Chapter 10: My Father's Brother
"My brother.""
Dad said the words so quietly that for a second I wondered if I'd heard him correctly.
Brianna stared at him.
"You have a brother?""
Dad didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Denise.
The anger I'd seen earlier was gone.
Something worse had replaced it.
Recognition.
Not of the truth itself.
Of a possibility he'd apparently spent years refusing to consider.
"Thomas died," Dad said.
Denise wiped her face.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"You know when.""
"Say it.""
"Seventeen years ago.""
Brianna grabbed the back of a chair.
"I'm seventeen.""
Nobody answered.
She looked at Denise.
"No.""
"Brianna—"
"No.""
Her voice cracked.
"You told me my father was Eric Thompson.""
"I know.""
"Then you said Marcus was my father.""
"I never said that.""
"You let me believe it!""
"I was trying to protect you.""
Brianna laughed through her tears.
"Everybody in this house keeps doing terrible things and calling it protection.""
I felt that sentence in my chest.
Richard stood beside the dining table with Grandma Evelyn's ledger open in front of him.
"Denise, if Thomas Carter was Brianna's biological father, we need facts. Not another story.""
Denise looked exhausted.
Maybe lying for seventeen years did that to a person.
She sat.
"I met Thomas through Monica.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Of course you did.""
"James—"
"Don't say my name like we're still married.""
She flinched.
Dad pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
"Tell Brianna.""
Denise looked at her daughter.
"Thomas and Monica were close.""
Dad nodded.
"They were.""
I knew almost nothing about Uncle Thomas.
Dad had mentioned him maybe twice.
Both times briefly.
He'd told me Thomas died in a car accident before I was old enough to remember him.
No photographs hung in our house.
No birthday stories.
No holiday memories.
Now I understood there had been more behind the silence.
"Thomas was younger than James," Denise said.
"Funny. Reckless sometimes.""
Dad's mouth tightened.
"He was twenty-seven.""
"I know.""
"You were with him?""
Denise nodded.
"For almost a year.""
Dad stared at her.
"Why didn't I know?""
"Because Thomas didn't want you to.""
"Why?""
She looked toward Richard.
"Because Monica hated me by then.""
I shook my head.
"Mom didn't hate you. She didn't trust you.""
Denise looked at me.
"At the time, those felt like the same thing.""
Richard said, "When did Thomas learn you were pregnant?""
Denise swallowed.
"Two weeks before he died.""
Brianna's hand covered her mouth.
"He knew about me?""
"Yes.""
"Did he want me?""
Denise's face crumpled.
"Yes.""
That answer destroyed something in Brianna.
She sank into the chair beside me.
"He wanted you very much.""
"Then why did you tell everyone Marcus was my father?""
"I didn't.""
Richard lifted the ledger.
"Marcus apparently believed he had a claim involving Brianna.""
"Marcus knew I was pregnant. He assumed the baby was his because we'd been together before Thomas.""
Brianna stared at her.
"You were with both of them?""
"Not at the same time.""
"That's supposed to make this better?""
"No.""
Denise looked down.
"I met Marcus first. He was charming. He told me his mother had stolen his inheritance.
I believed him. He helped me get the job with Evelyn.""
"And then?""
"Then I learned what he really wanted.""
"The records," Richard said.
"Yes.""
"Did you steal money?""
"No.""
Richard watched her carefully.
"Did you help Marcus access Evelyn's accounts?""
Denise hesitated.
"Once.""
Dad gave a bitter laugh.
"There's always an 'once' with you.""
"I copied a file.""
"Which file?""
"A property schedule.""
Richard's expression darkened.
"That schedule gave him account numbers.""
"I didn't know that.""
"You worked in the office.""
"I was twenty-three!""
"And Evelyn trusted you.""
Denise looked away.
"I made a mistake.""
Brianna whispered, "Then you started dating Thomas.""
"Months later.""
"Did he know about Marcus?""
"Eventually.""
"And?""
"He hated him.""
Dad spoke.
"Thomas hated anybody who hurt people he cared about.""
Denise looked at him.
"He wanted to tell you everything.""
Dad's eyes sharpened.
"Everything?""
"About me. About the baby. About Marcus.""
"What stopped him?""
Denise didn't answer.
Dad leaned forward.
"What stopped him?""
"He died.""
The room went silent.
I knew the official story.
A wet road.
Late night.
Thomas lost control of his car.
He hit a concrete barrier.
Dad had once said his brother died instantly.
Now Richard looked uneasy.
"Where was Thomas going that night?""
Dad frowned.
"Home.""
Denise shook her head.
"No.""
Dad stared at her.
"What?""
"He was going to see Monica.""
My skin prickled.
"Why?""
"He had documents.""
Richard stepped closer.
"What documents?""
"Proof that Marcus was still stealing from Evelyn.""
Dad looked at Richard.
"Did Monica ever give you those?""
"No.""
Denise continued.
"Thomas found out Marcus had opened companies using Evelyn's property as collateral. He was going to give everything to Monica.""
Dad's voice became quiet.
"How do you know?""
"Because he called me before he left.""
"And then he crashed.""
Denise nodded.
Richard asked, "Did you ever tell the police?""
"There was nothing to tell.""
"There was plenty to tell.""
"I was scared.""
"Of Marcus?""
"Yes.""
Brianna looked at her.
"Did Marcus kill my father?""
Denise immediately shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"Do you think he did?""
Silence.
That was an answer.
Dad stood and walked toward the window.
I could see his reflection in the glass.
He looked older than he had that morning.
"Thomas called me that night.""
Everyone looked at him.
Dad turned.
"I didn't answer.""
"Dad.""
"I was angry with him.""
"About what?""
He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it.
"Something stupid. Our father's tools.""
He rubbed his face.
"He left a voicemail.""
"What did it say?""
"I deleted it after the funeral.""
"Why?""
"Because I couldn't listen to it anymore.""
His voice broke.
"He said, 'Jimmy, call me. I need to tell you something about Monica.''"
Dad looked at Denise.
"For seventeen years I thought he wanted to tell me about some argument.""
Richard slowly closed the ledger.
"Maybe he was trying to warn you.""
Dad didn't answer.
Then the doorbell rang.
Every person in the room froze.
Dad moved toward me immediately.
Richard looked through the front window.
"It's the police.""
Two detectives entered.
Detective Laura Bennett introduced herself first.
Her partner was Detective Aaron Mills.
They listened.
They photographed the forged documents.
They took copies of the loan application.
Richard played Marcus's call.
When Marcus said, "The ledger for the girl," Detective Bennett's expression changed.
"Has anyone seen this man recently?""
Denise raised her hand.
"I did.""
She described the coffee shop.
Bennett asked for the date and approximate time.
Then she showed Denise a photograph of Marcus from Richard's files.
"That's him.""
"You're certain?""
"Yes.""
Detective Mills stepped into the hallway to make a call.
Bennett turned to Dad.
"Mr. Carter, we need everyone to stay somewhere else tonight.""
Dad frowned.
"This is our home.""
"And someone photographed it from across the street.""
"I'm not leaving.""
Richard said, "James.""
Dad looked at him.
"Listen to her.""
Dad hated it.
But he agreed.
Then Detective Mills returned.
His face was serious.
"The coffee shop has exterior cameras.""
Denise stood.
"They saw him?""
"We haven't obtained footage yet.""
"Then what?""
Mills looked at Bennett.
She nodded.
He continued.
"The address attached to the loan application belongs to a rented house.""
"Marcus's?""
"The lease is under Daniel Cross.""
Richard frowned.
"The dead adviser.""
"Correct.""
"Who signed the lease?""
"We're checking.""
Bennett looked at Brianna.
"Ms. Harper, has anyone contacted you besides the voicemail?""
"No.""
"Social media?""
"I don't think so.""
"Email?""
Brianna suddenly froze.
"What?""
She pulled out her phone.
"There was an email.""
"When?""
"Two weeks ago.""
Dad moved closer.
"From who?""
"I thought it was spam.""
She opened it.
The subject line said:
YOUR FAMILY OWES YOU THE TRUTH.
Richard read it over her shoulder.
"Open it.""
Brianna did.
The email contained one sentence.
Ask your mother why Thomas Carter never got to meet his daughter.
Nobody spoke.
Brianna began shaking.
"He knew.""
Detective Bennett took the phone carefully.
"Do not delete anything.""
Then Dad's phone rang.
This time, the caller ID displayed a name.
RICHMOND MEMORIAL STORAGE.
Dad answered on speaker.
"James Carter?""
"Yes.""
"This is Nathan from Richmond Memorial Storage. I'm calling about Unit 214.""
Dad frowned.
"I don't have a storage unit.""
There was a pause.
"It's registered jointly to James Carter and Thomas Carter.""
Dad went completely still.
"My brother has been dead seventeen years.""
The employee sounded confused.
"Sir, the account was accessed this morning.""
Richard stepped closer.
"By whom?""
"I can't provide customer information over the phone.""
Detective Bennett held out her hand.
Dad gave her the phone.
"This is Detective Laura Bennett with Richmond Police. Please don't allow anyone else into that unit.""
May you like
The employee hesitated.
"Detective, someone is inside it right now.""
