Chapter 11: The Person Who Knew The Truth Before Everyone Else
The name on the report belonged to someone I barely remembered.
A neighbor.
Mr. Thomas.
He lived three houses away when I was younger.
I remembered him bringing us cookies during holidays.
I remembered my mother laughing with him over the fence.
But I never knew he had witnessed anything that night.
My father immediately picked up his phone.
“I need to talk to him.””
Mia looked nervous.
“Do you think he knows what happened?””
My father stared at the paper.
“I think he knows more than he told us.””
An hour later, we were sitting in Mr. Thomas’s living room.
He looked older now.
Much older.
But the moment he saw my father, his expression changed.
“I wondered when this day would come.””
My stomach tightened.
“You knew?””
He sighed.
“Yes.””
Nobody spoke.
My father leaned forward.
“What did you see?””
Mr. Thomas looked at me.
Then at Mia.
“I didn’t want either of you growing up with this pain.””
Mia’s voice became sharp.
“But we did.””
The old man lowered his eyes.
“You’re right.””
My father’s voice was controlled.
“Please tell us.””
Mr. Thomas took a deep breath.
“That night, I heard shouting.””
My hands tightened.
“From your house.””
He nodded.
“I looked outside.””
“What did you see?””
“Rachel leaving.””
Mia closed her eyes.
“But you said she wasn’t alone.””
Mr. Thomas nodded.
“No.””
He hesitated.
“She was with someone.””
My father leaned forward.
“Who?””
The old man looked uncomfortable.
“I didn’t know his name.””
A strange feeling entered my chest.
“His name?””
“He was a man.””
Silence.
“A man was there?””
Mr. Thomas nodded.
“I saw him arguing with Rachel.””
Mia looked confused.
“Why would Rachel be with another man?””
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
“What happened next?”” my father asked.
Mr. Thomas looked down.
“Your mother came outside.””
My breath stopped.
“She was alive?””
“Yes.””
The room froze.
“She was standing at the door.””
My father looked shocked.
“But the accident…”
“I don’t know what happened after that.””
Mr. Thomas looked at his hands.
“But I know your mother wasn’t unconscious when Rachel left.””
My heart pounded.
This changed everything.
Because for years, we believed the accident happened after Rachel left.
But maybe there was more.
“What did the man look like?”” I asked.
Mr. Thomas frowned.
“I only saw him from the side.””
“Anything?””
He thought.
“Tall.””
He paused.
“Dark hair.””
My father suddenly looked away.
I noticed.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
Mia noticed too.
“Dad, you know something.””
He stood.
“No.””
But his voice said yes.
We left Mr. Thomas’s house in silence.
The moment we got into the car, Mia turned around.
“Who was that man?””
My father gripped the steering wheel.
“I don’t know.””
“Dad.””
He sighed.
“There was someone Rachel knew back then.””
My stomach dropped.
“Who?””
“His name was Eric.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to my father.
“You think he was involved?””
My father didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
When we returned home, my father searched through old boxes.
After hours, he found something.
A photograph.
Three people.
Rachel.
Eric.
And my father.
My blood went cold.
“You knew him.””
My father stared at the picture.
“Yes.””
“Who was he?””
My father’s face became pale.
“Someone I trusted.””
Mia looked horrified.
“Why was he with Mom?””
My father didn’t know.
But then something happened.
Something that made the entire situation even more terrifying.
My father’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a voice came through.
A man’s voice.
“You should have left the past buried, Daniel.””
My father froze.
Because he recognized the voice.
I could see it.
The fear.
The shock.
“Eric?””
The call ended.
Nobody moved.
The person who knew the truth wasn’t gone.
May you like
He was still here.
And he had been watching us the entire time.
