Chapter 6: The Grave That Was Empty
I drove home so fast I barely remembered the roads.
The USB drive sat in my cup holder.
My mother's letter was folded inside my purse.
And the photograph of Vanessa and my father was open on my phone.
The image wouldn't leave my mind.
Vanessa.
My father.
A parking garage.
Money.
The night Mom died.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, the BMW was gone.
So was Madis's car.
The front door was unlocked.
I stepped inside.
“Vanessa?””
No answer.
The house felt wrong.
Too quiet.
I checked the kitchen.
Empty.
Living room.
Empty.
Then I heard something upstairs.
A drawer closing.
I climbed the steps.
“Vanessa?””
Her bedroom door was open.
She stood beside her dresser.
In her hand was a photograph.
When she saw me, she dropped it.
“You weren't supposed to come home yet.””
I stared at her.
“You weren't supposed to sell my mother's car.””
Her face tightened.
“What did you find?””
I froze.
Not what happened?
Not where were you?
*What did you find?*
“You already know.””
She said nothing.
I held up my phone.
“Why were you meeting my father?””
Vanessa's face collapsed.
She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“He contacted me.””
“When?””
“Years ago.””
“How many?””
“Six.””
I felt sick.
“My father has been alive for six years?””
“Yes.””
“And you knew?””
“I knew he was alive.””
“You let me believe he was dead.””
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
“Nia—”
“Did he pay you?””
She looked at me.
“No.””
“Then why were you meeting him?””
“Because he wanted information.””
“What information?””
“About your mother.””
My anger faltered.
“What did he want?””
“He wanted to know if she had left anything behind.””
“The trust?””
Vanessa looked away.
“The trust.””
“So you knew.””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Since the year your mother died.””
I stepped closer.
“You knew about the two million dollars.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about the envelope.””
“No.””
“You knew the Civic was connected to it.””
Her silence answered me.
“You sold it anyway.””
“I thought the envelope was gone.””
“Where?””
“I didn't know.””
“But you suspected.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa stood.
“Because your mother told me something the night before she died.””
“What?””
“She said if anything happened to her, you would eventually find the car.””
I stared at her.
“What exactly did she say?””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“She said, ‘Nia will know where to look.’”
I felt a chill.
“What did she mean?””
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
“I wish I were.””
I pulled out my mother's photograph.
“Then explain this.””
Vanessa saw the image.
Her face changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Daniel.””
She took a step toward me.
“Is he alive?””
“Who?””
“My father?””
“David.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
Vanessa sat again.
“He shouldn't be.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother said he was dead.””
“You knew he wasn't.””
“I suspected.””
“You met him.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“The night before you came home from the hospital.””
I stared.
“What hospital?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“The night your mother died.””
My stomach turned.
“What are you saying?””
“She wasn't killed at home.””
“I know.””
“No.””
Her voice shook.
“You don't know.””
I waited.
“She wasn't supposed to die that night.””
My skin prickled.
“What happened?””
Vanessa walked toward the window.
“She called me around eleven.””
“From where?””
“A hotel.””
“Why?””
“She said she had to leave.””
“Why?””
“She said someone had found her.””
“Who?””
“She wouldn't say.””
“And Dad?””
“He was already there.””
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“They were together?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did everyone say he disappeared before she died?””
“Because that's what he wanted people to believe.””
“Why?””
“To keep you alive.””
I shook my head.
“This doesn't make sense.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Your mother knew someone was following her. She thought if David disappeared, they'd stop looking for the family.””
“Did they?””
“No.””
“Then what happened?””
Vanessa's eyes moved toward the floor.
“Your mother died two days later.””
“Two days?””
“Yes.””
I felt dizzy.
“That's not what the death certificate says.””
Vanessa didn't respond.
I pulled out my phone.
“My mother died on October 14th.””
“Yes.””
“You just said she died two days after she left.””
“She did.””
“Then what happened on October 12th?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Someone died.””
I stared at her.
“Who?””
“Someone who looked like your mother.””
The room went silent.
I could hear my own breathing.
“No.””
“Nia…”
“No.””
“She had your mother's clothes.””
“You're telling me someone faked Mom's death?””
“I don't know.””
“You just said—”
“I said someone who looked like her died.””
“Where is my mother's body?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
“I don't know!””
Her voice cracked.
“I went to the funeral. I saw the coffin.””
“Was it open?””
“No.””
“Did you see her?””
“No.””
I backed away.
My mother.
Ten years of grief.
Ten years of believing she was gone.
And now every memory felt like a locked room.
“Where was she buried?””
“Pinecrest.””
“I know.””
“I mean the old cemetery.””
My head snapped up.
“What?””
“Your mother wasn't buried there.””
I felt cold all over.
“Then where?””
Vanessa pointed toward my purse.
“The key.””
I pulled it out.
“What does this open?””
“Your mother's real grave.””
I stared at her.
“You said you didn't know where she was.””
“I said I didn't know where she was buried.””
“That isn't the same thing.””
“No.””
She walked to the dresser.
“There was a second key.””
She opened a drawer.
Inside were old envelopes, jewelry, photographs, and a small wooden box.
She lifted the box.
“I kept this because I couldn't bring myself to destroy it.””
She opened it.
Inside was a cemetery map.
One location was circled in red.
*BLUE RIDGE MEMORIAL — MILE 17*
The same words from the back of the photograph.
My hands trembled.
“That isn't a cemetery.””
“It wasn't.””
“What do you mean?””
“It was an abandoned family property.””
“Why would Mom be there?””
Vanessa whispered, “Because that's where she told me to take her.””
I stared at her.
“You took her?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“The night before the funeral.””
My throat tightened.
“You're telling me you drove my mother somewhere after she was supposedly dead?””
Vanessa looked down.
“I drove a coffin.””
I stopped.
“What?””
“The coffin was sealed.””
“Whose body was inside?””
“I don't know.””
“You never checked?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because your mother made me promise.””
“What promise?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“She told me that if she didn't come back, I was to make sure you never went to Blue Ridge.””
I stared at the map.
Then at the key.
Then at the photograph.
Everything pointed to the same place.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
My father's voice came through.
“Nia.””
“Dad, where are you?””
“Listen to me.””
“Tell me where Mom is.””
Silence.
Then:
“She's alive.””
My knees buckled.
I grabbed the dresser.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
My father's voice became urgent.
“And she knows Vanessa took the car.””
I stared at my stepmother.
“What?””
“She knows everything.””
“Where is she?””
“Blue Ridge.””
My heart stopped.
“Is she there right now?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't she come home?””
“She couldn't.””
“Why?””
My father breathed heavily.
“Because the people who wanted her dead found her.””
A loud noise sounded on his end.
“What was that?””
“Nia, you have to leave the house.””
“Why?””
“Now.””
The line crackled.
“Dad?””
His voice came back, barely audible.
“They found you.””
The call ended.
A car engine roared outside.
Vanessa rushed to the window.
Her face went white.
A black SUV rolled slowly into the driveway.
Then another pulled in behind it.
She grabbed my arm.
“Don't go outside.””
I looked at her.
“Who are they?””
She didn't answer.
The front door handle began to turn.
Once.
Twice.
Then a man's voice came from the other side.
“Ms. Carter?””
Vanessa's fingers tightened around my wrist.
The voice continued.
“We know you have the drive.””
I looked at the USB in my hand.
The doorknob turned again.
May you like
And then someone whispered through the door:
“Your mother wants it back.””