Chapter 6: The Voice in the Dark
The sound of the gun being loaded was louder than any explosion I had heard overseas.
For one second, my body reacted before my mind did.
I moved toward Lena.
Not because I trusted her.
Because Claire had trusted her.
And because whatever happened next, I wasn’t going to watch another person I loved disappear.
“Ethan,” the voice said again.
Calm.
Almost amused.
“Put the drive down.””
The warehouse was completely dark.
I couldn’t see the person holding the weapon.
But I knew the voice.
I had heard it thousands of times.
At family dinners.
At company meetings.
At Christmas mornings.
My fingers tightened around the flash drive.
“Grant.””
Silence.
Then a quiet laugh.
“You always were smarter than people gave you credit for.””
Lena whispered my name.
“Don’t move.””
I heard footsteps.
Slow.
Confident.
Grant stepped into the faint light coming from the broken window.
The gun was pointed downward.
Not because he was harmless.
Because he wanted us to know he wasn’t afraid.
“You ruined everything by coming home early,” he said.
I stared at him.
“You starved my daughters.””
His expression barely changed.
“They were never supposed to be hurt.””
I felt something inside me crack.
“Never supposed to be hurt?””
I took one step forward.
“They were eating moldy bread, Grant.””
He looked away.
“That was Vanessa.””
I almost laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?””
“Yes.””
The answer came instantly.
And somehow, that made it worse.
Grant lowered the gun slightly.
“Because Vanessa was always weak. Emotional. Easy to control.””
Lena’s face changed.
“You used her.””
Grant looked at her.
“I used everyone.””
The honesty shocked me.
After months of lies, hearing the truth almost felt unreal.
I stepped closer.
“Why?””
He looked at me.
“Because Claire was going to destroy everything.””
My jaw tightened.
“You mean expose you.””
“No.””
He smiled sadly.
“I mean expose all of us.””
The words hung in the air.
All of us.
I looked at Lena.
She looked down.
And suddenly I understood.
This wasn’t just Grant.
It was bigger.
“Who else?”” I asked.
Grant didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at the flash drive.
“Claire recorded things she didn’t understand.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“She was scared.””
“She was smart.””
“She was dying.””
“And she still outsmarted you.””
For the first time, his face changed.
Anger.
Real anger.
He raised the gun.
Lena stepped between us.
“Grant, stop.””
He looked at her.
“You.””
His voice became cold.
“You were always Claire’s weakness.””
Lena stared.
“What?””
“You cared too much.””
The warehouse went silent.
Grant continued.
“Claire trusted you because she thought kindness made people loyal.””
Lena’s eyes filled with tears.
“She was your sister.””
“No.””
His answer was immediate.
“She was my obstacle.””
The words were so cruel that even he seemed surprised he had said them aloud.
I felt my hands shake.
“Your own sister?””
Grant looked at me.
“Family is just another word people use before they betray each other.””
A loud sound suddenly came from outside.
Sirens.
Grant looked toward the window.
His confidence disappeared.
Lena had called someone.
He realized it.
“You?””
She swallowed.
“I sent the location.””
Grant cursed.
Then everything happened at once.
He rushed toward the back exit.
I chased him.
The warehouse door slammed open.
Cold air hit my face.
Grant disappeared into the darkness.
Police lights reflected against the snow-covered ground.
But he was gone.
Only one thing remained.
A piece of paper that had fallen from his coat.
I picked it up.
It was a guest list.
The Christmas party guest list.
Names circled in red.
At the bottom was one name.
Someone who had been inside my house that night.
Someone who had watched my daughters sit with moldy bread.
Someone Claire had never suspected.
I looked at Lena.
“Who is this?””
Her face went pale.
Because she recognized the name.
“That’s impossible.””
“Who?””
May you like
She whispered:
“That’s Claire’s doctor.””