Chapter 7: The Man in the Black Sedan
The black sedan rolled to a stop beneath the broken motel sign.
Rain hammered the roof.
Thomas's hand tightened around my arm.
“Don't move,” he whispered.
Evelyn stepped between us and the entrance.
“Eleanor, stay behind me.””
I almost laughed.
“Against a man who's apparently been hiding for twenty years?””
“Against whoever gets out of that car,” she said.
The driver's door opened.
A man stepped into the rain.
He was tall.
Gray hair.
Dark overcoat.
He closed the door carefully, as though he had all the time in the world.
Thomas's expression changed.
“That isn't Michael.””
I looked at him.
“Who is it?””
“I don't know.””
The man began walking toward us.
Evelyn reached inside her coat.
I heard the faint click of something metallic.
The stranger stopped several feet from the entrance.
“Eleanor.””
His voice was calm.
Almost polite.
“Do I know you?””
“No.””
He glanced past me.
His eyes settled on Thomas.
“Apparently, I know him.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“Stay where you are.””
The stranger smiled.
“You still give orders.””
Thomas's jaw tightened.
“Who are you?””
The man reached into his coat.
Evelyn immediately raised her hand.
“Slowly.””
He pulled out a photograph.
Nothing else.
He held it toward me.
“You need to see this.””
I didn't move.
“Why?””
“Because your son is driving here believing his wife is missing.””
My stomach dropped.
“Where is Rebecca?””
The stranger smiled again.
“Still at the hotel.””
I looked at Thomas.
“Then who called Daniel?””
The man's expression changed.
“That's the wrong question.””
“What should I ask?””
“Who wanted Daniel to leave the hotel?””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
He looked at her.
“You're Evelyn Parker.””
Her face tightened.
“How do you know my name?””
“I know a great deal about the Parker firm.””
Thomas moved beside me.
“You're wasting our time.””
“No,” the stranger said.
“You wasted twenty years.””
Thomas went silent.
The man looked at me.
“Your husband wasn't the only person who disappeared in 2006.””
I frowned.
“Who else?””
“Richard Collins.””
Thomas suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
“We're leaving.””
The stranger laughed softly.
“That would be wise.””
We rushed toward Evelyn's car.
Behind us, the stranger called out.
“One more thing, Eleanor.””
I turned.
He threw the photograph toward me.
It landed on the wet pavement.
I picked it up.
My breath stopped.
The photograph showed Daniel.
He was standing outside his office.
Beside him was Rebecca.
And behind them—
Michael Grant.
But that wasn't what frightened me.
On the far side of the photograph stood Thomas.
Alive.
The photograph was dated three months earlier.
I looked up.
“You were watching my son.””
Thomas nodded.
“I was protecting him.””
“No.””
I held up the photograph.
“You've been near him.””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because every time I tried to get close, Michael found out.””
I stared at him.
“You've been following Daniel.””
“I've been watching over him.””
“That's not the same thing.””
“No.””
His eyes lowered.
“I know.””
Evelyn opened the car door.
“Get in.””
We climbed inside.
Thomas took the passenger seat.
I sat behind him.
The moment the doors locked, Evelyn started the engine.
The black sedan remained behind us.
I looked through the rear window.
It didn't move.
Neither did the stranger.
He simply stood in the rain.
Watching.
“Who was that?”” I asked.
Thomas stared ahead.
“I don't know.””
“Don't lie to me.””
“I don't know his name.””
“But?””
Thomas hesitated.
“I've seen him before.””
“Where?””
“In the hospital.””
I leaned forward.
“What hospital?””
“The night they told you I died.””
My mouth went dry.
“You saw him there?””
“Yes.””
“What was he doing?””
“Talking to Michael.””
Evelyn looked at him through the mirror.
“You never told me that.””
“I couldn't.””
“You couldn't tell anyone?””
Thomas looked at her.
“Not even you.””
She said nothing.
We drove in silence for several minutes.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
“Where are you?””
“On the highway.””
My heart jumped.
“Turn around.””
“What?””
“Turn around.””
“I can't.””
“Daniel, listen to me.””
“I’m going to the motel.””
“You cannot come here.””
“I found out my father is alive, and you're telling me not to come?””
I closed my eyes.
“How much do you know?””
“Enough.””
“Who told you?””
“Rebecca.””
My eyes opened.
“What?””
Daniel's voice trembled.
“She called me.””
“Where is she?””
“I don't know.””
“What did she say?””
“She told me to come to the motel.””
Thomas's head snapped toward me.
“Tell him not to.””
I covered the phone.
“He's already coming.””
Thomas swore under his breath.
I returned to the call.
“Daniel, do not trust anything Rebecca tells you.””
“Mom, I know.””
“No, you don't.””
“I do.””
“Daniel—”
“She confessed.””
I froze.
“To what?””
“She said she knew about Dad.””
Thomas looked at me.
My voice dropped.
“What exactly did she say?””
Daniel breathed heavily.
“She said my father paid her father to disappear.””
Thomas turned toward me.
“What?””
I stared at him.
“Daniel says you paid Michael to disappear.””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
“Daniel,” I said, “where did she get that story?””
“She had documents.””
“What documents?””
“I don't know. I'm driving.””
“Turn around.””
“I can't.””
“You can.””
“Mom…”
His voice cracked.
“I need to see him.””
Thomas leaned toward the phone.
“Daniel, it's me.””
Silence.
The longest silence of my life.
Then I heard my son's breathing.
“Dad?””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
Daniel made a sound I had never heard from him before.
Part anger.
Part grief.
Part disbelief.
“You're alive.””
“Yes.””
“You let Mom think you were dead.””
“Yes.””
“You let me think you were dead.””
“I did.””
“Why?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Because I thought it would keep you alive.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Did it?””
Thomas's face tightened.
“No.””
The line went quiet again.
Then Daniel said, “I'm five minutes away.””
Thomas looked at Evelyn.
“Then we're already too late.””
A sharp pain hit my stomach.
“What does that mean?””
Thomas pointed at the road.
A second black sedan had appeared behind us.
Then a third.
Evelyn accelerated.
“Three cars.””
I twisted around.
“They're following us?””
“Yes.””
“Can we lose them?””
“Not on this road.””
Daniel was still on the phone.
“Mom?””
“Yes?””
“I need to tell you something before I get there.””
“Tell me.””
“When I found the photograph in the bridal suite, there was writing on the back.””
“What did it say?””
He hesitated.
“Dad didn't abandon you.””
Thomas stared straight ahead.
Then Daniel continued.
“He was trying to expose them.””
I felt tears fill my eyes.
“Who?””
“That's not all.””
His voice lowered.
“The writing also said the person who betrayed him was…”
The line crackled.
“Daniel?””
No answer.
“Daniel?””
Silence.
Then I heard a different voice.
A woman's voice.
Rebecca.
“Hello, Eleanor.””
My blood ran cold.
“Where is my son?””
“He's safe.””
“Put him on.””
“No.””
“Rebecca, if you hurt him—”
“You still don't understand.””
“Understand what?””
Her voice softened.
“Your husband wasn't hiding from Michael.””
I looked at Thomas.
“Then who was he hiding from?””
Rebecca laughed quietly.
“From your family.””
Thomas went rigid.
“Rebecca,” he said.
She heard him.
Her breathing changed.
“Thomas?””
He said nothing.
She whispered, “You're really alive.””
“Yes.””
A long pause.
Then she said the words that made Thomas's face turn white.
“Then you know what happened to your brother.””
Thomas closed his eyes.
I stared at him.
“Your brother?””
He didn't answer.
Rebecca continued.
“Ask him about James.””
The call ended.
I looked at Thomas.
“Who is James?””
He remained silent.
“Thomas.””
Still nothing.
Evelyn slowed slightly as the road curved.
I reached forward and grabbed his shoulder.
“Who is James?””
He finally turned toward me.
There were tears in his eyes.
“I had a brother.””
I stared at him.
“You never told me.””
“He died before I met you.””
“How?””
Thomas swallowed.
“I thought he died in a fire.””
“You thought?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“1978.””
I shook my head.
“That was twenty-eight years before your supposed death.””
He nodded.
“James was seventeen.””
“What happened?””
Thomas looked out the window.
“I found out the fire wasn't an accident.””
“Who started it?””
He didn't answer.
I already knew.
“Michael?””
“No.””
“Richard?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Thomas looked at me.
“My father.””
The words left the air inside the car completely still.
I whispered, “Your father killed your brother?””
“I don't know.””
“You said the fire wasn't an accident.””
“I found evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“I never got to prove it.””
“Why?””
“Because the man who helped me investigate it disappeared.””
“Who?””
Thomas stared at me.
“Richard Collins.””
Everything suddenly connected.
The business records.
The forged signature.
The hotel.
The messages.
Richard Collins.
He had been hiding for years.
Or pretending to be.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Richard isn't missing.””
She nodded slowly.
“No.””
“Then where is he?””
Thomas looked through the rear window.
The three black cars were still following us.
He whispered, “He's been in front of us the whole time.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
He pointed ahead.
A dark SUV had appeared in the distance.
It wasn't chasing us.
It was waiting.
As we approached the intersection, its headlights switched on.
Then the driver's door opened.
A man stepped onto the road.
Even from a distance, I recognized him.
Richard Collins.
The hotel manager.
The man whose signature appeared on the forged 2006 document.
He raised one hand.
Evelyn slammed on the brakes.
Our car stopped.
Richard smiled.
Then he pointed directly at me.
“Eleanor,” he called through the rain.
Thomas stared at him in horror.
Richard lifted something in his hand.
A small silver revolver.
May you like
Then he shouted the words that made my blood freeze.
“Your son is already inside the hotel with Michael.””
