Chapter 8: The Person Nobody Suspected
We drove home faster than I had ever seen my father drive.
The rain had returned.
The windshield wipers moved back and forth like they were fighting to clear a path.
I held the flash drive tightly.
My mind was full of questions.
Who helped my mother?
Why did nobody tell me?
And why did my father look afraid?
When we reached the house, the front door was open.
Dad immediately grabbed my shoulder.
“Stay behind me.””
We stepped inside.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
“Claire?””
No answer.
Dad checked the living room.
Nothing.
Then we heard a sound upstairs.
A door closing.
Dad ran.
I followed.
“Dad, wait!””
We reached the hallway.
The bedroom door was open.
Inside, Claire was sitting on the floor.
Her face was pale.
But she was alive.
Dad rushed to her.
“Are you hurt?””
She looked at him.
For a moment, she looked surprised.
Then she whispered:
“You came back.””
Dad helped her stand.
“Where is Daniel?””
She looked toward the window.
“Gone.””
I noticed something.
She wasn’t afraid of Daniel.
She was afraid of something else.
“What happened?””
Claire looked at me.
“I owe you the truth.””
Dad stared.
“Start talking.””
She took a deep breath.
“Your mother knew Daniel was stealing from the company.””
Dad crossed his arms.
“She told you?””
Claire nodded.
“Yes.””
I froze.
“You knew my mom?””
Claire looked at me.
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
“How?””
She looked down.
“Before I married your father, I worked with your mother.””
My father’s eyes widened.
“What?””
Claire nodded.
“She asked me to help investigate the missing money.””
I stepped back.
“So you weren’t just…”
I couldn’t finish.
Claire closed her eyes.
“I wasn’t innocent.””
Dad’s expression hardened.
“No, you weren’t.””
“I made mistakes.””
“You betrayed us.””
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised me.
She continued.
“Daniel found out I was helping your mother. He threatened me.””
“With what?””
Claire looked at me.
“With you.””
My chest tightened.
“He said if I told anyone, he would hurt you.””
Dad became furious.
“And you still stayed?””
“I thought I could control the situation.””
“You married me.””
“Yes.””
The room became heavy.
Claire looked at my father.
“I thought I could protect you both.””
Dad laughed bitterly.
“You stole from me.””
“I moved the money.””
Everyone froze.
“What?””
Claire looked toward the office.
“I moved the money because Daniel was going to take everything.””
Dad stared.
“Where is it?””
“In a safe account.””
My father didn’t believe her.
“Then why hide it?””
“Because Daniel had access to the company records. If he found the account, he would take it.””
I looked at Dad.
“She’s telling the truth.””
Everyone turned.
I pointed at the flash drive.
“Mom knew.””
We plugged it into the computer.
A video file appeared.
My mother’s face appeared on the screen.
I stopped breathing.
It was the first time I had seen her alive in years.
She looked tired.
But strong.
“Thomas,” she said.
“If you’re watching this, I need you to know something.””
My father sat down.
My mother continued.
“Daniel didn’t act alone.””
The room froze.
She looked directly into the camera.
“There is another person helping him.””
My father whispered:
“No.””
My mother continued.
“The person closest to us.””
The video glitched.
Then her final words appeared.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from them.””
The screen went black.
Nobody spoke.
Then the computer made a sound.
A new file appeared.
A file that had not been there before.
The name was simple.
May you like
One word.
*Father.*