Chapter 8: The Man at the Gate
Detective Walker moved first.
"Nobody leaves this house.""
He signaled to Brooks, who immediately contacted uniformed officers for assistance.
Outside, the man lowered his phone and walked back toward the dark vehicle.
Marcus rushed toward the front door.
"Daniel!""
Walker caught his arm.
"Stay back.""
"That's my brother!""
"You don't know who that is.""
Marcus struggled against the detective's grip.
"Let go of me!""
Walker released him only when Marcus stopped pulling.
Through the window, the man climbed into the vehicle. The tires rolled slowly down the driveway before disappearing beyond the iron gates.
Danielle stood beside the staircase, trembling.
"Was that Daniel?""
Marcus shook his head.
"I don't know.""
"You said you recognized him.""
"I recognized the way he moved.""
Patricia stared at her brother.
"You're telling me you can't even recognize your own brother?""
Marcus looked at her helplessly.
"Seven years is a long time.""
"Not long enough to forget someone you buried.""
The words silenced him.
A patrol car arrived minutes later. Walker gave the officers a description of the vehicle and the man, then requested that nearby surveillance footage be preserved.
When he returned to the living room, his expression was grim.
"We're treating this as a possible attempt to intimidate witnesses.""
Vanessa sat on the bottom stair, holding her phone in both hands.
"Who would do that?""
Walker looked at her.
"Someone who believes the people inside this house know something they want kept secret.""
Vanessa's eyes moved toward Marcus.
He looked away.
Danielle walked to the memorial table and picked up one of Aaliyah's photographs.
It showed her daughter at seventeen, standing between Marcus and Daniel at a family barbecue. Daniel had one arm around Aaliyah's shoulders, and Marcus was holding a plate of food.
All three were laughing.
Danielle remembered that afternoon clearly.
Daniel had teased Aaliyah about her terrible attempt at grilling hamburgers. Marcus had laughed until he nearly dropped his drink.
A year later, Daniel was supposedly dead.
And now, seven years after that funeral, his voice had returned to accuse Marcus of betraying the family.
"Detective," Danielle said, "I want to see the second file.""
Walker turned toward her.
"We need to locate it first.""
"Daniel said to ask Marcus about his father's death. There must be something in this house.""
Marcus shook his head.
"There's nothing here.""
Danielle faced him.
"You told us Daniel was dead. You told us the money was gone. You told us the Ashford property was transferred legally. How many times have you lied to me?""
He lowered his eyes.
"I don't know.""
"Try.""
His voice cracked.
"More times than I can count.""
For the first time, he didn't defend himself.
Danielle sat down.
The admission should have satisfied her. Instead, it made her feel as though the floor beneath their entire marriage had vanished.
Walker pulled a chair toward Marcus.
"Let's talk about your father.""
Marcus remained standing.
"What do you want to know?""
"Where was the deed book when your father died?""
Marcus stared at him.
"In his study.""
"Who handled his estate?""
"I did.""
"Who had access to the study?""
"Daniel. Me. Our attorney.""
"And Graham Ellis?""
Marcus hesitated.
"He was already our business partner.""
"Did your father trust him?""
"No.""
The answer came too quickly.
Danielle looked up.
"What?""
Marcus swallowed.
"My father thought Graham was dishonest. He didn't want him involved in the family's properties.""
"Then why did you keep him as a partner?""
"Because the company was struggling. Graham brought in investors.""
"And the missing deed book?""
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
"I found out later that several pages had been removed.""
"By whom?""
"I suspected Graham.""
"But you never reported it?""
"No.""
Walker wrote something down.
"Why not?""
Marcus's face hardened.
"Because I was involved in the transactions.""
The room fell silent.
Danielle felt the confession settle over her like ice.
"What transactions?""
Marcus sat down slowly.
"After my father died, the company owed money. Graham told me we could restructure the ownership of several properties to protect them from creditors. He said the paperwork was temporary.""
"Was it?""
"No.""
Marcus stared at his hands.
"The properties were transferred to companies Graham controlled. When I realized what he'd done, I tried to reverse the transfers.""
"Why didn't you tell us?"" Patricia asked.
"Because I had signed the documents.""
Danielle shook her head.
"You helped him.""
"I thought I could fix it.""
"That isn't an answer.""
Marcus looked toward Aaliyah's portrait.
"I was afraid of losing everything. The house. The company.
The money. I thought if I could get the properties back, nobody would ever know.""
"And Daniel?""
Marcus's eyes filled.
"Daniel discovered the transactions. He threatened to go to the authorities. Graham said we could both go to prison if he talked.""
"So you let your brother disappear.""
"I didn't make him disappear.""
"But you let everyone believe he was dead.""
Marcus looked at Danielle.
"Yes.""
Patricia turned away, crying.
Walker closed his notebook.
"That gives us a starting point. We need the names of the companies, the attorney who handled the transfers, and any surviving records.""
Marcus nodded.
"I'll provide them.""
Danielle laughed bitterly.
"Now you're willing to cooperate.""
He didn't respond.
A knock sounded at the front door.
Everyone turned.
An officer entered carrying a sealed package.
"Detective Walker, this was delivered to the station for you. The sender requested that it be brought directly to the Reed residence.""
Walker accepted it cautiously.
"Who delivered it?""
"A courier. No return address.""
Walker examined the package.
Inside was a small envelope containing a photograph and a handwritten note.
He removed the photograph.
It showed a younger Daniel standing beside their father in front of the Ashford Avenue building.
On the back, someone had written a date: three days before their father's death.
Beneath the date was a sentence.
Ask Marcus who was in the building that night.
Walker handed the photograph to Danielle.
She studied it.
Her father-in-law stood beside Daniel, holding a set of keys. Behind them, a black sedan was parked near the entrance.
Danielle recognized the vehicle.
It had belonged to Marcus.
She looked at her husband.
"Why was your car there?""
Marcus stared at the photograph.
"I don't remember.""
"Look at the date.""
He did.
Then he stood so abruptly that his chair fell backward.
"No.""
Walker stepped closer.
"What is it?""
Marcus pointed at the photograph.
"My father died that night.""
Danielle's stomach tightened.
"You told us he was at home.""
"He was supposed to be.""
"Marcus, where were you?""
He shook his head.
"I don't remember.""
Patricia moved toward him.
"You were with him, weren't you?""
Marcus looked at her.
"I drove him to the building. He said he needed to collect some documents.""
"And?""
"I left him there.""
"Alone?""
Marcus nodded.
"When I returned, Daniel was waiting outside. He told me Dad had collapsed.""
Danielle stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell the police you were there?""
Marcus's mouth trembled.
"Because Graham was there, too.""
Walker took the photograph back.
"Was Graham involved in your father's death?""
"I don't know.""
"Did you see him inside the building?""
Marcus hesitated.
Then he nodded.
"Yes.""
A heavy silence followed.
Walker turned toward Brooks.
"We need to reopen the circumstances surrounding Mr. Reed's death and compare the timeline with the financial records.""
Brooks nodded.
Then her phone rang.
She answered, listened, and immediately walked toward Walker.
"The digital forensics team has accessed the flash drive.""
Danielle rose.
"What did they find?""
Brooks looked at Marcus.
"Multiple financial records, copies of the disputed property documents, and an audio recording.""
Walker took the phone from her.
"Play the recording.""
Brooks connected the device to a portable speaker.
At first, there was only static.
Then Graham's voice emerged.
"We need to move the Ashford property before Danielle realizes the transfer isn't legitimate.""
Marcus's voice followed.
"She'll never agree to it.""
"She doesn't have to agree if the paperwork is already signed.""
"That's fraud, Graham.""
A short laugh.
"It's business, Marcus. You wanted the company protected. I'm protecting it.""
The recording continued.
Then another voice spoke.
Daniel.
"If you two think I'm going to let you steal from our family, you're both insane.""
There was a loud bang.
A chair scraped across the floor.
Graham's voice hardened.
"Then perhaps you should consider what happened to your father.""
The recording abruptly ended.
Danielle covered her mouth.
Marcus stared at the speaker as though it had begun speaking in his father's voice.
Walker looked at him.
"What happened after that meeting?""
Marcus whispered, "I don't know.""
But before Walker could ask another question, the speaker crackled again.
A final audio file had begun playing automatically.
Aaliyah's voice filled the room.
"Mom, if you ever hear this, please understand something. Dad isn't the only person who knows what happened to Grandpa.""
Danielle froze.
Her daughter continued.
"I found a letter in Daniel's old things. It says Grandpa knew he was going to die that night.""
The recording paused.
May you like
Then Aaliyah whispered the words that made Marcus collapse into his chair.
"And the letter says the person who killed him was someone we all trusted.""
