Chapter 6: The Photograph
Marcus moved before anyone else could.
He pulled Aaliyah away from the window.
“Down.””
She ducked against the wall.
Daniel shut the curtains.
Darius stood frozen.
Vanessa backed toward the bedroom.
Marcus looked at all of them.
“Nobody leaves this house.””
Darius stared at the window.
“He found us.””
Marcus grabbed his phone.
“I’m calling the police.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
“You can't.””
“Why?””
“He has people inside the department.””
Darius looked at her.
“You don't know that.””
“I do.””
“How?””
“Because Nia told me.””
Marcus stared at her.
“Everything Nia told you, you kept secret.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I was afraid.””
Marcus pointed toward the window.
“You should have been afraid of him.””
“I was.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“Because I thought I could make him disappear.””
Marcus stared.
“You thought you could?””
“I thought I could pay him.””
“With what?””
“The money.””
Marcus looked at the flash drive in his hand.
“The payments.””
Vanessa nodded.
“That was the deal.””
Darius stepped forward.
“You've been paying him.””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Vanessa looked at him.
“I don't know.””
Darius's expression hardened.
“That's impossible.””
“I received money. I transferred it.””
“To him?””
“No.””
“Then to who?””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“To a company.””
Marcus asked, “Which company?””
“Meridian Logistics.””
Darius went completely still.
Marcus noticed.
“What?””
Darius shook his head.
“Nothing.””
“Don't do that.””
Darius looked at him.
“The company belonged to our father.””
Marcus frowned.
“My father didn't own a logistics company.””
“He did.””
Darius walked to the desk.
He pulled open a drawer.
From inside was a folder.
Marcus took it.
The first page showed corporate registration documents.
The owner wasn't their father.
It was a holding company.
Marcus read the name.
Then read it again.
“What?””
Darius pointed to the final page.
The authorized signatory was Marcus.
His signature appeared at the bottom.
Marcus stared.
“I never signed this.””
Darius nodded.
“I know.””
“Then how is it here?””
“I don't know.””
Vanessa whispered, “Nia did.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because she was trying to find out who created the company.””
Marcus flipped through the papers.
There were account statements.
Transfers.
Dates.
Payments.
Three years ago.
Two years ago.
One year ago.
The amounts were enormous.
Marcus's face tightened.
“Someone has been moving money through my name.””
Darius nodded.
“That's what Nia discovered.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“The night she died.””
Marcus looked up.
“What did you say to her?””
Darius's face hardened with memory.
“She called me from the hospital.””
“You went there.””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
Darius sat down.
“Nia was terrified.””
Marcus remained standing.
“She said someone had entered her house.””
“When?””
“The previous night.””
“Did she know who?””
“She thought she did.””
“Who?””
Darius looked at Aaliyah.
“Your mother said the man had been watching the house.””
Aaliyah's eyes widened.
Darius continued.
“She had a photograph.””
Marcus looked at the flash drive.
“The photograph in the envelope?””
“No.””
Darius shook his head.
“She had another one.””
“Where is it?””
Darius looked toward Vanessa.
“She gave it to her.””
Marcus turned.
Vanessa's face crumpled.
“I didn't have it anymore.””
“Where is it?””
“I gave it to someone.””
“Who?””
“The man.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You gave him Nia's photograph?””
“I had no choice.””
“There is always a choice.””
“Not when he has your family.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Who does he have?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not my family.””
“Then whose?””
She whispered, “Yours.””
Marcus stopped.
“What?””
Vanessa looked at Aaliyah.
“He told me if I didn't cooperate, he would take her.””
Marcus's expression changed.
“When?””
“Months ago.””
“You knew he was targeting my daughter?””
“Yes.””
“And you still came into our house?””
“I thought I could protect her.””
Marcus laughed once.
“You couldn't even protect her locket.””
Vanessa flinched.
He immediately regretted the words.
But only for a second.
The black SUV remained outside.
Marcus pulled the curtains back slightly.
The driver was gone.
The SUV was empty.
“Where did he go?””
Daniel looked around.
“We need to move.””
“No.””
Marcus shook his head.
“I'm not running.””
“This isn't bravery,” Daniel said.
“It's exposure.””
Marcus turned.
“He wants something.””
“The flash drive,” Daniel said.
Marcus looked at it.
“Then let's find out what's on it.””
He plugged the drive into the laptop.
The screen lit up.
One folder.
Three files.
The first was a video.
Marcus clicked it.
Nia appeared on screen.
She looked tired.
Her face was thinner than Marcus remembered.
She sat at a kitchen table, staring directly into the camera.
Marcus stopped breathing.
Aaliyah moved closer.
“Mommy.””
Nia smiled faintly.
“Hi, baby.””
Aaliyah touched the screen.
Marcus swallowed.
The recording continued.
“If you're watching this, something happened to me.””
Marcus's eyes filled.
Nia looked down.
“I need you to listen carefully.””
She lifted a silver heart locket.
The same locket Aaliyah now held.
Marcus leaned closer.
“That locket contains more than my photograph.””
Aaliyah opened it.
Marcus frowned.
Nia continued.
“The photo can be removed.””
Aaliyah looked at her father.
Marcus carefully examined the inside of the locket.
There was a tiny seam around the photograph.
He used his fingernail.
The photo lifted.
Beneath it was a thin strip of folded paper.
Marcus stared.
Nia's recorded voice continued.
“I couldn't trust the lawyers.””
She looked over her shoulder.
“I couldn't trust the police.””
She lowered her voice.
“And I couldn't trust Darius.””
Darius closed his eyes.
Marcus looked at him.
Nia continued.
“But there is one person I still trust.””
She paused.
Her expression softened.
“Marcus, if you're watching this, you need to know something.””
Marcus leaned closer.
Nia looked directly into the camera.
“You didn't lose me because of my illness.””
Marcus froze.
Aaliyah stared at the screen.
“What does she mean?””
Nia's voice trembled.
“I was poisoned.””
Marcus's entire body went rigid.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Darius stood.
“No.””
Nia continued.
“I don't know who did it. But I know someone wanted me dead.””
Marcus's hands shook.
The recording suddenly distorted.
The image flickered.
Then Nia looked directly at the camera again.
“Marcus, the person responsible is—”
The video cut to black.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“No.””
He clicked play again.
The same interruption.
He tried the second file.
A photograph appeared.
Marcus zoomed in.
It showed Nia in her hospital bed.
Three people stood around her.
Darius.
Vanessa.
And another man.
The image was grainy.
Marcus zoomed further.
The man's face became clearer.
He had the scar.
The same scar Aaliyah had described.
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“That's him.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
“Who is he?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
“My brother.””
Darius stared at the photograph.
Marcus turned to him.
“You said you didn't know him.””
Darius shook his head.
“I don't.””
Vanessa whispered:
“You do.””
Marcus looked between them.
“What is his name?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Darius did.
His voice was barely audible.
“Calvin.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“His name isn't Calvin.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What is it?””
She stared at him.
And said:
“His name is Marcus.””
The room went silent.
Marcus's face drained.
“What?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not you.””
She pointed at the photograph.
“His name is Marcus Reed.””
Darius whispered, “That's impossible.””
Vanessa's eyes filled with terror.
“Nia knew.””
Marcus looked at the man on the screen.
Then at his own reflection in the black laptop display.
Same surname.
Same family.
Same dead father.
He slowly turned toward Darius.
“Why does he have our name?””
Darius didn't answer.
Aaliyah suddenly reached for the locket.
The tiny folded paper slipped free.
She unfolded it.
Her eyes moved across the handwriting.
Then she looked up.
“Daddy…”
Marcus knelt.
“What?””
She handed him the paper.
There was only one sentence.
Marcus read it.
His face changed.
Because beneath the words was a signature.
His father's signature.
And the sentence said:
*The boy you believe died was never your brother.*
Marcus looked at Darius.
Darius whispered:
“Nia knew.””
A loud knock struck the front door.
Everyone jumped.
Another knock.
Then a man's voice came from outside.
“Marcus?””
The voice was calm.
Almost friendly.
“Open the door.””
Aaliyah clutched her father's arm.
The man outside laughed softly.
“I know you're all in there.””
Marcus stood.
The voice continued.
“And Marcus…”
May you like
A pause.
“You really should ask your brother why your father paid to have me disappear.””