Chapter 12: The Enemy Inside the Family
I watched the video three times.
Not because I wanted to.
Because my brain refused to accept it.
Someone I had known my entire life.
Those words stayed in my head.
My mother knew who wanted her dead.
She knew.
And she left me a message.
But she never said the name.
The video ended after that sentence.
No explanation.
No answer.
Just silence.
I sat in my apartment until sunrise.
The city outside continued moving.
People went to work.
Cars drove down the streets.
Families ate breakfast.
Normal life continued.
But mine was gone.
Because now I knew something impossible.
My mother's death was intentional.
And the person responsible was close.
Too close.
My phone rang.
Arthur.
I answered immediately.
"Did you watch it?""
His voice sounded tired.
"Yes.""
A pause.
"Now you understand why I kept it.""
I looked at the screen.
"Who was she talking about?""
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
Silence.
Then:
"I have suspicions.""
My heart raced.
"Who?""
"I can't say.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why?""
"Because if I'm wrong, I destroy an innocent person's life.""
"And if you're right?""
My father didn't answer.
That answer told me enough.
I drove to his house.
When I arrived, he was waiting outside.
Like he knew I would come.
"Tell me everything.""
He looked at me.
"I don't know everything.""
"Then tell me what you know.""
He nodded.
"The night your mother died, she was supposed to meet someone.""
"Who?""
"She never told me.""
"But you knew?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
"Because she left a note.""
I stared.
"Where is it?""
He hesitated.
"Michael...""
"Where?""
He walked inside.
From the same cabinet where he kept the letters, he removed another envelope.
"This was the hardest thing to keep.""
I opened it.
Inside was a short message.
Arthur,
If anything happens to me, do not trust anyone from the Whitmore family.
Not Richard.
Not Diane.
Not anyone.
My heart pounded.
"She suspected Diane?""
"I don't know.""
"Then why did Diane say she was trying to protect me?""
My father looked at me.
"Because people can do bad things and still believe they are doing good.""
I hated how much sense that made.
Everyone had their own version of the truth.
Richard.
Diane.
Arthur.
My mother.
But only one person had died.
I looked at the note again.
"Not anyone from the Whitmore family.""
Then I remembered.
Vanessa.
My ex-fiancée.
A Whitmore.
My stomach twisted.
No.
I didn't want to believe that.
But I couldn't ignore it.
I drove to Vanessa's house.
When she opened the door, she looked surprised.
"Michael?""
"I need answers.""
She saw my expression.
"What happened?""
I held up the note.
Her face changed when she read the last name.
Whitmore.
"What does this mean?""
She looked terrified.
"I don't know.""
"Vanessa.""
"I swear.""
She stepped back.
"My family has secrets.""
I stared at her.
"But?""
"But I don't know what they are.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Michael, I need to tell you something.""
"What?""
She took a deep breath.
"My mother has been meeting someone.""
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
"When?""
"For months.""
My heart started beating faster.
"Where?""
Vanessa looked at me.
"At an old warehouse outside the city.""
I stared.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"Because I thought she was having business meetings.""
She looked down.
"Until I heard her say your name.""
Everything stopped.
"My name?""
She nodded.
"She said, 'If Michael finds out the truth, everything falls apart.''"
I felt cold.
"Who was she talking to?""
Vanessa whispered:
"I don't know.""
A pause.
"But I saw the person she was meeting.""
"Who?""
Her face turned pale.
And then she said:
"It was your father.""
I couldn't breathe.
"My father?""
She nodded.
"I saw Arthur Bennett meeting my mother.""
The world shifted again.
Because now I had two impossible truths.
My father had spent my entire life protecting me.
But he had also been secretly meeting Diane Whitmore.
And I had no idea why.
I left Vanessa's house with one thought repeating in my mind.
May you like
The person I trusted most...
might be the person who knew the most.
