Chapter 10: The Man Behind the Missing Money
For a few seconds, I forgot how to speak.
The voice on the phone stayed calm.
Too calm.
“Your daughter’s birthday photographer.””
I looked at Emily.
She was watching me carefully.
“What’s wrong?”” she mouthed.
I turned away.
“Who are you?””
“My name is Thomas Reed.””
“Why are you calling me?””
“Because I think you deserve to know what happened.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“What happened?””
A pause.
Then Thomas said:
“Your wife hired me for Lily’s birthday photos.””
“I know.””
“No, Daniel. You know I took pictures. You don’t know why I was hired.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means your wife didn’t hire me for Lily.””
The room suddenly felt colder.
“What?””
“She hired me because she wanted proof.””
“Proof of what?””
Another pause.
“Of you.””
My heart started pounding.
I looked at Emily again.
She had no idea what I was hearing.
“What kind of proof?””
Thomas sighed.
“Can we meet?””
“No.””
I needed answers now.
“Tell me.””
His voice lowered.
“Your wife thought you were hiding money.””
I stared at the wall.
“What?””
“She believed you had another account.””
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was impossible.
“I don’t.””
“I know that now.””
“How?””
“Because I found something.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“Pictures from the birthday party.””
I didn’t understand.
“Pictures?””
“Yes.””
“The photos were delivered weeks ago.””
“Not the ones I’m talking about.””
My silence must have told him to continue.
“I took extra shots after everyone left.””
“Why?””
“I didn’t.””
That answer confused me.
“Then who did?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Emily asked me to.””
I looked at my wife.
The woman who had spent months hiding things.
The woman who claimed she was drowning.
She had hired someone to watch me?
“Why?””
“Because she thought you were preparing to leave.””
I closed my eyes.
The pattern repeated.
Fear.
Assumptions.
Secrets.
All of it.
“What did you find?””
Thomas answered carefully.
“A conversation.””
“Between who?””
“You and someone else.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
“Your business partner.””
I felt a wave of confusion.
“My business partner?””
“Yes.””
I didn’t have a business partner.
Not anymore.
Then I remembered.
A year earlier, I had helped my friend Aaron start a small side business. It never became serious. We closed it after a few months.
“What conversation?””
Thomas said:
“He was asking you about moving money.””
I went completely still.
“What?””
“I know how that sounds.””
“No, you don’t.””
I walked into the living room.
Emily stood up.
“Daniel?””
I ignored her.
“What exactly did he say?””
“I don’t have the audio.””
“Then what do you have?””
“Pictures.””
I felt my anger rising.
“Pictures don’t prove a conversation.””
“No.””
Thomas paused.
“But they prove something else.””
“What?””
“That Aaron met with your wife.””
My entire body went cold.
“Excuse me?””
“Before the birthday.””
I looked at Emily.
She looked confused.
Not guilty.
Confused.
“Why would Aaron meet my wife?””
“That’s what I’m trying to understand.””
The call ended before I could ask more.
I stood there staring at my phone.
Emily approached slowly.
“Who was that?””
I looked at her.
“Thomas.””
Her face changed.
“What did he say?””
I studied her.
“You hired him to investigate me?””
Her expression collapsed.
“What?””
“Answer me.””
“No.””
“Emily.””
“I swear, Daniel. I hired him because I was scared.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
She covered her face.
“I asked him to take pictures because I thought you were meeting someone.””
“Who?””
“I didn’t know.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So while I was worried about your secrets, you were spying on me?””
“I was wrong.””
“Yes.””
She nodded.
“I was.””
I sat down.
The exhaustion hit me all at once.
“How many people in this house were keeping secrets?””
Emily looked hurt.
“Daniel…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I’m trying to understand how we got here.””
She sat across from me.
“I was afraid.””
“I know.””
“But I wasn’t the only one.””
I looked up.
“What does that mean?””
She hesitated.
“I found something about Aaron.””
My eyebrows tightened.
“What?””
She reached for her phone.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know if it mattered.””
I stared at her.
“Everything matters now.””
She opened a message.
A screenshot.
From Aaron.
The message was short.
She doesn’t know the truth yet. Keep her calm until after the birthday.
My blood ran cold.
“What is this?””
“I don’t know.””
“Who is ‘she’?””
Emily looked at me.
“I thought he was talking about me.””
I read it again.
Then again.
The timing was terrifying.
“Why would Aaron tell someone to keep you calm?””
Emily shook her head.
“I don’t know.””
I stood up.
“Call him.””
She looked nervous.
“Daniel.””
“Call him.””
She did.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then Aaron answered.
“Emily?””
I grabbed the phone.
“Aaron.””
Silence.
“Daniel?””
“Who were you talking to?””
“What?””
“The message.””
Another pause.
And that pause told me everything.
“You know what I’m talking about.””
Aaron sighed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Answer me.””
He didn’t.
“Who were you keeping calm?””
Finally, he spoke.
“Your wife.””
Emily looked shocked.
“Why?””
Aaron’s voice changed.
“Because she was about to find out.””
“Find out what?””
A long silence.
Then Aaron said:
“The money wasn’t stolen.””
I froze.
“What?””
“The money was moved.””
“By who?””
Aaron whispered:
“By you.””
I felt the room spin.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
“Then explain.””
Aaron took a breath.
“Daniel…”
His voice became serious.
“You need to check your own bank account.””
I looked at Emily.
Then at my phone.
“Why?””
Aaron answered:
“Because the person who emptied your wife’s accounts…”
May you like
A pause.
“…also accessed yours.””
