Chapter 3: The Man Who Visited My Daughter
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
My daughter was seven years old.
She still needed help tying her shoes. She still believed that monsters lived beneath her bed.
And someone had been approaching her at school, telling her lies about her father.
"Where is Lily?"" I demanded.
"Downstairs with the wedding coordinator," Marcus answered.
"I asked her to stay inside.""
"Get her.""
Marcus turned immediately.
I faced Vanessa.
"Who is this man?""
She shook her head.
"Daniel, I don't know.""
"Stop lying.""
"I'm not!""
"You recognized Alicia's number. You knew about the money. You knew she was coming back.
And now someone is approaching my daughter at school. Tell me what you know!""
Vanessa wiped her face.
"His name is Ethan.""
The name landed between us.
"Ethan who?""
"Ethan Cole.""
I frowned.
I knew that name.
Ethan Cole had been my company's chief financial officer before he resigned three years earlier.
He had worked with me for almost eight years. He attended family dinners. He knew Alicia. He had even held Lily at her first birthday party.
And he had disappeared from our lives shortly before Alicia vanished.
"Why would Ethan be visiting my daughter?""
Vanessa looked at the floor.
"Because he knows what happened.""
"What happened?""
She shook her head.
"I can't.""
I stepped closer.
"You can, and you will.""
She looked up, her eyes red.
"Three years ago, Alicia came to me because she was scared. She said Ethan had been stealing from your company.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"How much?""
"Millions.""
I stared at her.
"Did you tell me?""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because Ethan threatened her.""
The room seemed to shrink.
"What kind of threat?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"He told her that if she went to the police, he would make sure she never saw Lily again.""
I shook my head.
"That doesn't explain why she disappeared.""
Vanessa closed her eyes.
"She was going to meet him.""
"When?""
"The night she vanished.""
I remembered that night.
Alicia had told me she was visiting a friend. She had kissed my cheek in the kitchen, picked up her handbag, and promised to be home before midnight.
At 11:30, I called her.
No answer.
At midnight, I called again.
Her phone went straight to voicemail.
At 2:00 a.m., I contacted the police.
By sunrise, our peaceful home had become a crime scene.
I had spent three years blaming myself for not going with her.
Now Vanessa was telling me that Alicia had gone to meet Ethan.
"Where?"" I asked.
"An old warehouse near the river.""
"Which warehouse?""
"I don't know.""
I grabbed my phone.
"Then we'll find out.""
Vanessa suddenly stood.
"Daniel, please. There's something else.""
I stopped.
"What?""
"Before Alicia disappeared, she gave me something.""
"What did she give you?""
Vanessa looked toward her purse.
"A key.""
I stared at her.
"Where is it?""
She opened the small inside pocket and pulled out a silver key attached to a blue plastic tag.
There was a number written on it.
314.
I took it.
"What's this for?""
"She said it opened a storage unit.""
"Where?""
"At a place called Peachtree Storage.""
I immediately searched the name on my phone.
There were several facilities in Atlanta.
"Which one?""
Vanessa hesitated.
"The one on Memorial Drive.""
I looked at her.
"Why didn't you give this to the police?""
"Because Alicia told me not to.""
"And you decided to keep it for three years?""
"I thought she was dead!""
"Then why did you keep it?""
Vanessa's face crumpled.
"Because I promised her.""
I looked at the key.
Then at the woman I had almost married.
"What exactly did you promise?""
She whispered:
"That if she didn't come back, I would protect Lily.""
I felt something inside me break.
"You were supposed to protect her from the person holding the scissors?""
Vanessa flinched.
"I never wanted to hurt Lily.""
"Then why did you cut her dress?""
"She was screaming that her mother was coming back. She said I wasn't her real mother. I lost my temper.""
"You are an adult, Vanessa.""
"I know.""
"She's seven.""
"I know!""
Her voice cracked.
For the first time, she looked less like the confident woman who had stood before two hundred guests and more like someone who had spent years hiding from the consequences of her decisions.
The door opened again.
Marcus returned with Lily.
My daughter ran straight into my arms.
"Daddy!""
I lifted her.
"Hey, sweetheart.""
She buried her face against my shoulder.
"Are we going home?""
"Yes.""
"Are we getting married?""
I looked at Vanessa.
"No, baby.""
Lily nodded quietly.
Then she whispered:
"Good.""
I pulled back slightly.
"Why do you say that?""
She looked toward Vanessa.
"Because Mommy told me not to let you marry her.""
My heart stopped.
"What did you just say?""
Lily reached into the little pocket of her blue dress.
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
It was damp from her tears.
I carefully opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Alicia stood in front of a brick building, wearing a dark coat. Her hair was shorter than I remembered, and she looked thinner, but there was no mistaking her face.
My wife.
Alive.
On the back, someone had written six words.
Daniel, don't trust the woman you love.
I stared at the photograph.
Then I turned it over again.
There was something else beneath the message.
A date.
Yesterday.
My hands began to shake.
"Sweetheart, where did you get this?""
Lily pointed at Vanessa.
"She gave it to me.""
I turned toward my almost-wife.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
"I didn't know she had it.""
"Then who gave it to you?""
Lily answered before Vanessa could.
"The man from school.""
Marcus stepped forward.
"What man, princess?""
"The one Mommy said was bad.""
I knelt so I could look directly into Lily's eyes.
"Did he give you anything else?""
She nodded.
"He gave me a message.""
"What message?""
Lily looked down at her shoes.
Then she repeated the words slowly, exactly as she had heard them.
"Tell Daddy that Mommy is not missing anymore.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Where is she, sweetheart?""
Lily shook her head.
"He said I shouldn't tell you.""
"Why not?""
She looked at the photograph.
"Because he said Daddy would do what he did last time.""
I couldn't breathe.
"What did I do last time?""
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
"He said you were the one who made Mommy disappear.""
Behind me, Vanessa whispered:
"Oh, God.""
I stood slowly.
"Marcus, take Lily home. Lock every door. Don't let anyone in unless you recognize them.""
Marcus nodded.
"What about you?""
"I'm going to that storage unit.""
Vanessa grabbed my sleeve.
"Daniel, don't go there alone.""
I looked at her hand until she released me.
"You've had three years to tell me the truth.""
"I know.""
"Now you're going to tell me everything you remember.""
She nodded.
I slipped the photograph into my jacket pocket and held the silver key tightly in my palm.
As Marcus carried Lily toward the exit, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
If you're going to Unit 314, don't open the box.
A second message appeared before I could respond.
Your wife isn't the only person who disappeared that night.
Then a photograph loaded.
It showed an old warehouse.
And standing in front of it was Ethan Cole.
But the man beside him was someone I recognized even more clearly.
My own father.
May you like
My father had died six months before Alicia disappeared.
Or so I had been told.
