
But it wasn't Robert.
Nia's voice came through.
“Michael.””
Everything inside me froze.
“Where are you?””
“Listen to me.””
“Where are your parents?””
“My dad's fine.””
“And your mother?””
“She lied to you.””
“About what?””
“Everything.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That's rich.””
“Michael, Gregory is using her.””
“Where are you?””
She ignored me.
“Do you have the ledger?””
“No.””
A pause.
Too long.
“You're lying.””
“So are you.””
“I can explain.””
“Then explain why you were in Unit 314.””
Silence.
“Explain why you were meeting Gregory.””
Nothing.
“Explain why you tried to keep my mother away.””
Her breathing became shaky.
“Because Gregory told me she was going to destroy us.””
“How?””
“He said your mother was planning to change the trust.””
I looked at Mom.
“She can change it.””
“I know.””
Nia's voice cracked.
“He said she was cutting you out.””
“Why would that matter to you?””
“Because you're my husband!””
“For less than a day.””
“That doesn't erase five years!””
“No.””
I closed my eyes.
“It doesn't erase anything.””
For one second, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered, “I didn't want your mother dead.””
I opened my eyes.
“I never said you did.””
Silence.
My blood turned cold.
“Nia.””
She started crying.
“Michael, I made terrible choices.””
“What did you do?””
“I thought Gregory was helping me protect our future.””
“What did you do?””
“I didn't know about the dinner.””
My knees nearly gave out.
“I didn't ask about the dinner.””
She realized her mistake.
“Nia.””
“Michael—”
“What did Gregory put in my mother's food?””
“I don't know.””
“WHAT DID HE PUT IN HER FOOD?””
Mom flinched.
Nia sobbed.
“I don't know!””
“Were you there?””
“No!””
“Then how do you know he did something?””
“Because he told me afterward!””
I pressed the phone against my ear.
“What did he say?””
“That he only wanted to scare her.””
“Scare her into what?””
“Giving him the ledger.””
The storage unit disappeared around me.
All I could hear was my wife's crying.
“Did you know he was going to hurt her?””
“No.””
“Did you help him afterward?””
Silence.
“Nia.””
“I cleaned the kitchen.””
Mom closed her eyes.
There it was.
The answer.
The truth.
My wife had known.
Maybe not before.
But after.
She had known my mother became violently ill after Gregory interfered with her food.
And she'd cleaned away the evidence.
“You helped him.””
“I was scared.””
“You helped him.””
“I thought he was bluffing about everything else!””
“You helped him.””
“I loved you!””
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“No.””
My voice broke.
“You loved what you thought you could get from me.””
“That isn't true.””
“Then turn yourself in.””
Silence.
“Go to the police.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because Gregory will kill me.””
The words stopped me.
“What?””
“He knows I'm talking to you.””
“Where are you?””
“I can't tell you.””
“Nia.””
“Michael, listen carefully.””
Her voice dropped.
“Gregory has your father's journal.””
My pulse jumped.
“Where?””
“And he has Victor.””
I stared at Mom.
“What do you mean he has Victor?””
“I saw him.””
“You saw Victor Hale?””
“Yes.””
“Tonight?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
A noise sounded on Nia's end.
A door.
Her breathing stopped.
“Nia?””
No answer.
“Nia?””
She whispered.
“Oh God.””
Then a man's voice spoke somewhere near her.
“Nia?””
May you like
She screamed.
The call ended.
