Chapter 6: The Man Behind the Door
I stared at Lisa.
"What does he want?""
She didn't answer.
"Lisa.""
"The flash drive.""
I looked down at it.
"Why?""
"Because that's what they're really after.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"What is on it?""
Lisa shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Damon immediately said, "She does.""
Lisa turned.
"Don't.""
"You told me.""
"I told you nothing.""
"You told me there was a recording.""
I looked at Damon.
"What recording?""
He swallowed.
"One from Grandpa.""
Dad frowned.
"I made recordings?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Damon looked at me.
"Because he was scared someone would make him sign something.""
Lisa closed her eyes.
I felt a wave of anger.
"You knew.""
She opened her eyes.
"I knew he was frightened.""
"And you still kept doing it.""
"I was trying to buy time.""
"By stealing from him?""
"By keeping the people away from him.""
I stepped closer.
"You brought them here.""
"No.""
"You let them believe they owned his house.""
"I never told them that.""
"Then why did they send me a picture of this house?""
Lisa didn't answer.
Damon did.
"Because somebody gave them the deed.""
I looked at him.
"Who?""
He shook his head.
"I don't know.""
I looked at Dad.
"Do you?""
Dad stared at the floor.
"I may.""
The three of us went silent.
I crouched beside him.
"Who?""
Dad's voice was barely audible.
"A man named Raymond.""
"Who is Raymond?""
"My former attorney.""
Lisa looked up sharply.
"Raymond is dead.""
Dad nodded.
"I know.""
"Then how could he have filed anything?""
"I don't know.""
I opened the leather folder again.
There was a business card tucked behind the documents.
*Raymond H. Cole — Attorney at Law.*
I turned it over.
A handwritten phone number was on the back.
Dad stared at it.
"That number.""
"What about it?""
"He called me six months ago.""
"Why?""
"He said he had instructions from your mother.""
I felt my skin prickle.
"Mom died twelve years ago.""
"I know.""
"What instructions?""
"He wouldn't tell me over the phone.""
"Did he come here?""
Dad nodded.
"One night.""
"When?""
"Six months ago.""
The exact month Damon had moved in.
I looked at my son.
"Did you know?""
Damon shook his head.
"No.""
"Did you see anyone?""
He hesitated.
"Maybe.""
"Who?""
"An older man.""
"Raymond?""
"I don't know.""
Dad suddenly said, "It wasn't Raymond.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"Raymond had a limp.""
"Then who was here?""
Dad closed his eyes.
"I don't know.""
A knock sounded at the front door.
Three slow knocks.
Nobody moved.
Damon looked at me.
"Could be him.""
"Who?""
"The man from the picture.""
Another knock.
Dad gripped his wheelchair.
Lisa whispered, "Don't open it.""
I walked toward the door.
"Michael.""
I stopped.
Dad's voice was firm.
"Don't.""
I looked through the window.
No one stood on the porch.
I opened the door anyway.
The porch was empty.
A white envelope lay on the mat.
I picked it up.
No name.
No address.
Inside was a single photograph.
My father standing beside Mom.
The photograph was old.
But something was written across the back.
I turned it over.
*Ask Walter what happened the night your mother died.*
I stared at Dad.
His face had gone completely gray.
Lisa whispered, "Michael...""
I walked back into the living room.
"What happened the night Mom died?""
Dad didn't answer.
"Dad.""
He looked at me.
"I can't.""
"You can.""
"I promised your mother.""
"She's been dead twelve years.""
"I know.""
"And whatever you promised her is now putting you in danger.""
Dad looked at the photograph.
Then he whispered, "Your mother didn't die the way you were told.""
The room seemed to tilt.
"What?""
Damon stared at him.
"Grandpa?""
Dad swallowed.
"She was supposed to testify.""
"Testify about what?""
"About the money.""
Lisa began crying.
Dad looked at her.
"She discovered what Lisa had done.""
Lisa covered her mouth.
"Mom found the accounts.""
"Yes.""
"And she was going to tell Michael.""
"Yes.""
I looked at Lisa.
She was shaking.
"But Mom died in a car accident.""
Dad nodded.
"That's what the police said.""
"What do you mean, that's what they said?""
"I never believed it.""
I felt sick.
"You never told me.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From what?""
Dad looked at the front door.
"From the same people who are here now.""
Damon whispered, "The debt.""
Dad nodded.
"The debt was never the real problem.""
I stared at him.
"Then what was?""
Dad looked at the flash drive.
"Your mother found evidence that someone inside our family was helping them.""
I looked at Lisa.
She shook her head.
"It wasn't me.""
Dad nodded.
"I know.""
I froze.
"What?""
Lisa looked at him.
"You know?""
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
"I always knew you were reckless.""
He looked at me.
"But your mother discovered something worse.""
"What?""
Dad's voice dropped.
"The person helping them was Michael.""
I stared at him.
My own name seemed to echo in the room.
Damon looked at me.
Lisa looked at me.
I laughed.
It came out hollow.
"Me?""
Dad nodded.
"I never believed you were doing it.""
"Then why say that?""
"Because someone forged documents in your name.""
I stared at the house deed.
The room suddenly felt colder.
"Why?""
Dad pointed at the flash drive.
"Because your mother found the proof.""
I held up the drive.
"Then let's see it.""
Dad's face tightened.
"Michael, once you open that, there is no going back.""
"There was no going back when Damon poured water on you.""
Damon looked down.
"There was no going back when we found the stolen money.""
I looked at Lisa.
"And there was definitely no going back when someone tried to steal your house.""
Then I plugged the drive into my laptop.
A single folder appeared.
*MOM — 2014.*
Inside were three files.
One video.
One audio recording.
One scanned document.
I opened the video.
Mom appeared on screen.
Older than I remembered.
Tired.
Sitting at this exact kitchen table.
My throat tightened.
She looked directly into the camera.
"Michael, if you're watching this, I'm sorry.""
I covered my mouth.
Damon stepped closer.
The video continued.
"I don't know how much time I have.""
Mom glanced toward the doorway.
"If anything happens to me, don't trust the documents.""
My heart pounded.
"Trust the recordings.""
She paused.
"And most importantly...""
She leaned closer to the camera.
"Do not let Walter sign anything presented by Raymond Cole.""
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
I opened the audio file.
Static.
Then Mom's voice.
"Raymond, I know what you've done.""
A man's voice answered.
"You don't know anything.""
"I have the bank records.""
A pause.
Then Raymond said, "Your husband will lose everything.""
Mom answered, "No. He won't.""
"Your son will.""
Silence.
Then Mom whispered, "You wouldn't dare.""
The recording ended.
I stared at the screen.
Dad was crying silently.
Lisa whispered, "Raymond wasn't alone.""
I looked at her.
"Who was with him?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Then the final file opened automatically.
A scanned document.
It was a property transfer.
The signature at the bottom was mine.
My full name.
Michael Carter.
The date was six months ago.
I stared at it.
"I never signed this.""
Dad nodded.
"I know.""
Then I noticed something.
The witness signature.
My blood turned cold.
I zoomed in.
There were two names.
One belonged to Raymond.
The other belonged to someone still alive.
Someone who had been standing in our house that afternoon.
I looked slowly toward Lisa.
She was staring at the screen.
"That's not possible.""
"What?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
I pointed to the name.
"Lisa, you know this person.""
She looked at me.
Then at Dad.
And finally at Damon.
Her lips trembled.
"I thought he was dead.""
I stood.
"Who is it?""
Before she could answer, the lights in the house went out.
The television died.
The garage went dark.
The room fell silent.
Then headlights swept across the living-room windows.
A car stopped in the driveway.
Someone got out.
Footsteps approached the front door.
Dad whispered, "Michael...""
The doorknob slowly turned.
Lisa grabbed Damon's arm.
Damon stared at the door.
And a man's voice came from the other side.
"Mr. Carter.""
I knew that voice.
I'd heard it once before.
On the recording.
May you like
Raymond Cole.
But Raymond Cole was supposed to be dead.