Chapter 6: The Man Behind the Wheel
Marcus stopped three feet from the car.
Peter's hand remained inside his jacket.
Neither man moved.
From somewhere inside the sedan came another muffled sound.
“Daddy!””
Marcus's heart slammed against his ribs.
“Ava.””
He took another step.
Peter immediately pulled a gun.
“Stop.””
Grace screamed from the doorway.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Marcus froze.
The gun was small, black, and steady.
Peter's eyes were no longer the calm eyes of the man who had driven Marcus to work every morning for eleven years.
“I said stop.””
Marcus lifted both hands.
“Where is my daughter?””
Peter glanced toward the back seat.
“She’s alive.””
“Let me see her.””
“No.””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“You've worked for me since before Ava was born.””
“I know.””
“You drove my wife to the hospital the night she died.””
Peter's expression shifted.
“I know.””
“You were there.””
“Yes.””
“And you never said a word.””
Peter looked away.
“I was paid not to.””
Marcus felt something cold move through him.
“By Daniel?””
Peter didn't answer.
“By Vanessa?””
Still nothing.
Marcus looked at the house.
Vanessa was crying.
But this time, he couldn't tell whether the tears were real.
He looked back at Peter.
“Who hired you?””
Peter's gun remained trained on him.
“You're asking the wrong question.””
Marcus stared.
“What question should I ask?””
Peter's voice became quieter.
“Ask why your wife was trying to leave.””
Marcus's face went still.
“You knew she was leaving?””
“I drove her.””
“When?””
“The night she died.””
Marcus took a slow breath.
“She wasn't alone?””
“No.””
“Who was with her?””
Peter's eyes flickered toward Vanessa.
Marcus followed the glance.
Vanessa stepped backward.
“Don't look at me.””
Marcus's voice hardened.
“You were in the car?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I never got inside.””
Peter laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“She was.””
Vanessa looked at him.
“Peter, shut up.””
Marcus turned sharply.
“You were there.””
“I told you I was at the house.””
“You lied.””
Vanessa wiped her tears.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
Peter raised the gun slightly.
“From her.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She suddenly looked smaller than she had all night.
“Peter,” she whispered, “you promised.””
“I promised nothing.””
“You said you would keep quiet.””
“I did.””
“Then keep quiet now.””
Marcus stared at them.
“What are you two talking about?””
Peter looked directly at him.
“Your wife discovered a second account.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“What account?””
“A trust account.””
“I don't have one.””
“You did.””
Marcus's mind raced.
“My wife had access?””
“She discovered it.””
“And?””
“She found payments made to a company called Northbridge Holdings.””
Marcus frowned.
“I've never heard of it.””
“You weren't supposed to.””
“Who owned it?””
Peter looked toward Vanessa.
She shook her head.
“Don't.””
Peter answered anyway.
“Vanessa.””
Marcus stared at her.
“No.””
Vanessa whispered, “Marcus…”
“You told me you had no money.””
“I didn't.””
“You opened a company in my name.””
“No.””
Peter spoke again.
“Not in your name.””
Marcus looked at him.
“In whose name?””
“Ava's.””
Silence.
Marcus's face went blank.
“My daughter?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Peter glanced toward the car.
“Because when she turned eighteen, she would inherit everything.””
Marcus frowned.
“Everything what?””
“The money.””
“How much?””
Peter hesitated.
“Enough to make people dangerous.””
Marcus's thoughts collided.
The necklace.
The bank statements.
The hidden photographs.
The secret company.
Ava.
His wife.
Three years of payments.
“Who was taking the money?””
“Vanessa.””
Marcus looked at her.
She shook her head.
“I used it to protect us.””
“You stole from Ava.””
“I borrowed it.””
“You stole from my daughter.””
“I was going to replace it.””
“With what?””
Vanessa started crying.
“I didn't know your wife would find out.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
Peter's gun forced him to stop.
“Stay there.””
Marcus ignored Vanessa.
“How much did she know?””
Peter's expression changed.
“More than she should have.””
“What happened that night?””
Peter looked toward the dark road.
“She was going to meet someone.””
“Who?””
“Sarah.””
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“My wife's sister?””
“Yes.””
“But Sarah is dead.””
Peter nodded.
“She wasn't dead that night.””
Marcus stopped breathing.
“What?””
“Sarah was alive when your wife left the house.””
Vanessa whispered, “Stop.””
Peter continued.
“They were going to leave together.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“Why?””
“Because Sarah had found the records.””
“What records?””
“The transfers.””
Marcus's face tightened.
“And my wife?””
“She had evidence.””
“What evidence?””
Peter hesitated.
“A recording.””
Marcus remembered what Vanessa had said in the nursery.
Sarah had a recording.
The pieces snapped together.
“Where is it?””
Peter shook his head.
“I don't know.””
“You drove them.””
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“The old boathouse.””
Marcus stared.
“That's where the message told me to go.””
Peter nodded.
“Because that's where it started.””
Marcus frowned.
“What started?””
Peter's voice dropped.
“The night your wife died.””
A gust of wind moved through the trees around the estate.
Marcus could hear the lake in the distance.
Water against the rocks.
Slow.
Rhythmic.
Then Ava made another muffled sound from inside the car.
Marcus's face changed.
“Open the door.””
Peter said nothing.
“She's scared.””
“I know.””
“She can hear us.””
“I know.””
“Then open it.””
Peter's eyes filled briefly.
“I can't.””
“Why?””
“Because he's watching.””
Marcus looked around.
“Who?””
Peter's gaze shifted toward the upper floor of the house.
Then the roofline.
Then the road.
“He sees everything.””
Marcus's skin prickled.
“Daniel?””
Peter shook his head.
Marcus's voice dropped.
“Then who?””
Peter didn't answer.
A shot exploded from somewhere in the darkness.
The car window beside Peter shattered.
Peter dropped instantly.
Marcus threw himself to the ground.
Grace screamed.
Vanessa ran back into the house.
Another shot cracked through the night.
Marcus looked toward the tree line.
Nothing.
Only shadows.
“Get down!””
Peter crawled behind the car.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
Marcus moved toward him.
“You're hit.””
Peter gritted his teeth.
“Forget me.””
Marcus grabbed the rear door handle.
It opened.
Ava was inside.
Her wrists were tied with the pink scarf.
Marcus pulled her into his arms.
“Daddy!””
“I'm here.””
He tore the scarf loose.
Ava buried her face against his chest.
“I knew you'd come.””
Marcus held her tighter.
“Are you hurt?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Did they hurt you?””
She pointed through the windshield.
“Peter brought me.””
Marcus looked over.
Peter was leaning against the tire, trying to control the bleeding.
“I didn't hurt her,” he said.
Marcus believed him.
At least this much.
Grace rushed outside.
“Give Ava to me.””
Marcus handed his daughter over.
“Get her inside.””
Grace nodded.
Marcus stood.
Peter grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait.””
Marcus looked down.
Peter's voice was weak.
“You need to know something.””
“What?””
“The necklace.””
Marcus frowned.
“What about it?””
“It isn't valuable because it's sapphire.””
Marcus waited.
Peter swallowed.
“There's something hidden inside.””
Marcus felt his heartbeat change.
“What?””
“A memory card.””
Marcus stared.
“Inside the necklace?””
Peter nodded.
“Your wife hid it there.””
“What’s on it?””
“Everything.””
Marcus crouched.
“Everything about what?””
“The money.””
Peter's breathing became shallow.
“Sarah's recording.””
Marcus leaned closer.
“And the night your wife died.””
Peter looked toward the house.
“Vanessa knows.””
Marcus looked at him.
“She knows what's on it?””
“No.””
Peter shook his head.
“She knows where your wife put it.””
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“Where?””
Peter opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, Vanessa appeared in the doorway.
Her face was strangely calm.
“Marcus.””
He turned.
“What?””
She looked at Ava.
Then at Peter.
Then back at Marcus.
“Come inside.””
“No.””
“Please.””
“Tell me where the memory card is.””
Vanessa froze.
Peter gave Marcus a weak smile.
“She doesn't know.””
Vanessa's expression cracked.
“You told him?””
Peter coughed.
“I told him enough.””
Vanessa looked toward the road.
Then she whispered:
“It's not at the house.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Where is it?””
She didn't answer.
“Vanessa.””
She looked directly at him.
“Your wife gave it to someone before she died.””
“Who?””
Vanessa's eyes moved toward Ava.
Ava suddenly spoke.
“To me.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
Ava looked down at the necklace she was wearing.
It was a small silver chain Marcus had given her for her birthday.
Her fingers touched the pendant.
“Mama gave me this before she died.””
Marcus stared.
“That necklace?””
Ava nodded.
“She told me never to let Vanessa take it.””
Vanessa's face went completely white.
Marcus reached for the pendant.
Ava grabbed his wrist.
“Dad…”
“What?””
“She said when I was big enough, I should give it to you.””
Marcus looked at the tiny pendant.
There was a hairline seam along its edge.
His fingers trembled.
He pressed it.
The pendant clicked open.
A tiny black memory card dropped into his palm.
For the first time that night, Vanessa stopped pretending.
She backed away.
“No.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
“You can't watch that.””
“Why?””
Vanessa's voice broke.
“Because once you do…”
She stared at the memory card.
“…you'll know who was in the room when your wife died.””
The wind went still.
Peter looked toward the darkness.
Then his face changed.
“Marcus.””
“What?””
Peter pointed toward the road.
A single pair of headlights had appeared in the distance.
Slowly approaching.
Peter whispered:
“He found us.””
Marcus tightened his grip around the memory card.
The headlights drew closer.
Ava buried her face against Grace.
Vanessa backed into the doorway.
May you like
And Marcus realized the person coming down the driveway wasn't there to take Ava.
They were there to take the evidence.
