Chapter 9: The Sister Who Knew
Daniel stared at his mother.
“Anna?””
Angela nodded once.
Daniel felt as if the floor had shifted beneath him.
His sister had been gone for nearly a year.
She had moved across the country after a bitter argument with their parents, telling everyone she needed space. Since then, conversations had become occasional and strained. Daniel had assumed she was simply living her own life.
He had never imagined she was connected to any of this.
Michael picked up the phone.
“Call her.””
Angela shook her head.
“She's not going to answer.””
“Call her anyway.””
Michael dialed.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then someone answered.
No greeting.
Just silence.
“Anna?”” Michael said.
A woman's breathing came through the speaker.
Then:
“Dad?””
Daniel stepped closer.
“Anna, it's me.””
Silence.
Then Anna said quietly, “You weren't supposed to find out this way.””
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
“You opened Grandpa's file.””
“Why would you know about that?””
“I know everything about it.””
Michael's face hardened.
“Anna, where are you?””
“I’m safe.””
“That's not what I asked.””
“Dad, please.””
Daniel grabbed the phone from Michael.
“Anna.””
Her voice changed when she heard him.
“Daniel.””
“You knew about the account?””
“Yes.””
“You knew about the inheritance?””
“Yes.””
“You knew about Victor?””
“Yes.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“I was trying to protect you.””
The words hit him like a slap.
He almost laughed.
“That's what everybody keeps saying.””
Anna didn't respond.
Daniel paced across the study.
“No more secrets.””
“I know.””
“No more protecting me.””
“I know.””
“Then tell me everything.””
There was a long silence.
Finally Anna said, “I didn't give anyone the password.””
Daniel stopped.
“Mom said she told you.””
“She did.””
“Then who got it?””
“I don't know.””
Michael stepped closer.
“Anna, you're lying.””
“I’m not.””
“You had access.””
“Yes.””
“Someone used Mom's credentials.””
“I know.””
“How?””
“Because I found the login.””
Daniel's head snapped up.
“You found it?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“At the bank.””
Michael looked at Angela.
Anna continued.
“I noticed a withdrawal two months ago.””
Angela whispered, “What withdrawal?””
“Five thousand dollars.””
Angela's face went white.
“I didn't make that.””
“I know.””
“Then why didn't you tell us?””
“Because I thought it was Victor.””
Michael frowned.
“He's dead.””
“I know that now.””
Daniel felt a chill.
“What do you mean?””
Anna's voice became quieter.
“When I saw the withdrawal, I checked the login history.””
“And?””
“There were three different devices.””
Michael's jaw tightened.
“Three?””
“Yes.””
“One was Mom's.””
“What were the other two?”” Daniel asked.
“One belonged to Victor.””
Daniel's eyes widened.
“The other?””
Anna hesitated.
“I couldn't identify it.””
Daniel stared at the phone.
“Then why does the message say you were afraid?””
“I wasn't afraid of Victor.””
“Who were you afraid of?””
Silence.
Then Anna said:
“The person who used Victor's device after he died.””
Nobody moved.
Daniel looked at his father.
Michael whispered, “Someone had access to his office.””
Anna continued.
“After Victor died, his office was supposed to be sealed.””
“Supposed to be?””
“Yes.””
“Who had the key?””
Anna breathed out.
“Grandpa's old attorney.””
Michael immediately shook his head.
“He died before Victor.””
Anna's voice dropped.
“Exactly.””
Daniel frowned.
“So who entered?””
“I don't know.””
Michael asked, “How did you get into the account?””
“I didn't.””
“Anna.””
“I said I didn't.””
Daniel interrupted.
“Then how do you know the login history?””
Anna was silent.
“Anna?””
“I was sent screenshots.””
“By whom?””
“I don't know.””
Daniel's pulse quickened.
“The same person messaging us?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because they wanted me to investigate.””
Daniel looked at the phone on the desk.
“So you've been working with them.””
“No.””
“You followed their instructions.””
“Yes.””
“That sounds like working with them.””
“I was trying to find out who they were.””
Daniel shook his head.
“Why would you do that alone?””
“Because none of you were listening.””
Angela's face tightened.
“Anna, we would have listened.””
“No, Mom.””
Anna's voice broke.
“You wouldn't.””
Angela fell silent.
Anna continued.
“You both spent years pretending everything was okay.””
“Because we didn't want you two to worry,” Michael said.
“And that worked really well.””
Daniel felt the anger rising.
He understood her frustration.
But there was still something missing.
“Anna,” he said, “why did you get involved?””
Another long pause.
Then:
“Because I found the second letter.””
Michael stiffened.
“You what?””
“I found it six months ago.””
Daniel stared.
“The second letter?””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“In Victor's old office.””
Michael stepped closer.
“What did it say?””
“I don't have it anymore.””
“Where is it?””
Anna's breathing changed.
“Someone took it.””
“Who?””
“I don't know.””
Daniel gripped the edge of the desk.
“Anna, stop.””
“What?””
“Every answer you give leads to another secret.””
“I know.””
“Then give me one straight answer.””
She went silent.
Daniel spoke more slowly.
“Did you take the inheritance?””
“No.””
“Did you move money?””
“No.””
“Did you give anyone Mom's password?””
“No.””
“Did you access the account?””
Anna hesitated.
“Yes.””
Michael's expression hardened.
“When?””
“Two days ago.””
Daniel stared.
“What did you do?””
“I tried to lock it.””
“Did you succeed?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because someone was already inside.””
Angela whispered, “Who?””
“I don't know.””
Anna paused.
“But I heard them.””
Daniel frowned.
“Heard them?””
“On the phone.””
“What did they say?””
Anna's voice shook.
“They said, ‘He still doesn't understand.’”
Daniel felt cold.
“They?””
“A man.””
“What did he sound like?””
“I don't know.””
“You heard him.””
“Yes.””
“Then describe him.””
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because I heard him through a voice changer.””
Michael cursed under his breath.
Daniel sat down.
“Then what do we know?””
Anna answered immediately.
“We know someone has access to the inheritance account.””
“We know they had access to Victor's records.””
“We know they have Mom's credentials.””
“We know they can watch the house.””
Daniel swallowed.
“And they know everything.””
“Yes.””
A notification appeared on the phone.
Another incoming message.
Anna heard the alert through the call.
“What was that?””
Daniel looked at the screen.
*You should have stopped asking questions.*
He showed Michael.
A second message arrived.
*Now you all know enough.*
Angela stepped backward.
Then the lights went out.
The entire house plunged into darkness.
Angela gasped.
Michael immediately grabbed a flashlight.
“Stay together.””
Daniel turned on his phone's flashlight.
“Anna?””
Still on the line.
“I heard that.””
“Someone cut the power.””
“I know.””
Michael moved toward the hallway.
“Stay here.””
Daniel followed him.
“No.””
“Daniel.””
“You said we're staying together.””
Michael didn't argue.
They reached the front room.
The security monitor was black.
Then it flickered.
A single image appeared.
The driveway.
The camera angle was different.
Someone had remotely accessed the system.
Daniel stared.
“Can they see us?””
Michael's voice was grim.
“Yes.””
A red indicator flashed.
*MICROPHONE ACTIVE*
Angela covered her mouth.
“They can hear us.””
Daniel looked at the camera.
“Then let them.””
Michael turned.
“Daniel, don't.””
Daniel stepped in front of the screen.
“You wanted us to know?””
He stared directly into the camera.
“Fine.””
His voice was steady now.
“Tell me who you are.””
Nothing happened.
Then the speaker crackled.
A distorted voice filled the room.
“You've been asking the wrong question.””
Daniel froze.
Michael moved closer to Angela.
The voice continued.
“The question isn't who took the money.””
A pause.
“It’s who was supposed to receive it.””
Daniel's face tightened.
“Who?””
The voice answered:
“Your grandfather never left the inheritance to you.””
Daniel looked at Angela.
“What?””
The distorted voice continued.
“He left it to the person who saved his company.””
Michael's face drained of color.
Angela whispered, “No.””
Daniel turned toward her.
“Mom?””
The voice spoke again.
“And that person wasn't your father.””
Angela closed her eyes.
Daniel felt his heartbeat pounding.
The speaker crackled.
“The inheritance was left to your mother.””
Silence.
Daniel looked at Angela.
She was trembling.
Michael stared at her as if he had just heard something impossible.
“Angela?””
She couldn't answer.
Then the screen changed.
A scanned document appeared.
A signature.
A legal seal.
A beneficiary designation.
And at the bottom, one name.
*ANGELA WILLIAMS.*
Daniel stared.
“But you said Grandpa left it to me.””
Angela covered her face.
“I thought he had changed it.””
Michael's voice broke.
“You knew?””
“No.””
“You knew?””
“I didn't know.””
The distorted voice interrupted.
“She knew enough.””
Daniel stepped toward the monitor.
“Who are you?””
The speaker went silent.
Then one final message appeared on screen.
*Ask your mother why she lied about the night Victor died.*
The monitor went black.
Daniel turned slowly toward Angela.
His mother was crying.
Michael looked shattered.
And Daniel realized the truth they'd been avoiding all night was somehow worse than the inheritance.
May you like
Because there was one question left.
What had Angela done on the night her brother died?
