Chapter 7: The Last Message
I couldn't understand the words.
Not because Marcus hadn't spoken clearly.
Because my mind refused to accept them.
"Me?""
My voice came out as a whisper.
"Adrian was trying to protect me?""
Marcus nodded.
"Yes.""
"From who?""
He looked away.
"That's the problem.""
I grabbed his arm.
"No. You don't get to do that anymore.""
He looked back at me.
"Do what?""
"Give me pieces of the truth and expect me to build the whole picture myself.""
Rain ran down his face, mixing with the blood near his eyebrow.
"I know.""
"Then tell me.""
Marcus was silent.
The silence made me angry.
"Tell me why Adrian died.""
His expression changed.
Like hearing that sentence hurt him more than anything else.
Finally, he said,
"Because he found out someone was planning to destroy your life.""
I stared.
"What does that even mean?""
"Adrian discovered that Daniel wasn't just moving money through fake accounts.""
"Then what was he doing?""
Marcus looked toward the road.
"He was building a case.""
"Against Daniel?""
"Against everyone involved.""
"Who was involved?""
He hesitated.
Then said,
"People who had access to Adrian's personal information.""
My stomach tightened.
"Family.""
Marcus didn't answer.
"Julian?""
"No.""
"Colleen?""
"No.""
"Then who?""
He rubbed his face.
"Meredith, there are things about Adrian's death that even I don't know.""
I laughed.
A bitter, exhausted laugh.
"You know what everyone keeps saying?""
"What?""
"I don't know.""
Marcus looked down.
"Because it's true.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"Because everyone knows something they're afraid to say.""
The rain became heavier.
Marcus didn't argue.
That scared me more.
"Take me to Adrian's apartment.""
He looked surprised.
"What?""
"His old apartment.""
"Why?""
"Because if Adrian was trying to protect me, he left something behind.""
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?""
"Because he knew me.""
I held his gaze.
"He knew I wouldn't stop.""
For several seconds, Marcus said nothing.
Then he nodded.
"Okay.""
The drive was silent.
Too silent.
I sat in the passenger seat of Marcus's car, staring out at the wet streets.
Every building looked unfamiliar.
Every person walking under an umbrella looked like someone hiding something.
Three months ago, I had been choosing cake flavors with Adrian.
I had been arguing about whether garden roses were better than peonies.
I had been complaining that wedding invitations cost too much.
Now I was sitting beside his best friend, hunting for evidence that his death wasn't what it seemed.
Life could change so violently that your old self felt like a stranger.
Marcus stopped outside Adrian's apartment building.
I looked up.
The lights in the windows glowed warmly.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
That was the cruelest part.
"Nobody has lived here since the accident," Marcus said.
"Why?""
"The police released it after the investigation.""
"And you didn't clean it out?""
"No.""
"Why?""
He looked at me.
"Because Adrian told me not to.""
My heart skipped.
"When?""
"The last time I saw him.""
I turned.
"You saw him before the crash.""
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
Marcus looked at the building.
"He called me.""
"That message.""
He nodded.
"The one you received.""
"What did it say?""
Marcus swallowed.
"He said, 'If anything happens, don't let Meredith find out the wrong version.''"
I frowned.
"The wrong version?""
"Those were his exact words.""
I stepped out of the car.
"Then let's find the right one.""
The apartment smelled like Adrian.
That was the first thing that hit me.
Not dust.
Not emptiness.
Him.
His cologne lingered faintly in the air.
I stood frozen in the doorway.
For one terrible second, I expected him to walk out of the bedroom and ask why I was standing there.
Then reality returned.
And it hurt all over again.
Marcus watched me quietly.
"I'm sorry.""
I nodded.
I couldn't speak.
I walked inside.
The living room was exactly how he'd left it.
A book on the coffee table.
A sweater hanging over the chair.
A half-empty bottle of wine in the kitchen.
I touched the edge of the counter.
We had stood here three months earlier.
Laughing.
Planning our future.
I closed my eyes.
Then I saw it.
The refrigerator.
A small magnet shaped like a sunflower.
Behind it was a folded piece of paper.
My heart jumped.
I pulled it out.
Marcus moved closer.
"What is it?""
I unfolded it.
A list.
Dates.
Times.
Names.
At the bottom, one sentence.
*Meredith must never know until it's safe.*
My hands started shaking.
Marcus looked over my shoulder.
"Adrian.""
"He wrote this for me.""
"No.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"He wrote it for whoever found it.""
I read the sentence again.
Until it's safe.
Safe from what?
I searched through the rest of the page.
Most of it was numbers.
Addresses.
Initials.
Then one name.
*E. Parker.*
I froze.
Marcus noticed.
"What?""
"Do you know anyone with the last name Parker?""
His face changed.
"Adrian's family.""
"No.""
I pointed.
"The initial is E.""
Marcus frowned.
"Who is E Parker?""
I shook my head.
"I don't know.""
Then I remembered.
A woman.
At Adrian's funeral.
Someone I barely noticed.
Someone who had stood in the back.
A woman who left before the burial.
I looked at Marcus.
"Who was Adrian's father?""
The question surprised him.
"Why?""
"Because I've never met him.""
Marcus went silent.
That silence answered everything.
"Marcus.""
"Adrian's father died years ago.""
"You're lying.""
"No.""
"Then why did you react like that?""
He looked away.
"Because Adrian's father didn't die.""
My entire body went cold.
"What?""
"He left.""
"When?""
"When Adrian was fourteen.""
"Why?""
Marcus stared at the paper.
"Because he was involved with people who weren't supposed to know Adrian existed.""
I felt dizzy.
"This keeps getting worse.""
"Yes.""
"Who was his father?""
Marcus hesitated.
Then said,
"Edward Parker.""
I looked back at the paper.
E. Parker.
"No.""
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
Before I could respond, something moved in the hallway.
We both froze.
Marcus immediately stepped in front of me.
"Who's there?""
No answer.
Then a floorboard creaked.
Someone was inside.
Marcus whispered,
"Stay behind me.""
The bedroom door slowly opened.
A figure appeared.
I grabbed the nearest object.
A lamp.
Then the person stepped into the light.
I recognized her.
Colleen.
My mouth fell open.
"You're alive.""
She looked exhausted.
Terrified.
And angry.
"Meredith, you need to leave.""
I stared.
"What happened?""
She ignored the question.
She looked at Marcus.
"You brought her here?""
"He needs to know.""
"No.""
"He deserves to know.""
Colleen shook her head.
"No, Marcus. Not yet.""
I stepped between them.
"Stop.""
Both looked at me.
"I am done being the person everyone protects by lying to.""
Colleen's eyes filled with tears.
"Meredith.""
"No.""
I held up Adrian's note.
"He wrote my name.""
She froze.
Then looked at the paper.
"Where did you find that?""
"Here.""
Her face changed.
"What else did you find?""
I pointed at the name.
"Edward Parker.""
The color drained from her face.
Marcus whispered,
"She knows.""
I looked at Colleen.
"You knew.""
She sat down slowly.
"Yes.""
"Who is Edward Parker?""
She closed her eyes.
"Adrian's father.""
"He's alive?""
"Yes.""
"Where is he?""
Colleen looked toward the window.
Then whispered,
"He's the reason Adrian died.""
The room went silent.
I felt my fingers go numb.
"Why?""
Colleen looked at me.
Because she was finally ready to tell the truth.
But before she could speak, every light in the apartment went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Then Marcus's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
His face turned white.
"What?""
He handed it to me.
A message from an unknown number.
A photo was attached.
It showed us standing inside Adrian's apartment.
Taken seconds earlier.
The message below said:
*You found his hiding place.*
Another message appeared.
*Now find out what Adrian hid from you.*
I stared at the screen.
Then a third message arrived.
May you like
This one only contained four words.
*Your wedding was never real.*
