Chapter 6: The Man Waiting Outside My Mother's House
My mother locked the front door.
Then she checked the back door.
Then she closed every curtain in the house.
I stood in the kitchen with the photograph on my phone, watching her move from window to window as though a locked door could protect us from whatever had just entered our lives.
"Mom, we need to call the police.""
She stopped beside the living room window.
"Not yet.""
I stared at her.
"Somebody took a picture of your house and sent it to me as a threat.""
"I understand that.""
"Then why aren't we calling?""
"Because I don't know what they want, and I don't know how much they already know.""
I felt anger rise through my fear.
"They know where you live. That's enough.""
She turned toward me.
"Your father spent months trying to get somebody to listen to him. He went to lawyers. He filed complaints.
He showed people those documents. Every time he got close to an answer, something changed.""
"That doesn't mean we can't report a threat.""
"No, it doesn't.""
Her voice softened.
"And we may need to. But first, I want to understand what your father left behind.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"How can you sit there and talk about documents when someone is watching your house?""
My mother came closer and took both my hands.
"Because your father spent the last months of his life terrified that he had brought trouble to our family. He begged me not to let you get pulled into it.""
Her eyes shone.
"I promised him I wouldn't.""
I looked away.
For years, I'd believed my father had died with unfinished business and ordinary regrets. I had never imagined that he'd spent his final months afraid of someone who might still be watching us.
"Did he tell you who he was afraid of?""
She hesitated.
"Malcolm. And one other man.""
"Who?""
"Malcolm's son.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Romeo's father.""
She nodded.
"Your father said the two of them had been working together from the beginning.""
I sat down heavily.
If that was true, Romeo's family had been connected to the deal from the start. But why would Romeo come after me now, seven years later?
And why involve Jasmine?
My phone vibrated again.
This time, it was a call from Romeo.
I stared at his name until the screen went dark.
Then he called again.
My mother shook her head.
"Don't answer it.""
I didn't.
A text arrived seconds later.
I know you're with your mother. Please let me explain.
I showed her the message.
She closed her eyes.
"How does he know you're there?""
The question hung between us.
I hadn't told Romeo where my mother lived. I'd mentioned that I visited her sometimes, but never given him her address.
Jasmine might have known.
Or he might have found the information another way.
I typed a reply.
How do you know where I am?
His answer came almost immediately.
Please. I'm trying to keep you safe.
I laughed bitterly.
The man who had concealed his child, manipulated two women, and used my best friend to gain access to me now wanted me to believe he was protecting me.
I put the phone face down.
"I'm done listening to him.""
My mother gathered the documents into the envelope.
"Then we need to find the attorney your father mentioned.""
I looked at the note again.
The attorney's name appeared at the bottom in faded blue ink.
*Robert Ellison.*
My mother shook her head.
"I haven't spoken to him in years. I don't even know if he's still practicing.""
"We can find out.""
She nodded.
For the first time that morning, she seemed to have something to focus on besides fear.
I took photographs of every document. We made a list of dates, names, and amounts. We placed the original papers back into the folder and put them in a locked drawer.
Then I called Jasmine.
She answered after the first ring.
"Thank God. I've been trying to reach you.""
"Did you know Romeo's family was involved in my father's business?""
Silence.
"Jasmine?""
"I knew there was something about the business. I didn't know all the details.""
"Did you know he was looking for documents?""
"Yes.""
The answer came so quietly that it almost sounded like a confession.
I gripped the phone.
"And you still introduced us?""
"I thought he was trying to recover something that belonged to his family.""
"Something that might have belonged to mine.""
"I didn't know that.""
"You knew enough to know you should have warned me.""
She started crying.
"I was scared.""
"Of what?""
"He told me I could get into trouble if I told anybody what I knew.""
I looked at my mother.
She had gone very still.
"What did he threaten you with?""
"He said I had signed something when he loaned me the money. He said if I exposed him, he'd make sure I paid every dollar back immediately. He also said he knew things about my brother's business.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"Jasmine, you should have come to me.""
"I know.""
"You should have told me the truth before I got involved with him.""
"I know.""
Her voice broke.
"I thought I could fix it. I thought if I helped him find the documents, he'd stop bothering me. Then I started seeing the way he talked about you, and I realized he'd been planning this for a while.""
My stomach tightened.
"What do you mean, planning?""
Jasmine took a shaky breath.
"He said you were the easiest person to approach because you trusted people who came through your friends. He said you'd never suspect somebody who seemed to have a genuine connection to your family.""
I closed my eyes.
Every word felt like another door slamming shut.
"Did he ever say what he intended to do with the documents?""
"No.""
"Did he tell you what happened to his uncle's company?""
"No.""
"Did he mention his father?""
She hesitated.
"Once.""
"What did he say?""
"He said his father had been blamed for something he didn't do.""
I looked at my mother.
She shook her head slowly, as if she were afraid to hear the answer.
I continued.
"Did he say anything else?""
Jasmine lowered her voice.
"He said if the documents ever came out, somebody in his family would lose everything.""
The call ended a few minutes later.
I didn't forgive her.
Not then.
Maybe not ever.
But for the first time, I understood that Romeo had been using fear to control more people than I had realized.
And I began to wonder how many others had been caught in his family's secrets.
My mother found Robert Ellison's old business card tucked inside a folder. The address was outdated, but the phone number still worked.
We called.
A receptionist answered and transferred us to a man whose voice sounded older than I expected.
"Robert Ellison speaking.""
My mother introduced herself and explained that she was David Carter's widow.
There was a long silence.
Then the attorney said, "I've been wondering when someone from your family would call.""
My mother gripped the phone.
"You remember my husband?""
"I remember him very well.""
"Do you still have the records from his case?""
Another pause.
"I have copies of some of them. But before we discuss anything, I need to ask you a question.""
"What question?"" I asked, leaning closer.
"Has anyone from the Hayes family contacted you recently?""
My mother and I exchanged a look.
"Yes," she answered.
"Their nephew has been contacting my daughter.""
The attorney exhaled.
"Then I was right to keep those files.""
My heart started pounding.
"What do you mean?""
"Your father didn't lose that money in the way he was told. He found evidence of a transfer that should never have happened.""
I leaned toward the phone.
"Where did the money go?""
"I can't explain the entire case over the phone. But I can tell you this: the documents your father kept were not the only records that existed.""
My mother tightened her grip on the receiver.
"What other records?""
"The company maintained a separate ledger. Your husband believed Malcolm Hayes had destroyed it, but he never found proof.""
"Do you know where it is?""
"I believe I do.""
The room seemed to shrink around me.
"Then why didn't you tell us?"" I asked.
"Because I couldn't establish who had the original. And without that ledger, I couldn't prove where the funds went.""
I thought of Romeo's messages.
The threats.
The photograph of my mother's house.
The way he'd reacted when Selena mentioned the ring.
"Mr. Ellison," I said, "I think Romeo knows we have something.""
"Romeo Hayes?""
"Yes.""
The attorney fell silent.
Then he spoke carefully.
"Miss Carter, listen to me. Do not hand over any original documents to anyone. Do not agree to meet Romeo alone. And do not assume that the records your father left behind tell the entire story.""
My mother sat down.
"What aren't you telling us?""
"I'm telling you what I can until I see the documents.""
"When can we meet?"" I asked.
"Tomorrow morning. My office is downtown. Bring everything your father left you.""
We agreed on a time.
For the first time since the previous afternoon, I felt as though we had a direction.
Not an answer.
But a direction.
My mother insisted that I stay for lunch. We sat at the kitchen table, barely touching our food, and talked about the years we'd lost trying to forget the property deal.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number.
I answered without speaking.
A man's voice came through.
"You should have left those papers where they were.""
I stood up so quickly my chair scraped the floor.
"Who is this?""
"You don't need to know who I am.""
"Then stop calling me.""
"You think that attorney is going to help you? Your father trusted him, too. Look where that got him.""
My mother rose from her chair.
I put the call on speaker.
"Did you take that picture of my mother's house?"" I asked.
The man chuckled.
"You're asking the wrong questions.""
"Then give me the right ones.""
"You want the truth about your father? Ask your mother what happened the night he died.""
My mother went completely white.
I stared at her.
"What did you say?""
The man continued.
"Ask her why he was driving to Malcolm Hayes's office that night. Ask her what he carried in his briefcase. And ask her why the police never found it.""
My mother reached for the phone.
"Who are you?""
The line went dead.
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then I turned toward her.
"Mom.""
She shook her head.
"No.""
"Why would he say that?""
"I don't know.""
"Was Dad going to Malcolm's office the night he died?""
She pressed her hands against the counter.
"Your father was driving home from a meeting.""
"What meeting?""
"I don't know.""
"Mom, you just told me you didn't know where he was going.""
"I said I didn't know everything!""
Her voice cracked.
I stepped back.
She was crying now, her shoulders shaking as she gripped the counter.
I had never seen my mother look so frightened.
Not when my father died.
Not when she sold his truck.
Not when she worked two jobs to keep our family afloat.
This was different.
This was the fear of someone who had carried a secret for years and had just heard it spoken aloud by a stranger.
I lowered my voice.
"Mom, what happened that night?""
She covered her mouth.
Then she looked at me through tear-filled eyes.
"Your father called me before he died.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"What did he say?""
She shook her head.
"I didn't tell you because I thought I was protecting you.""
"Protecting me from what?""
She reached for the old envelope and pulled out a second note I hadn't seen before.
The paper was creased and yellowed. My father's handwriting was hurried, the letters uneven.
My mother placed it on the table.
"I found this in his coat after the funeral.""
I unfolded it.
There were only two lines.
If anything happens to me, don't trust Malcolm.
Beneath that sentence was another name.
Not Romeo.
Not Malcolm.
*David Hayes.*
Romeo's father.
I looked up at my mother.
She was crying too hard to speak.
And then she whispered the words that changed everything.
"Your father didn't die before he could tell us the truth, baby.""
May you like
She wiped her face with trembling fingers.
"He died because he was about to reveal it.""