Chapter 18: What Lily Saw Through the Window
I found Lily sitting on the floor beside her bed.
She was drawing.
When I entered, she quickly turned the paper over.
"Hey, sweetheart.""
She looked up.
"Are you okay?""
I sat beside her.
"I need to ask you something about the night Mom died.""
Her pencil stopped moving.
For a moment, she looked like she hadn't heard me.
Then she whispered:
"Why?""
"Because I think there are things you remember that nobody has asked you about.""
She stared at the carpet.
"I don't remember much.""
"That's okay.""
I waited.
She put the pencil down.
"Are you going to be mad?""
My chest tightened.
"Never.""
She swallowed.
"That night, I woke up because someone was downstairs.""
I leaned closer.
"Who?""
"I thought it was you.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
"Because I heard your voice.""
I felt cold.
"What did the voice say?""
She frowned, searching her memory.
"Something about the keys. And the blue folder.""
I exchanged a glance with Evelyn, who had followed me upstairs.
Lily continued.
"Then I heard Mommy say she wasn't going to give it to him.""
I felt my throat close.
"Did you see anyone?""
She nodded.
"Through the window.""
"Who?""
"Uncle Daniel.""
I closed my eyes.
Lily had been seven when Rachel died.
She had been in the house, listening to adults argue while her world was falling apart.
"Was anyone else with him?""
She nodded.
"A woman.""
"Did you recognize her?""
Lily looked at me.
"Yes.""
"Who was it?""
She whispered:
"Mommy.""
I couldn't move.
"Are you sure?""
Lily nodded.
"She was wearing her red coat.""
I stared at Evelyn.
Tara had told us she was in Daniel's car that night.
But Lily remembered seeing her outside our house.
"Did they leave together?""
"I don't know.""
Lily began twisting her fingers.
"I went downstairs because I wanted to ask Mommy if she was okay.""
"What happened?""
"She told me to go back to bed.""
I swallowed.
"Did she seem scared?""
Lily nodded.
"She was crying.""
My heart broke.
"Did she say anything else?""
Lily looked at the window.
"She said, 'If he finds the papers, he'll take everything.''"
I pulled her into my arms.
She held on tightly.
Then she whispered:
"Dad?""
"Yes?""
"I think I saw you too.""
I pulled back.
"What?""
She looked frightened.
"You were standing by the gate.""
I felt the room tilt.
"Are you sure?""
She nodded.
"But you didn't look like you.""
I stared at her.
"What do you mean?""
"You were wearing your blue jacket. But you were talking to Uncle Daniel.""
I remembered the photograph.
The one my mother had shown me.
I was standing beside Rachel's car.
But I hadn't been there.
Someone had been wearing my jacket.
Someone who wanted Daniel to believe I was involved.
Someone who wanted Rachel to believe I had betrayed her.
I asked Lily what the person looked like.
She shook her head.
"I couldn't see his face.""
"Did he sound like me?""
She nodded.
"But he was taller.""
I felt a chill move through me.
"Did he say anything?""
Lily closed her eyes.
"He said, 'She won't suspect anything if she thinks it's Marcus.''"
Evelyn stood very still.
I looked at her.
"Who could have done that?""
She didn't answer.
Lily suddenly reached for her bedside drawer.
"I kept something.""
She removed a small folded piece of paper.
"I found it outside the house the next morning.""
I opened it.
It was a parking receipt from a garage near the construction yard.
The date was the night Rachel died.
On the back was a handwritten number.
Evelyn examined it.
"This looks like a vehicle registration reference.""
I stared at the receipt.
"Can we trace it?""
"Possibly.""
She photographed both sides and sent them to Detective Harris.
Within minutes, he called.
"Marcus, where did you get that?""
"My daughter found it.""
"Don't lose it. We're checking the registration.""
I looked at Lily.
"Do you remember anything else?""
She nodded slowly.
"There was a smell.""
"What smell?""
"Smoke. Like when someone burns paper.""
I frowned.
"Where?""
"In the garage.""
Evelyn's expression changed.
"Marcus, did Rachel keep documents in the garage?""
"Yes. There was an old metal filing cabinet.""
I looked at Lily.
"Did you see anyone go inside?""
She shook her head.
"No. But the next morning, the cabinet was open.""
I felt sick.
The original will.
The financial records.
The documents Rachel had been protecting.
Someone had gone through them before the police arrived.
I called Detective Harris again.
He told me to stay where I was.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"We've identified the vehicle associated with that parking reference.""
"Whose vehicle?""
A pause.
"Your father's former company car.""
I looked at Evelyn.
"Who had access?""
"Several people," she replied.
The detective continued.
"But the vehicle was signed out under one name.""
"Who?""
"Arthur Cole.""
I frowned.
"Arthur was working with Daniel?""
"We don't know that yet. But there's another detail.""
"What?""
"The vehicle was returned the morning after the accident. The mileage suggests it was driven to the hospital and then to the police station.""
I felt confused.
"Why the hospital?""
Detective Harris lowered his voice.
"Because someone used it to transport a person from the accident scene.""
I gripped the phone.
"Who?""
"We're still checking the records.""
I looked at Evelyn.
She was already shaking her head.
"Could it have been Rachel?""
"Possibly. But we need to confirm.""
Then the detective said:
"There's one more thing. The vehicle was reported stolen three days later.""
I stared at the floor.
"By whom?""
"Margaret Bennett.""
I closed my eyes.
My mother had reported the car stolen after it had supposedly been used to transport someone from the accident.
I called her immediately.
She answered after several rings.
"Marcus?""
"Why did you report Dad's company car stolen?""
Silence.
"Who told you?""
"The police.""
She began crying.
"Daniel asked me to.""
"Why?""
"He said someone had used it without permission.""
"Did you know it had been at the accident scene?""
She didn't answer.
"Mom!""
"I knew.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Who was in the car?""
She whispered:
"Rachel.""
I couldn't breathe.
"What?""
"Daniel told me he found her unconscious. He said he was trying to get her help.""
"Then why didn't he call an ambulance?""
"He said he was afraid the police would ask questions.""
I stared at the wall.
"Did he take her to the hospital?""
My mother sobbed.
"No.""
I felt sick.
"Where did he take her?""
"To an old warehouse.""
The room went silent.
Evelyn's hand flew to her mouth.
"Why?""
My mother could barely speak.
"He wanted the documents. He thought Rachel had hidden them somewhere.""
I gripped the phone.
"Was she alive?""
A long silence.
Then my mother whispered:
"Yes.""
My knees nearly gave way.
"How do you know?""
"Because Daniel called me from there. He said she was awake.""
I closed my eyes.
For two years, I'd believed Rachel had died at the roadside.
But she had survived the crash.
She had been taken somewhere.
And the people who could have saved her had chosen to search for papers instead.
"Mom," I whispered.
"How long was she alive?""
My mother broke down.
"I don't know.""
"How long?""
"Daniel said she was still breathing when he left.""
I couldn't speak.
Evelyn took the phone from my hand.
"Margaret, listen carefully. You need to tell the police everything. Now.""
My mother whispered:
"I can show you where.""
"Where?""
"The warehouse.""
I looked at Lily.
She was watching me, her eyes wide with fear.
I knelt in front of her.
"Sweetheart, I need you to stay with Evelyn for a little while.""
She grabbed my sleeve.
"Are you going to find Mommy?""
I swallowed.
"I wish I could.""
She began crying.
I held her until her breathing slowed.
Then I stood and followed Evelyn downstairs.
My phone vibrated again.
Another message.
This time, there was no photograph.
Only a sentence.
*If you go to that warehouse, you'll find out Rachel wasn't the only person Daniel left there.*
I stared at the screen.
May you like
A second message appeared.
*Your brother has been hiding someone for two years.*
