Chapter 12: The Person Standing in the Shadows
Vanessa refused to stay at her apartment.
Not after someone broke in.
Not after the evidence disappeared.
Not after ten years of believing the worst thing that could happen was the truth coming out.
Now the truth itself had become dangerous.
We met at a small hotel outside the city.
Somewhere nobody connected to Marcus would think to look.
At least, that was what we hoped.
I sat across from Vanessa.
For the first time, we weren't enemies.
We weren't two women connected by the same man.
We were two people trying to survive the same nightmare.
"Are you okay?""
She nodded.
But she didn't look okay.
"Someone searched everything.""
"What did they take?""
"The pictures.""
"Only the pictures?""
She hesitated.
"No.""
That answer worried me.
"What else?""
"My journal.""
I frowned.
"Why would they take that?""
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
Because he was sitting in the corner of the room.
Watching.
Listening.
"I wrote down everything Marcus told me.""
Marcus looked away.
"And now someone doesn't want those words found.""
I looked at him.
"Did you know about the journal?""
"No.""
I studied his face.
I couldn't tell if he was lying anymore.
That was the worst part.
After twelve years, I had lost the ability to read him.
David stood near the window.
"We need to figure out who was there that night.""
Marcus nodded.
"There were three people.""
Everyone looked at him.
"What?""
His voice was low.
"At the warehouse.""
I stood.
"You knew?""
"I remembered.""
The anger came back.
"You remembered?""
Marcus looked ashamed.
"I blocked parts of it.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You don't get to call it that.""
"What do you want me to call it?""
"The truth.""
Silence.
Then Marcus finally said:
"My father was there.""
David nodded.
"We know.""
"But so was someone else.""
"Who?""
Marcus looked at me.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
Pure fear.
"My mother.""
We already knew that.
"No.""
He shook his head.
"Not my mother.""
Everyone froze.
"Then who?""
Marcus whispered:
"My brother.""
I stared.
"You have a brother?""
He nodded slowly.
The room went silent.
Another secret.
Another person I never knew existed.
"His name is Ethan.""
"Where is he?""
Marcus looked at the floor.
"I don't know.""
David's expression changed.
"That can't be true.""
Marcus looked at him.
"You think I wanted him to disappear?""
"After what he did?""
I turned toward David.
"What did he do?""
Nobody answered.
That was when I knew.
Whatever Ethan had done...
it was worse.
"Tell me.""
David looked at Marcus.
"You tell her.""
Marcus took a breath.
"Ethan was the reason Daniel died.""
My stomach dropped.
"What?""
Marcus continued.
"My father wanted Daniel scared.""
"Scared?""
"Not killed.""
The words made me uncomfortable.
Because Marcus sounded like he was trying to separate himself from the crime.
"But Ethan...""
He stopped.
"Tell her.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Ethan attacked Daniel.""
The room went silent.
"And then?""
Marcus whispered:
"Daniel fell.""
I looked at him.
"Was Ethan arrested?""
"No.""
"Why?""
Marcus looked at me.
"Because my father covered it up.""
"And you helped.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"Yes.""
There it was.
The answer I had been searching for.
Not innocence.
Not guilt.
Something in between.
Marcus had not created the darkness.
But he had chosen to live inside it.
A knock came at the hotel door.
Everyone froze.
David moved closer.
"Who knows we're here?""
Nobody answered.
Another knock.
Harder.
Marcus stood.
"Don't open it.""
The handle moved.
Someone was trying to get inside.
My heart pounded.
Then a voice came from the other side.
A man's voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
"Claire.""
I stopped breathing.
Because I knew that voice.
It was impossible.
It couldn't be.
But Marcus's face confirmed it.
The fear in his eyes said everything.
The person outside wasn't a stranger.
It was someone from his past.
Someone who was supposed to be gone.
The door opened slowly.
And the man standing there smiled.
"Hello, brother.""
May you like
Marcus whispered:
"Ethan.""
