Chapter 3: The Man Upstairs
Emma's fingers tightened around Lily's hand.
The voice came again.
"Emma?""
It was Daniel's voice.
Perfectly Daniel.
The same low, controlled tone. The same slight rasp at the end of her name.
But Daniel was standing three feet away.
"No," Emma whispered.
Lily pressed herself against her mother.
"Don't answer him.""
Daniel stared toward the ceiling.
"Nobody move.""
Another knock sounded somewhere above them.
Then the voice came again.
"Emma, please.""
Daniel's face drained of color.
"I know that voice.""
Emma looked at him.
"Because it's yours?""
He nodded.
"But how?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled a flashlight from his pocket and aimed it at the basement door.
The beam shook slightly.
"Stay here.""
Emma gave a disbelieving laugh.
"You're not leaving me down here.""
"I'm not leaving you. I'm going upstairs.""
"You're insane.""
"I need to know who's in this house.""
Emma shook her head.
"No. We need to get Lily out.""
Daniel crouched beside their daughter.
"Lily, can you walk?""
She nodded.
"Good. Stay between us.""
They approached the basement door.
Daniel tried the handle again.
This time it turned.
The door opened.
The corridor beyond was empty.
They climbed the stairs.
Every step felt louder than it should have.
Halfway up, Lily suddenly stopped.
Emma looked down.
"What is it?""
Lily was staring at the wall.
"There.""
A thin line of light glowed beneath a panel in the wood.
Emma crouched.
"What?""
Lily pointed.
"That wasn't there before.""
Daniel pulled the panel open.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside sat an old cassette recorder.
Emma stared.
"Who still uses those?""
Daniel reached inside.
A red light blinked.
Recording.
He pressed stop.
The tape clicked.
Then rewound by itself.
Daniel looked at Emma.
"What?""
"I didn't touch it.""
The recorder suddenly played.
Static filled the hallway.
Then a man's voice.
Daniel's voice.
"Day nineteen.""
Emma's skin prickled.
The recording continued.
"Subject continues to display no memory of the incident.""
Daniel looked at Lily.
Emma looked at Daniel.
The voice on the tape continued.
"Family remains unaware.""
Emma's expression changed.
"Subject?""
The tape crackled.
Then Daniel's recorded voice said something that made his blood run cold.
"If I fail, they will come for the child.""
Emma slowly turned toward him.
"You made this recording.""
"I don't remember.""
"That's your voice.""
"I know.""
"What incident?""
Daniel stared at the machine.
"I don't know.""
The recorder clicked.
A second voice entered the recording.
A woman's voice.
Soft.
Shaking.
Elena.
Emma had never heard her speak before, yet something about the sound made the room feel colder.
"You promised me.""
Daniel's recorded voice answered.
"I couldn't do it.""
"You promised.""
"I couldn't kill him.""
Emma's mouth fell open.
Daniel shut his eyes.
The tape continued.
"You don't understand what happens if he survives.""
Then a sharp sound.
A scream.
The tape cut to silence.
Lily covered her ears.
"Turn it off.""
Daniel ripped the batteries from the recorder.
Silence.
Emma stared at him.
"You said you didn't know what happened to Elena.""
"I didn't.""
"You were there.""
"I was.""
"Then what happened?""
Daniel looked at Lily.
"Not here.""
Emma followed his gaze.
"Why?""
"Because this house isn't empty.""
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
They all looked toward the second floor.
The sound came again.
Slow footsteps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Moving toward the staircase.
Daniel raised the flashlight.
"Emma, take Lily downstairs.""
"No.""
"Do it.""
"Not without you.""
His eyes met hers.
For the first time, she saw something beyond fear.
Regret.
"I need you to trust me.""
Emma shook her head.
"You've asked me to trust you all night.""
"I know.""
"And every time I do, I find another lie.""
Daniel swallowed.
"Then trust me just once more.""
A shadow appeared at the top of the stairs.
A man stood there.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Charcoal shirt.
Dark trousers.
The same clothes Daniel had worn all day.
Emma's breath caught.
She instinctively stepped backward.
Daniel raised the flashlight.
The beam landed on the man's face.
It was Daniel.
Exact.
Same brown hair.
Same jaw.
Same scar near his eyebrow.
Same wedding ring.
Emma looked from one man to the other.
Neither moved.
Lily screamed.
"That's him!""
The figure at the top of the stairs smiled.
Not warmly.
Not naturally.
Like someone who had studied Daniel smiling and was trying to imitate it.
"Emma.""
She couldn't breathe.
Daniel whispered,
"Don't listen to him.""
The other Daniel began walking downstairs.
"You've kept her from me for nine years.""
Emma's eyes widened.
"Who are you?""
He ignored her.
His gaze settled on Lily.
"She belongs with me.""
Lily buried her face against Emma.
Daniel stepped between them.
"Stay away from my family.""
The other man stopped.
"You don't have a family.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"You lost that right a long time ago.""
Emma looked at Daniel.
"What does he mean?""
The other man smiled again.
"He never told you?""
Daniel didn't move.
"Told her what?""
"He told you he was protecting you.""
The stranger's gaze shifted to Emma.
"He was hiding you.""
Emma felt a chill move through her.
"From whom?""
The man pointed at himself.
"From me.""
Daniel lunged.
The stranger moved just as quickly.
They collided halfway down the stairs.
Emma screamed.
Lily clung to her.
The two men looked identical, but there was something different in the way they fought.
The stranger was faster.
He slammed Daniel against the banister.
Daniel struck him in the ribs.
The stranger barely reacted.
"You're getting slower," he whispered.
Daniel's eyes flashed.
"You should be dead.""
The stranger laughed.
"And you should have been honest.""
He shoved Daniel down three steps.
Emma reached for the phone in her pocket.
The stranger noticed.
"Call the police.""
She froze.
"Do it.""
Daniel shouted, "Emma, no!""
The stranger looked at him.
"Why?""
Daniel's face was twisted with desperation.
"Because they won't find the right body.""
Emma stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
The stranger smiled.
"Ask him about 2008.""
Daniel went still.
The stranger suddenly backed toward the upstairs hallway.
Emma expected him to attack again.
Instead, he simply looked at Lily.
"I'll see you soon.""
Then he turned and disappeared through the dark corridor.
Daniel chased him.
Emma followed.
They reached the end of the hallway.
Nothing.
No open window.
No footsteps.
No door moving.
Only darkness.
Daniel stood perfectly still.
Emma grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
"Who is he?""
Daniel didn't answer.
"Who is he?""
He looked at Lily.
Then at Emma.
His voice finally broke.
"My brother.""
Emma stared.
"You told me you were an only child.""
"I lied.""
"Why?""
"Because I thought he was dead.""
Lily whispered,
"He isn't.""
Daniel looked at his daughter.
"No.""
He swallowed.
"He isn't.""
Emma stepped back.
"Then where has he been?""
Daniel looked toward the locked study.
"The question isn't where.""
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the old photograph from the study.
The one showing him nineteen years ago.
Only now Emma noticed something she hadn't seen before.
There were two boys in the picture.
Not one.
Identical.
Daniel and another boy.
And on the back, beneath the words *She knows what you did*, was a second sentence hidden beneath a strip of torn tape.
Daniel slowly peeled it away.
Five words appeared.
*One of you is lying.*
Emma looked at him.
"Which one?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Behind them, Lily began crying.
Emma turned toward her.
But Lily wasn't looking at either man.
She was staring at the dark study.
And whispering,
"He's not your brother.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"Lily, what are you talking about?""
She shook her head.
Then pointed toward the study door.
"That's not Uncle Matthew.""
Daniel went completely still.
Emma felt the blood leave her face.
"Who is Matthew?""
Lily looked at her mother.
"I don't know.""
The study door slowly opened.
And from inside came the voice of the man who looked exactly like Daniel.
"That's right, Lily.""
A pause.
Then:
"My name isn't Matthew.""
May you like
The lights throughout the house went out.
And somewhere in the darkness, Emma heard someone lock the front door.
