Chapter 4: The Man at the Glass
I couldn't stop staring at the photograph pressed against the front door.
It was me.
Standing outside school.
Wearing the same blue jacket I had put on that morning.
The same backpack.
The same scuffed white sneakers.
Taken only hours ago.
Someone had been watching me.
Someone had followed me.
And now he was standing outside my house.
"Daniel, move away from the door.""
My mother's voice was barely above a whisper.
I turned toward her.
"Who is he?""
She didn't answer.
My father did.
"I don't know.""
Elena looked at him.
"Yes, you do.""
Dad's face hardened.
"No.""
"You've seen him before.""
"Where?""
"At the hospital.""
Something changed in Dad's expression.
"The hospital?""
Elena nodded.
"The night you were in the crash.""
I watched my father's face.
He looked at the man again.
Then suddenly, he took three steps toward the door.
Elena grabbed his sleeve.
"Don't.""
He stopped.
"Why?""
"Because that's exactly what he wants.""
The man outside lowered the photograph.
Then he pointed toward me.
I felt my stomach twist.
He smiled.
Not warmly.
Not like someone greeting a child.
It was the smile of someone who already knew something I didn't.
Dad reached for the curtains and pulled them shut.
"Everyone away from the windows.""
Diane stared at him.
"Mark, this is insane.""
"Then call the police.""
She didn't move.
Dad looked at her.
"I said call them.""
Diane's lips parted.
"I don't have my phone.""
He held out his hand.
"Use mine.""
She stared at it.
"Why are you looking at me like that?""
"Because I don't trust you.""
Her face tightened.
"You think I brought him here?""
Elena answered.
"I know you didn't bring him.""
Diane looked relieved for half a second.
Then Elena finished.
"But I think you know why he's here.""
Silence.
Diane looked down.
Dad noticed.
"What aren't you telling us?""
"Nothing.""
"Diane.""
She shook her head.
"I told you everything.""
"No.""
Dad's voice was low.
"You told me enough to scare me. You haven't told me the truth.""
Diane stared at the floor.
"I can't.""
"Why?""
She swallowed.
"Because if I tell you, he will kill me.""
Nobody spoke.
Even Elena looked shocked.
My father took one step toward her.
"Who?""
Diane's eyes lifted.
"The man outside.""
Dad glanced toward the covered window.
"Who is he?""
"I don't know his name.""
Elena said, "You know his name.""
Diane shook her head quickly.
"I knew who he worked for.""
"For whom?"" Dad demanded.
Diane looked at me.
Then away.
"For the people who handled your mother's disappearance.""
My father froze.
Elena's hand tightened around my wrist.
"What people?""
"I told you," Diane whispered.
"I don't know names.""
"How did you meet them?""
Diane's eyes filled with tears.
"Through my brother.""
Dad frowned.
"You never told me you had a brother.""
"I don't talk about him.""
"Why?""
"Because he's in prison.""
Elena stepped forward.
"For what?""
Diane didn't answer.
My father said, "Diane.""
She closed her eyes.
"Kidnapping.""
My heart stopped.
I looked at my mother.
She was staring at Diane as if she'd just confirmed a nightmare.
"My mother was kidnapped by your brother?""
Diane shook her head.
"Not directly.""
"Then who?""
"He hired people.""
My father looked like he might fall.
"Why?""
Diane wiped her eyes.
"Because Elena found the financial records.""
"What records?""
"My brother was stealing money from a company your father owned.""
Dad stared at her.
"What?""
"He was moving money through shell companies.""
Elena nodded slowly.
"And I found him.""
Dad looked between them.
"You knew?""
Diane nodded.
"I discovered it before our wedding.""
"You never told me.""
"I was afraid.""
"You let them take her because you were afraid?""
Diane's face crumpled.
"I didn't tell them to hurt her.""
"You didn't stop them either!""
"I thought they were going to scare her into leaving town.""
Elena's voice trembled.
"They locked me in a basement.""
Diane looked at her.
"I didn't know.""
"You knew enough.""
"I didn't know where.""
"You knew I was pregnant.""
Diane's eyes dropped.
"And you knew Daniel existed.""
"I knew.""
My father slammed his fist onto the counter.
"So while I thought she abandoned me, you knew she was alive?""
Diane flinched.
"Not at first.""
"When did you find out?""
"Three months later.""
Elena's face hardened.
"And you still said nothing.""
Diane whispered, "By then, it was too late.""
"Too late for what?"" Dad demanded.
"For all of us.""
A loud knock hit the front door.
Everyone jumped.
The man outside had moved closer.
His silhouette appeared behind the curtain.
Dad motioned for us to step back.
Then the doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Dad whispered, "Nobody opens that door.""
A piece of paper slid slowly underneath it.
It stopped on the floor.
I stared at it.
My father walked toward it.
Elena said, "Don't touch it.""
He stopped.
The paper remained there.
Diane whispered, "It's probably a threat.""
Dad looked at her.
"You seem awfully familiar with how they operate.""
She said nothing.
Elena crouched carefully.
"I know how they operate.""
She picked up the paper.
Dad reached toward her.
"Let me.""
"No.""
She unfolded it.
Her face changed immediately.
"What?""
She handed it to my father.
He read it.
His expression turned cold.
I reached for the page.
He hesitated.
Then gave it to me.
There were only two sentences.
*The boy belongs to the family that paid to erase his mother.*
Underneath was another line.
*Ask Mark why the hospital records were changed.*
I looked at my father.
"What does that mean?""
His face was empty.
"I don't know.""
Elena stared at him.
"You do.""
"No.""
"Mark.""
"I said I don't know.""
She stepped closer.
"You were in the hospital.""
"After the crash.""
"Yes.""
"And I was unconscious.""
"Exactly.""
She pointed to the note.
"Someone changed the records while you were unconscious.""
Dad looked confused.
"Changed what?""
"Your accident report.""
"What was changed?""
Elena's voice broke.
"The reason you were there.""
Dad shook his head.
"It was a car accident.""
"No.""
She looked at him.
"It wasn't.""
The kitchen went silent.
My father stared at her.
"Then what happened?""
Elena took a shaky breath.
"Someone rammed your car.""
Dad looked stunned.
"I was told I lost control.""
"You didn't.""
"Who told you?""
"The doctor.""
"Which doctor?""
Elena looked at Diane.
Diane's eyes widened.
"No.""
My father turned.
"What?""
Diane whispered a name.
"Dr. Samuel Vance.""
Elena nodded.
"He's the one.""
Dad stared at her.
"I thought he retired.""
"He did.""
"Then why is he involved?""
Elena looked toward the door.
"Because he wasn't just your doctor.""
Dad's expression changed.
"What was he?""
Elena took my hand.
"He worked for the people who took me.""
I felt my blood run cold.
My father stepped backward.
"No.""
"He altered the hospital records.""
"No.""
"He signed the papers saying I had left voluntarily.""
"No.""
"He was paid to make sure you never found me.""
Diane whispered, "And he wasn't working alone.""
Dad looked at her.
"Who else?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
The man outside knocked again.
This time, he called through the door.
"Mark.""
My father froze.
The voice was calm.
Almost friendly.
"Open the door.""
Dad didn't answer.
The man continued.
"You have something that belongs to us.""
My father shouted, "What?""
Silence.
Then the man said,
"The envelope.""
Everyone looked at Diane.
She instinctively reached into her pocket.
The black envelope.
The one that had started everything.
Dad saw it.
"So that's what he wants.""
Diane backed away.
"I told you I didn't know.""
Elena looked at her.
"You knew.""
"I knew they would come for it.""
"What's inside?""
Diane's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't know everything.""
"Then tell us what you do know.""
She reached into her pocket.
Slowly.
Pulled out the envelope.
But instead of handing it to Dad, she opened it.
Inside was a tiny silver key.
A memory card.
And a folded photograph.
She placed them on the counter.
Dad stared.
"What is the key for?""
Diane shook her head.
"I was told never to use it.""
Elena picked up the memory card.
"What's on this?""
Diane whispered,
"Everything.""
My father's voice was almost a whisper.
"Everything about what?""
Diane looked at me.
"The reason your mother disappeared.""
Then she looked toward the front door.
"And the reason your father was almost killed.""
The door suddenly shook under a violent blow.
I jumped.
The man outside shouted,
"Give me the card!""
Dad grabbed my hand.
Elena grabbed my other hand.
Diane stood frozen.
Another blow struck the door.
The frame cracked.
Dad looked at the three of us.
Then at the tiny memory card on the counter.
"We need to get out.""
Diane shook her head.
"There's nowhere to go.""
Elena pointed toward the hallway.
"Basement.""
Dad frowned.
"What?""
"There's an old service exit.""
Diane's face went white.
"No.""
Elena stared at her.
"Yes.""
Diane whispered, "They'll be waiting there.""
My father looked at her.
"How do you know?""
She didn't answer.
And then I understood.
She had been expecting someone to come for us.
She had known there was a second way out.
She had known for years.
Dad moved toward her.
"You've been preparing for this.""
Diane took a step backward.
"I never thought they'd come here.""
"You knew they might.""
The door shook again.
The lock began to tear away from the frame.
Diane looked at me.
Then she whispered,
"Because Daniel isn't the only one they were looking for.""
She pointed at the staircase.
"They're coming for you too.""
Behind us, the basement door slowly swung open by itself.
May you like
And from the darkness below came the sound of footsteps.
Someone was already inside.
