Chapter 9: The Person Closest to Her
The man in the suit walked slowly toward us.
Marcus stepped in front of me.
“Don't come any closer.””
The man stopped.
He looked amused.
“Still protecting her.””
“Who are you?””
The man smiled.
“A name won't help you.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“It will help her.””
The man looked at him.
“You've already caused enough trouble.””
Vanessa wiped her face.
“Please.””
The man turned toward her.
“You were supposed to keep her out of this.””
“I tried.””
“You framed her.””
“I was desperate.””
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
“You were working for him?””
She shook her head.
“Not exactly.””
“What does that mean?””
The man answered for her.
“It means Vanessa was afraid.””
I looked at him.
“Afraid of you?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because she knew what would happen if she failed.””
I held up the second ledger.
“What's in here?””
The man's smile disappeared.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Aaliyah.””
My father's voice was low.
“Don't.””
I looked at him.
“You know him.””
Marcus didn't answer.
The man laughed.
“Of course he knows me.””
“Who are you?””
“My name is Everett Cole.””
Marcus whispered, “Raymond's attorney.””
Everett smiled.
“Among other things.””
I looked at Raymond.
“You worked for him?””
Raymond shook his head.
“Not anymore.””
Everett glanced at him.
“You were always weak.””
“You killed her,” Raymond said.
The words echoed through the hallway.
Everyone went still.
Everett looked at him.
“You should be careful.””
“You killed her,” Raymond repeated.
Marcus grabbed my arm.
“Come on.””
We started walking.
Everett's voice followed us.
“You really think you can walk out with that?””
I held the ledger tighter.
Marcus pulled me toward the stairs.
Daniel followed.
Vanessa stayed behind.
I turned.
“Vanessa!””
She looked at me.
“Come with us.””
Her eyes filled.
“I can't.””
“Yes, you can.””
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.””
“I understand that you're scared.””
She looked at Marcus.
“I was supposed to protect your mother.””
Marcus stopped.
“What did you do?””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“I was there.””
My chest tightened.
“You were there when she died?””
She nodded.
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Tell us.””
“I went to the facility because your mother asked me to.””
“What happened?””
“She had the ledger.””
“The first one?””
“Yes.””
“And?””
“She told me she was leaving.””
“With Aaliyah.””
“Yes.””
“Then why did she stay?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Because Marcus called.””
My father froze.
“I called her?””
“She answered.””
“What did I say?””
“You told her you knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That Raymond had been stealing.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I didn't know that.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“You knew something.””
“What?””
“That someone had been using your company to pay for a secret account.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Daniel.””
She nodded.
My heart pounded.
“What was Daniel's secret account?””
Nobody answered.
I opened the ledger.
The pages were filled with numbers.
Dates.
Initials.
Transfers.
Then I found one name repeated over and over.
*M.B.*
Marcus looked at it.
“That isn't me.””
“What does M.B. mean?””
“I don't know.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“It means Michael Brooks.””
I looked at him.
“Your name?””
He nodded.
“Your mother had been sending money to me.””
“Why?””
“To keep you safe.””
“From what?””
“Your father.””
Marcus turned.
“You're lying.””
Daniel shook his head.
“Your wife found out that someone was planning to take the insurance money.””
“Who?””
“Everett.””
The man in the suit stepped closer.
Daniel pointed at him.
“He had access to the policy.””
Everett laughed.
“And Daniel was stealing from it.””
“I was protecting Aaliyah.””
“You were stealing.””
“Money that would've been used to pay you.””
I stared.
“Pay him for what?””
Daniel looked at me.
“For keeping quiet.””
“About my mother?””
“Yes.””
My stomach twisted.
“Why would Everett want you quiet?””
Daniel looked toward Marcus.
“Because your father wasn't the target.””
I looked at my father.
“Who was?””
“Your mother.””
The corridor went silent.
Daniel continued.
“She discovered Everett was laundering money through Raymond's company.””
Everett shook his head.
“She was unstable.””
“My mother wasn't unstable.””
“She was angry.””
“She had evidence.””
“Evidence can be fabricated.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“She recorded you.””
Everett's expression changed.
I looked at the old phone in my hand.
“The recording.””
Daniel nodded.
“She had another one.””
“Where?””
“In the second ledger.””
I flipped through the pages.
Nothing.
“Where?””
Daniel pointed to the back cover.
“There's a compartment.””
I examined it.
A tiny seam ran along the leather.
I pulled it open.
A memory card fell into my palm.
My breath caught.
Marcus stared.
“What is that?””
“My mother's recording.””
Everett moved.
Marcus blocked him.
“Don't.””
Everett stopped.
I inserted the card into my phone using an adapter from my backpack.
The file appeared.
*OCTOBER 14 — 11:38 PM*
I pressed play.
My mother's voice filled the corridor.
“If anyone finds this, Everett Cole is responsible for the missing money.””
Everett's face went pale.
Her voice continued.
“He has been threatening me because I discovered the insurance accounts.””
A second voice appeared.
Everett.
“You don't understand what you're accusing me of.””
My mother's voice:
“I understand perfectly.””
Everett:
“You think Marcus will believe you?””
My mother:
“He will.””
Everett:
“Marcus doesn't even know what his wife is capable of.””
My mother:
“You're afraid.””
Everett:
“No. I'm giving you one last chance.””
A pause.
Then my mother said:
“If something happens to me, Aaliyah gets everything.””
The recording stopped.
I looked at Everett.
“You threatened her.””
He shook his head.
“That's not what happened.””
“Then what happened?””
He said nothing.
Daniel spoke.
“She left the facility alive.””
My father's face tightened.
“How do you know?””
“Because I followed her.””
“You said you weren't there.””
“I arrived after Vanessa left.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I left because Everett came.””
I looked at her.
“What did you see?””
“Your mother was arguing with him.””
“Then?””
“I heard a crash.””
“Did you see her?””
“No.””
“Did you see Everett leave?””
“Yes.””
Everett shook his head.
“She was alive when I left.””
Marcus stared.
“Then who killed her?””
Everett looked at him.
“You did.””
My father's face drained.
“What?””
“You found her.””
“No.””
“You followed her.””
“I wasn't there.””
“You were.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I arrived after the crash.””
Everett smiled.
“And you touched the car.””
“I tried to save her.””
“You moved evidence.””
“I was trying to save my wife!””
The words echoed.
I looked at my father.
“Tell me.””
He looked at me.
“I found your mother beside the canal.””
“Alive?””
“No.””
“You lied.””
“I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“That police would think I killed her.””
“Why?””
“Because I had argued with her earlier.””
“What did you argue about?””
He looked down.
“She wanted to leave.””
“With Vanessa?””
“Yes.””
“Were you angry?””
“Yes.””
“Did you threaten her?””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
My heart broke.
“But you didn't kill her.””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She was crying.
“I don't know.””
Vanessa suddenly stepped forward.
“I do.””
Everyone turned.
She looked directly at Everett.
“You did.””
Everett's face hardened.
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“You saw nothing.””
“I saw enough.””
“What?””
Vanessa took a trembling breath.
“You hit her.””
My father stared.
I couldn't move.
“With what?””
“A metal flashlight.””
Everett stepped forward.
“She fell.””
Vanessa continued.
“You hit her again.””
Everett's face twisted.
“She was going to expose me.””
“And then?””
“You dragged her toward the canal.””
I felt sick.
“Why?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“To make it look like an accident.””
Everett laughed.
“You're lying.””
“No.””
Vanessa pulled something from her purse.
A small silver flash drive.
“I kept this.””
Everett's expression changed.
“What is that?””
“Your original account records.””
Marcus stared.
“Where did you get them?””
“Your mother gave them to me.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“She told me to keep them safe until you were old enough to understand.””
I took the drive.
My fingers shook.
“Why did you frame me?””
Vanessa began crying.
“Because Everett threatened Jordan.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
“What?””
“He said if I didn't make you believe Aaliyah was stealing, he would hurt my son.””
I stared.
“So you sacrificed me.””
“Yes.””
“You tried to make Dad hate me.””
“I thought I could fix it later.””
“You almost destroyed our family.””
“I know.””
My father's voice was quiet.
“Vanessa, you should have come to me.””
“I was afraid.””
“You should have trusted me.””
“I didn't.””
He looked away.
I looked at the silver drive.
Then at Everett.
“You're done.””
He laughed.
“You think a seventeen-year-old recording and a flash drive will put me in prison?””
“No.””
I held up my phone.
“I think this will.””
The recording was still running.
Everett stared at the screen.
Then at me.
“You recorded me.””
“Yes.””
His face changed.
Marcus stepped beside me.
Daniel did too.
Even Raymond moved forward.
For the first time, Everett looked surrounded.
Then sirens sounded outside.
I stared toward the entrance.
“How?””
Marcus looked at me.
“I called the police before we came downstairs.””
Everett turned toward the exit.
Calvin blocked his path.
“You're not leaving.””
Everett glared at him.
“You work for me.””
Calvin shook his head.
“Not anymore.””
The basement filled with flashing blue light.
Officers entered.
Everett was arrested.
Raymond was taken aside for questioning.
Daniel surrendered the documents he'd been hiding.
Vanessa gave them the flash drive.
And my father stood beside me through all of it.
But when the officers began packing up the evidence, I noticed something.
The first ledger was still open on the desk.
One final page.
A handwritten note from my mother.
I read it silently.
*Aaliyah, if you're reading this, there is one thing your father never knew.*
I looked at Marcus.
Then continued.
*You were not the reason I was afraid.*
My hands trembled.
The final line was underlined twice.
*The night I died, someone called me using your father's phone.*
I looked up.
Marcus's face went white.
Because he had been holding that phone the entire night.
And suddenly, the real question wasn't who had killed my mother.
May you like
It was:
*Who had been using my father's phone?*