Chapter 5: The Call at Midnight
I didn't answer.
The phone kept vibrating in my hand.
Daniel Brooks.
My mother's brother.
A man I'd never been told existed.
A man who apparently had access to the security camera in my bedroom.
And someone who knew enough about my mother's death to scare my father seventeen years later.
The call stopped.
For one second, the room was completely dark.
Then the lights came back on.
I looked toward the hallway.
“Dad?””
No answer.
“Vanessa?””
Nothing.
I stepped to the door and opened it.
The hallway was empty.
Downstairs, I heard the faint sound of a cabinet closing.
I walked toward the stairs.
Then my phone rang again.
Daniel.
This time I answered.
“Hello?””
Static.
Then a man's voice.
“Aaliyah?””
I gripped the railing.
“Yes.””
There was silence.
His voice was older than I expected.
Tired.
“Are you alone?””
I looked behind me.
“Yes.””
“Good.””
“Who are you?””
Another pause.
“You already know.””
“I know your name.””
“That isn't the same thing.””
“Why did you send me the photograph?””
“Because your father finally pushed you far enough to make you ask questions.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did you put the necklace in my backpack?””
“No.””
“Did you send the messages?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I needed you to look at the camera.””
I went still.
“You knew about the camera?””
“I knew your mother would have wanted you to see the truth.””
I swallowed.
“You knew my mother?””
“She was my sister.””
“Why did nobody tell me?””
“Because Marcus made sure you never knew I existed.””
I heard footsteps downstairs.
I lowered my voice.
“Where are you?””
“Not far.””
“Can I see you?””
“Not yet.””
“Why?””
“Because Vanessa is listening.””
I turned.
Vanessa stood at the end of the hallway.
She stared at me.
Her face was unreadable.
I covered the phone's microphone.
“Why would Vanessa be listening?””
Daniel's voice came through the speaker.
“Because Vanessa knows more than she's telling you.””
Vanessa walked toward me.
“Aaliyah?””
I raised the phone.
“Daniel?””
She stopped.
Her face drained of color.
The voice on the phone went silent.
Vanessa whispered, “Give me the phone.””
“No.””
“Aaliyah, give me the phone.””
“Why?””
“Because you don't know what you're doing.””
“You said I shouldn't trust him.””
“You shouldn't.””
“Then tell me why.””
She didn't answer.
Daniel's voice returned.
“Ask her where she was on October 14, 2009.””
Vanessa's eyes widened.
I stared at her.
“Where were you?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Where were you?””
“I was home.””
Daniel said, “She's lying.””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“Shut up.””
The line went dead.
I looked at the phone.
Then at Vanessa.
“You knew him.””
She didn't answer.
“You knew Daniel.””
“I knew of him.””
“That isn't what he said.””
“He wants to destroy your father.””
“Why?””
“Because he blames Marcus for your mother's death.””
“Does he have a reason?””
Vanessa looked toward the stairs.
“We shouldn't be talking here.””
“Why?””
“Because your father is coming.””
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Fast.
Marcus appeared at the top of the stairs.
His eyes went immediately to my phone.
“Who were you talking to?””
I didn't answer.
“Aaliyah.””
“Daniel.””
Marcus stopped.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
My father looked furious.
“Did he call you?””
“Yes.””
“What did he say?””
“That you lied.””
Marcus took a step toward me.
“Give me the phone.””
“No.””
“Aaliyah.””
“No.””
He stopped.
For the first time, he looked less like my father and more like a frightened man.
“What did he tell you?””
“That Mom was planning to leave.””
Marcus looked down.
“And?””
“That you got a call from Daniel before the accident.””
He closed his eyes.
“What else?””
“That Vanessa knows where she was that night.””
Vanessa turned sharply.
“Marcus.””
He looked at her.
“Tell her.””
She shook her head.
“Tell me what?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“I wasn't there.””
Daniel's accusation echoed in my head.
She's lying.
“You said you were home.””
“I was.””
“Where?””
“At my sister's.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You weren't.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“You knew?””
“I found out later.””
My breathing became shallow.
“Why were you there?””
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
“I was supposed to meet your mother.””
“For what?””
“To give her something.””
“What?””
She hesitated.
“A letter.””
I stared at her.
“My mother's letter?””
“Yes.””
“From who?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“Daniel.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“What letter?””
“The one she had written to him.””
My heart hammered.
“What did it say?””
Vanessa whispered, “That she knew about the money.””
Marcus's face changed.
“What money?””
I looked at him.
“You don't know?””
He stared at Vanessa.
“What did you tell her?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Nothing.””
“You knew about the money?””
“I knew your mother was hiding something.””
“What money?”” I demanded.
Nobody answered.
Then Marcus said quietly, “Your mother had a life insurance policy.””
My mouth went dry.
“How much?””
“Two million dollars.””
The hallway seemed to tilt.
“You're telling me my mother had a two-million-dollar policy?””
“Yes.””
“And she was leaving?””
“Yes.””
“With Daniel?””
“I don't know.””
“Then who was she leaving with?””
Marcus looked away.
I noticed.
“You know.””
“Aaliyah…”
“You know who she was leaving with.””
He said nothing.
Vanessa whispered, “She was leaving with me.””
I turned toward her.
“What?””
Vanessa nodded slowly.
“Your mother wanted to take you and leave Marcus.””
My father looked at her.
“Why didn't you tell me this?””
“Because you would've stopped her.””
“And you helped her?””
“Yes.””
I stared at Vanessa.
For the first time all night, she didn't look like my enemy.
She looked devastated.
“What happened?””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“She never made it.””
“Why?””
“We were supposed to meet at 11:30.””
“Where?””
“Outside the old storage facility.””
“Unit 1847?””
She nodded.
“She had documents there.””
“What documents?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why were you going?””
“To help her leave.””
I looked at Marcus.
“You knew?””
“No.””
“But you found out.””
“After the accident.””
“How?””
He didn't answer.
Vanessa did.
“Because Daniel called him.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You weren't supposed to know that.””
“I heard the voicemail.””
My heart pounded.
“What voicemail?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Your father saved it.””
Marcus's face went rigid.
“Where?””
Vanessa whispered, “In the old phone.””
I stared at Marcus.
“You still have it?””
He didn't answer.
“Dad.””
His silence was enough.
I moved past him.
“Where is it?””
“Aaliyah, wait.””
“Where?””
He pointed toward the study.
I ran downstairs.
The study smelled like old paper and cedar.
Marcus followed.
Vanessa stayed behind.
My father opened a locked drawer.
Inside were old documents, photographs, keys, and a small black phone.
He lifted it carefully.
I stared.
“That's it?””
“Yes.””
“Does it still work?””
“No.””
“Why keep it?””
His eyes stayed on the phone.
“Because I couldn't bring myself to destroy it.””
I held out my hand.
He gave it to me.
The battery was dead.
But beside it was a charging cable.
I plugged it in.
The screen flickered.
One missed call.
October 14, 2009.
11:42 p.m.
From Daniel Brooks.
I looked at my father.
“You said he called before the accident.””
“He did.””
“What did he say?””
Marcus's face tightened.
“I never listened to the voicemail.””
I stared at him.
“You kept the phone for seventeen years and never listened?””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
He looked at me.
“Of hearing the truth.””
The phone powered on.
One audio file appeared.
*VOICE MESSAGE — 11:42 PM*
I pressed play.
Static filled the study.
Then a man's voice.
Daniel.
“Marcus, pick up.””
A pause.
“She's at the facility.””
Another pause.
“If you love Aaliyah, you need to come alone.””
My father went completely still.
The recording continued.
“Your wife found the ledger.””
Marcus whispered, “No…”
Daniel's voice grew urgent.
“She knows who took the money.””
I looked at my father.
Then the recording ended.
Silence.
“What ledger?”” I asked.
Marcus didn't answer.
I pressed play again.
At the end of the recording, beneath Daniel's voice, there was something else.
A faint sound.
A woman's voice.
My mother's voice.
Barely audible.
“Marcus…”
I stopped breathing.
The recording crackled.
Then her voice came again.
“Don't trust—”
The audio cut off.
I stared at the phone.
“Don't trust who?””
Marcus's face had gone white.
He whispered one word.
“Vanessa.””
Behind us, a glass shattered.
We turned.
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
She wasn't holding anything.
But she was crying.
And she was staring at the phone like she'd just heard a ghost.
“You finally heard it,” she whispered.
My father stepped toward her.
“What did you do?””
Vanessa backed away.
“I didn't kill her.””
“I didn't ask that.””
“You don't understand.””
“Then explain.””
She shook her head.
“I can't.””
My phone buzzed.
A new message from Daniel.
*The ledger is still where your mother hid it.*
Another message followed.
*But Vanessa isn't the only person who knows where it is.*
I looked at my father.
“Who else?””
Before he could answer, the study's landline rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Marcus stared at it.
Vanessa whispered, “Don't answer.””
The phone rang again.
Marcus picked it up.
“Hello?””
A man's voice spoke.
Not Daniel.
Not anyone I recognized.
“Marcus?””
My father froze.
“Who is this?””
The caller laughed softly.
Then said:
“You should've burned the ledger when you had the chance.””
The line went dead.
Marcus lowered the receiver.
I looked at him.
“Dad…”
He didn't respond.
Because his eyes had moved to the front window.
A black SUV was parked across the street.
May you like
Its headlights were off.
And someone inside was watching our house.