Chapter 6: The Ledger
Marcus killed every light in the downstairs rooms.
“Stay back,” he whispered.
I stood behind the study doorway.
Vanessa was beside me.
For once, neither of us argued.
The black SUV remained across the street.
No headlights.
No movement.
Just a dark shape beneath the streetlamp.
Marcus took out his phone.
“I'm calling the police.””
Vanessa grabbed his wrist.
“No.””
He stared at her.
“Why not?””
“Because you don't know who they are.””
“That is exactly why I'm calling.””
“They'll know.””
“Who?””
Vanessa released him.
“I don't know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because I don't.””
Marcus walked toward the window.
I grabbed his sleeve.
“Dad.””
He stopped.
“Don't go outside.””
“I wasn't planning to.””
“Good.””
He looked at me.
His expression softened.
“You shouldn't be involved in this.””
I almost laughed.
“I was involved the second Vanessa put that necklace in my backpack.””
His face tightened.
“You're right.””
A horn sounded outside.
One short blast.
The SUV's driver's door opened.
A man stepped out.
He was tall.
Black jacket.
Baseball cap.
He looked toward our house.
Then walked to the sidewalk.
My heart hammered.
Marcus whispered, “Get upstairs.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Aaliyah.””
“No.””
He looked at Vanessa.
“Take her upstairs.””
Vanessa didn't move.
Marcus opened the front door.
“Marcus!”” Vanessa hissed.
He stepped onto the porch.
The man across the street lifted his phone.
Marcus stopped.
The man held the phone up toward him.
Then slowly turned the screen around.
Even from inside, I could see the photograph displayed there.
My mother.
Marcus went still.
The man lowered the phone.
Then walked back to the SUV.
He drove away without saying a word.
Marcus remained on the porch.
I ran outside.
“What did he want?””
My father looked at me.
“Nothing.””
“He showed you Mom's picture.””
“I know.””
“Who was he?””
“I don't know.””
Vanessa came onto the porch.
“Yes, you do.””
Marcus turned.
“Not now.””
“You recognized him.””
“No.””
“You did.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who was he?””
She swallowed.
“His name is Calvin.””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“Vanessa.””
“What?””
“You promised.””
“I promised your mother.””
“What promise?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“That if anything happened, I would tell you.””
Marcus whispered, “Not like this.””
I stepped closer.
“Tell me.””
Vanessa looked toward the road.
“Calvin worked for your mother's insurance company.””
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with the ledger?””
“He was investigating the policy.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother's death triggered a fraud investigation.””
I stared.
“You said it was an accident.””
“It was ruled an accident.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“There were irregularities.””
Marcus shook his head.
“The investigation was closed.””
“Because someone made sure it was.””
I looked at him.
“Who?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Vanessa did.
“The beneficiary.””
My stomach dropped.
“Who was the beneficiary?””
She looked at Marcus.
I followed her gaze.
“Dad?””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“I was.””
The world seemed to go silent.
“You were the beneficiary?””
“Yes.””
“Of the two million dollars?””
“Yes.””
“And Mom was planning to leave you?””
“Yes.””
“And then she died?””
Marcus looked at me.
“I never touched that money.””
“Did you collect it?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because the policy was frozen during the investigation.””
I stared at him.
“Did you try to collect it?””
“No.””
“Did you ever want her dead?””
His face crumpled.
“No.””
I believed him.
But belief wasn't the same as certainty anymore.
We went back inside.
Marcus locked the door.
Vanessa stood in the study, staring at the old phone.
I picked it up.
“The ledger.””
She looked at me.
“What about it?””
“Where is it?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
“You said my mother hid it.””
“I said she had documents.””
“Daniel said the ledger is still there.””
“I don't know what he means.””
I looked at my father.
“Do you?””
He rubbed his forehead.
“I know your mother kept records.””
“Of what?””
“Money.””
“Whose?””
“I don't know.””
“Dad.””
He sat down.
“Your mother suspected someone was stealing from the company.””
“What company?””
“Our family business.””
“Your company?””
“Yes.””
“Who had access?””
He hesitated.
“Several people.””
“Names.””
“Aaliyah, this was seventeen years ago.””
“Names.””
Marcus exhaled.
“My business partner, Raymond.””
Vanessa looked down.
I noticed.
“Vanessa?””
She didn't answer.
“Do you know Raymond?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He was your father's partner.””
“That doesn't answer the question.””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“He was the man your mother was meeting the night she died.””
I stared.
Marcus shot to his feet.
“That isn't true.””
“I saw him there.””
“You weren't there.””
“I was.””
“Vanessa!””
“I followed your mother.””
My heart pounded.
“You followed her?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because she called me crying.””
“What did she say?””
“She said she had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Raymond had been moving money out of the company.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I didn't trust you.””
“You trusted Daniel?””
“I trusted your wife.””
I stepped closer.
“Where was Mom going?””
“To the storage facility.””
“Unit 1847?””
“Yes.””
“Did she get there?””
Vanessa's eyes closed.
“Yes.””
“And Raymond?””
“Yes.””
“And Daniel?””
“No.””
I frowned.
“But Daniel's voicemail said he was there.””
“He came later.””
“Then what happened?””
Vanessa looked at Marcus.
“That's where the story changes.””
I waited.
“Your mother showed Raymond the ledger.””
“What did he do?””
“He panicked.””
Marcus whispered, “Stop.””
Vanessa ignored him.
“Your mother told him she was going to expose him.””
“What happened next?””
“Raymond left.””
“Did Mom leave?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“She was waiting for Daniel.””
“Then what?””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“I left.””
I stared.
“You left my mother alone?””
“I was scared.””
“And then?””
“I heard tires.””
“What kind?””
“Car tires.””
“Did you see who came?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
“But you saw the car.””
“Yes.””
“What car?””
She looked at Marcus.
“A dark sedan.””
My father's face changed.
I looked at him.
“Your car?””
“No.””
“Whose?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Vanessa whispered, “Daniel's.””
I shook my head.
“But Daniel wasn't there.””
“He came afterward.””
“How do you know?””
“Because he told me.””
“When?””
“Two days later.””
“What did he say?””
Vanessa looked at the floor.
“He said he found your mother.””
“Alive?””
She hesitated.
My blood ran cold.
“Alive?””
“I don't know.””
“Don't say you don't know.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“He said she was breathing.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You never told me that.””
“I was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“That Daniel had done something.””
I turned toward my father.
“What happened to Mom?””
Marcus shook his head.
“I don't know.””
“Then we find the ledger.””
He looked at me.
“You don't know where it is.””
“Yes, I do.””
Everyone went silent.
I held up my phone.
The old photograph.
The brick building.
The number 1847.
“The storage facility.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That place was demolished years ago.””
“What?””
“The property was sold.””
“Then where did the records go?””
“I don't know.””
I opened the message from Daniel.
*The ledger is still where your mother hid it.*
I zoomed in on the photograph again.
Something was behind my mother’s car.
A row of storage units.
I looked at the numbers.
1847 wasn't the unit.
It was the building.
I zoomed further.
Below the building number was a faded sign.
*WESTRIDGE COMMUNITY ARCHIVE.*
My heart jumped.
“Dad.””
He looked.
“What?””
“This wasn't a storage facility.””
He took the phone.
His face went blank.
“It became an archive.””
“When?””
“After the property was sold.””
“To who?””
He didn't answer.
I searched the old records on my phone.
A current address appeared.
I showed him.
“It's still there.””
Marcus stared.
Vanessa whispered, “No.””
I looked at her.
“You know that place?””
She nodded slowly.
“Your mother hid something there.””
“What?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why are you scared?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Because the archive has a basement.””
My father stepped forward.
“Vanessa.””
She shook her head.
“That's where Daniel told me to look.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother didn't trust the storage unit.””
I stared.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because the last person who went looking for the ledger disappeared.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
Vanessa whispered the name.
“Raymond.””
Marcus's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
No one spoke.
Then a recording played through the speaker.
My mother's voice.
Older than the one on the voicemail.
Terrified.
“Marcus, if you're hearing this, I'm already gone.””
My father gripped the phone.
The recording continued.
“Don't trust the person closest to you.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Then at Marcus.
The voice continued.
“The ledger isn't about money.””
A pause.
“It's about the night I died.””
The recording ended.
Marcus lowered the phone.
Nobody moved.
Then his phone received a photo.
It showed the basement of the archive.
At the center of the room was an old metal filing cabinet.
On top sat a black ledger.
And taped to the cover was a handwritten note.
I zoomed in.
Three words.
*FOR AALIYAH ONLY.*
My father whispered, “We can't go there.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
His eyes fixed on the photograph.
“Because that building is owned by Raymond.””
And before I could respond, another message appeared.
May you like
*Come alone, Aaliyah.*
*If Marcus comes with you, the truth dies with him.*