Chapter 4: The Man in the Hospital Room
“That's impossible.””
Darius said it too quickly.
Marcus noticed.
So did Aaliyah.
The little girl's hand tightened around her father's fingers.
“You were there,” she whispered.
Darius took one step backward.
“Aaliyah, you were eight. You don't remember that night clearly.””
“I remember.””
“You were scared.””
“I remember your shoes.””
Darius froze.
Marcus looked down.
“What shoes?””
Aaliyah pointed.
“The black ones. They had a silver line on the side.””
Darius glanced at his shoes.
Black leather.
A thin silver strip along the heel.
Marcus slowly lifted his eyes to his brother.
Darius looked away.
“That's not proof of anything.””
Marcus's voice was quiet.
“Were you in Nia's hospital room?””
Darius swallowed.
“I went to the hospital.””
“Why?””
“To see my brother.””
“You weren't there to see me.””
Darius hesitated.
Marcus stepped closer.
“I was downstairs getting coffee that night.””
“I know.””
“You know?””
Darius's face tightened.
“I mean… I heard you weren't in the room.””
Marcus stared at him.
“How?””
Darius didn't answer.
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“Marcus, we shouldn't do this here.””
Marcus turned on her.
“You've been telling me what I should and shouldn't do all afternoon.””
“I’m trying to keep this from getting worse.””
“It already got worse.””
Daniel quietly gathered the documents.
“We need somewhere private.””
Marcus nodded.
“Everyone goes to my house.””
Darius shook his head.
“No.””
Marcus stopped.
“What did you say?””
Darius rubbed his forehead.
“You shouldn't go there.””
“Why?””
“Because if Nia left something hidden, whoever was looking for it might still be watching the house.””
Marcus stared at him.
“You're the third person today who's told me not to look for something.””
Darius looked at Aaliyah.
“I'm trying to protect you.””
Aaliyah stepped behind Marcus.
“You don't protect people by lying.””
The words landed hard.
Darius's jaw tightened.
Marcus opened the hallway door.
“Let's go.””
The drive home was silent.
Marcus drove.
Aaliyah sat in the back seat with her dress spread across the leather, the broken locket wrapped carefully inside a white handkerchief.
Daniel sat beside her.
Darius sat in the passenger seat.
Vanessa had been left behind with the wedding coordinator to deal with the guests.
Marcus didn't ask her to come.
For twenty minutes, the only sounds were tires against asphalt and the low hum of the air conditioner.
Then Darius spoke.
“You're making a mistake.””
Marcus kept his eyes on the road.
“Which part?””
“Dragging Aaliyah into this.””
“She was already in it.””
“She doesn't need to hear adult problems.””
Marcus's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“She already heard Vanessa tell her that her mother doesn't matter.””
Darius looked down.
“I didn't know that.””
“You didn't know a lot.””
Silence.
Daniel looked out the window.
Finally, Darius said, “Nia was afraid.””
Marcus glanced at him.
“Of what?””
Darius shook his head.
“I can't tell you.””
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“Then why bring it up?””
“Because you need to understand something.””
“What?””
“Your wife didn't trust anyone.””
Marcus's expression changed.
“That includes you?””
Darius stared straight ahead.
“Especially me.””
The car went silent again.
When they reached the house, Marcus didn't immediately get out.
His home looked exactly as it had that morning.
A neatly trimmed lawn.
White columns.
The flower arrangements Vanessa had chosen for the wedding.
A small cardboard box of unopened wedding favors sat by the front door.
Marcus stared at it.
Yesterday, he'd believed he was coming home from his wedding rehearsal to start a new chapter.
Now he wasn't sure who had been living inside his life.
He unlocked the door.
“Stay close to me,” he told Aaliyah.
She nodded.
Inside, everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Marcus stepped into the foyer.
Nothing appeared disturbed.
Daniel checked the hallway.
Darius stood near the entrance.
Marcus walked directly toward the staircase.
“The box is upstairs.””
Aaliyah followed.
“Daddy?””
“Yes?””
“Mommy hid things when she was scared.””
Marcus stopped.
“What do you mean?””
“She had places.””
“What places?””
Aaliyah pointed toward the old study.
“Behind the books.””
Marcus frowned.
“Nia never told me that.””
“She told me.””
“When?””
“Before she went to the hospital.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Maybe we should check there.””
The study smelled faintly of cedar and old paper.
Marcus crossed to the bookshelf.
There were hundreds of books.
He ran his fingers along the shelves.
“Which one?””
Aaliyah stepped forward.
“The blue one.””
Marcus looked.
A blue leather-bound book sat between two novels.
He pulled it free.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a small indentation behind it.
He pressed.
A section of the shelf clicked.
Darius whispered, “Nia.””
A narrow compartment opened.
Inside was a key.
And beneath it, a photograph.
Marcus picked up the photograph.
It showed Nia standing outside the hospital.
Beside her was Darius.
Marcus turned toward his brother.
“You said you weren't there with her.””
Darius's face drained.
“I said I went to the hospital.””
“You didn't say you met her.””
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
Darius said nothing.
Marcus held up the photograph.
“Why were you standing with my wife?””
Darius looked at Aaliyah.
“I didn't want her to know.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“Know what?””
Darius's voice dropped.
“Nia had found out about Vanessa.””
Marcus's stomach turned.
“What about Vanessa?””
“She knew Vanessa had been going through her things.””
Marcus stared at him.
“How long?””
“Months.””
“And you knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Nia asked me not to.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“Why?””
Darius looked at the floor.
“Because she was afraid you'd confront Vanessa.””
“That sounds exactly like something Nia would say.””
Darius's face tightened.
“She said Vanessa wasn't acting alone.””
The room seemed to go cold.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Who was helping her?””
Darius shook his head.
“I don't know.””
“You better start remembering.””
“I swear.””
Aaliyah suddenly pointed at the key.
“That opens Mommy's box.””
Marcus looked down.
The key was small and brass.
He recognized it.
He'd seen it years ago.
He just hadn't known what it opened.
He walked into the bedroom.
The wooden storage box sat inside the closet.
The same box Aaliyah had mentioned.
Marcus had kept it locked because opening it always felt like reopening a wound.
He inserted the key.
Click.
The lock released.
Inside were Nia's letters.
Or what remained of them.
Most envelopes had been opened.
Several were missing.
Marcus lifted one.
A faint blue stain marked the corner.
He looked at Aaliyah.
“The blue envelope.””
She nodded.
“It was here.””
Marcus searched the box.
Nothing.
Darius came closer.
“Maybe Vanessa took it.””
Marcus shook his head.
“She said she moved it.””
“Where?””
Marcus stared at the empty space inside the box.
Then he noticed something beneath the lining.
A corner of blue paper.
He pulled the lining back.
A second compartment was hidden underneath.
Inside was a blue envelope.
Aaliyah gasped.
“That's it.””
Marcus carefully removed it.
His name was written across the front.
But beneath it was another name.
*Darius.*
Marcus looked at his brother.
Darius went completely still.
“What does that mean?””
“I don't know.””
Marcus opened the envelope.
A single letter was inside.
He unfolded it.
The first line made his chest tighten.
*Marcus, if you are reading this, I failed to tell you the truth while I was alive.*
He kept reading.
His eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
Daniel noticed.
“What does it say?””
Marcus didn't answer.
Aaliyah looked up.
“Daddy?””
Marcus slowly lowered the letter.
Nia had written:
*The night I died, Darius came to my hospital room because he had discovered who was paying Vanessa.*
Darius closed his eyes.
Marcus stared at him.
“Who?””
Darius didn't move.
“Who was paying her?””
A soft sound came from downstairs.
A door closing.
Everyone froze.
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
They were supposed to be alone.
He whispered, “Did you lock the front door?””
Darius opened his eyes.
“Yes.””
Another sound.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Coming up the stairs.
Aaliyah grabbed Marcus's shirt.
Daniel moved toward the doorway.
Marcus folded the letter and slipped it into his pocket.
The footsteps stopped outside the bedroom.
Then Vanessa's voice came through the closed door.
“Marcus?””
Darius looked at him.
Marcus whispered, “How did she get in?””
The doorknob began to turn.
May you like
And Vanessa said:
“You need to hear what happened to Nia before you read the rest of that letter.””