Chapter 11: The Second Account
The interrogation room was too bright.
That was the first thing I noticed.
After everything that happened, the ordinary things felt strange.
The buzzing lights.
The ticking clock.
The sound of paper moving across the table.
My entire life had become a collection of things I thought I understood.
And every single one had been a lie.
Detective Harris sat across from me.
Elena sat beside him.
My children were in another room with an officer.
Safe.
At least, I hoped they were.
“Start from the beginning,” I said.
Elena looked at her hands.
“I found the second account three weeks before the accident.””
I waited.
“Your father had been moving money from your grandfather’s company.””
I frowned.
“My grandfather?””
She nodded.
“The company wasn’t just his.””
“Whose was it?””
“Your mother’s.””
I froze.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
I felt a memory return.
My mother always stayed quiet.
Always stepped aside.
My father made every decision.
I had assumed she wanted it that way.
But maybe she didn’t.
“Elena…”
“She left records.””
“What kind?””
“Proof that your father had been taking money for years.””
I looked down.
“And you found it.””
“Yes.””
“What did you do?””
“I confronted him.””
I already knew that answer.
“And?””
“He threatened me.””
Her voice lowered.
“He said nobody would believe me.””
I looked at Detective Harris.
“And Mallory?””
“She was involved.””
“Why?””
Elena looked away.
“Because she owed him.””
“Owed him what?””
“Everything.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“She had debt.””
“How much?””
“Enough that your father could control her.””
I thought about Mallory.
The woman who watched my children.
The woman who smiled at family gatherings.
The woman who locked my son away.
“How did Isaiah get involved?””
Elena’s face changed.
“Because he saw me meeting with a lawyer.””
I remembered the note.
The warning.
The basement.
“He knew?””
“He didn’t understand everything.””
“But your father thought he did.””
“Yes.””
I leaned back.
“So the accident…”
Elena took a breath.
“Your father followed me that night.””
My chest tightened.
“You told me it was a car accident.””
“I know.””
“Why?””
“Because I thought you were involved.””
The room went silent.
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Elena looked at me.
“Not because you hurt me.””
She rushed to explain.
“But because your father had been talking to you.””
I remembered.
The days before Elena died.
My father calling me.
Telling me Elena was unstable.
Saying she was paranoid.
Saying she was ruining our family.
I had ignored him.
But I had listened.
“He was poisoning me against you.””
“Yes.””
I looked away.
“And I believed him.””
Elena reached for my hand.
“I know.””
I pulled away.
Not because I hated her.
Because I hated myself.
“I should have seen it.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
My voice cracked.
“I trusted him.””
Detective Harris interrupted.
“Andre.””
I looked at him.
“There’s something else.””
He placed a photograph on the table.
A man.
A woman.
A car.
“What is this?””
“We identified the person who called you.””
My stomach tightened.
“You did?””
He nodded.
“It wasn’t your father.””
“Then who?””
He slid the photo closer.
I stared.
The person standing beside the car was familiar.
Too familiar.
“No.””
Detective Harris watched me.
“You know him?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because I did.
Everyone did.
The person in the photograph had been at every family event.
Every birthday.
Every holiday.
Someone who had always been around.
Someone I never questioned.
I whispered:
“That’s…”
The door suddenly opened.
An officer stepped inside.
“Detective.””
Harris turned.
“What?””
The officer looked at me.
“We found Mallory.””
My heart jumped.
“Where?””
“She left a message.””
“What message?””
The officer hesitated.
“She said if we wanted the truth…”
A pause.
“She would meet us where Elena disappeared.””
Elena went pale.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She stood slowly.
“That place doesn’t exist.””
Detective Harris frowned.
“What do you mean?””
Elena stared at the floor.
“Because my father made sure nobody could find it.””
I looked at her.
“Your father?””
She nodded.
“The place where he kept everything.””
My voice lowered.
“Everything?””
May you like
She looked up.
“Every secret.””