Chapter 8: The Person We Never Suspected
I read the sentence again.
Then again.
The words refused to make sense.
Someone you trust.
My eyes moved around the room.
My father.
My mother.
Vanessa.
Three people who had shaped my entire life.
Three people who had all lied to me.
Detective Miller watched my reaction.
“Rebecca was careful.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
“She didn’t write names.””
“Why?””
“Because she believed the person responsible might find the letter before you did.””
A chill moved through me.
My mother reached for my hand.
But I stepped back.
Not because I didn’t love her.
Because I didn’t know what I could believe anymore.
“Maya…”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know what’s real.””
The pain on her face hurt me.
But I couldn’t stop.
For years, everyone had protected me with lies.
And now they expected me to trust them with the truth.
Detective Miller looked at the flash drive.
“Can we see what’s on it?””
My mother hesitated.
Then nodded.
We moved to the kitchen table.
The flash drive was connected to my mother’s old laptop.
Everyone gathered around.
The first folder opened.
Financial documents.
Emails.
Photos.
Then a video file.
Created two days before Rebecca died.
Nobody spoke.
Detective Miller pressed play.
A woman appeared on screen.
Rebecca.
She looked nervous.
Tired.
But alive.
My chest tightened.
“Rebecca: If you’re watching this, something happened.””
Her voice shook.
“I don’t know who I can trust anymore.””
She looked directly into the camera.
“I found evidence that Daniel Brooks has been hiding money from his business partners.””
My father closed his eyes.
Rebecca continued.
“But that’s not the worst part.””
The room became completely still.
“Daniel isn’t working alone.””
Vanessa whispered:
“No.””
Rebecca looked down.
“There is someone helping him.””
She paused.
“Someone close.””
The video cut off.
Nobody moved.
I looked at Detective Miller.
“That’s it?””
She nodded.
“Part of it.””
“What do you mean?””
She opened another file.
“This one was recovered from Rebecca’s cloud storage.””
The second video played.
Rebecca appeared again.
This time she was crying.
“Rebecca: I know who helped Daniel.””
My heart raced.
She looked behind her.
Like she was afraid someone was listening.
“It wasn’t who I thought.””
A pause.
“It was someone who pretended to protect me.””
The video stopped.
I stared at the screen.
My mother whispered:
“Vanessa.””
Vanessa immediately stood.
“Don’t.””
My eyes moved to her.
“You said you helped Rebecca.””
“I did.””
“Then why did she say someone pretended to protect her?””
Vanessa’s face changed.
“I don’t know.””
Nobody believed her.
Not even Daniel.
The detective looked at Vanessa.
“Where were you the night Rebecca died?””
Vanessa went quiet.
Daniel stepped forward.
“She was with me.””
Detective Miller looked at him.
“Are you sure?””
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
“You don’t remember?””
He didn’t answer.
I watched him.
And suddenly I understood something.
My father didn’t just hide things.
He avoided things.
Because avoiding the truth was easier than facing it.
Vanessa looked at me.
“Maya, you think I’m the enemy.””
I said nothing.
“But you’re wrong.””
“Then prove it.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“How?””
“Tell the truth.””
She laughed quietly.
“You want the truth?””
“Yes.””
She looked at Daniel.
Then at my mother.
Then finally at me.
“Your father wasn’t the only one who wanted Rebecca gone.””
The room froze.
Daniel looked at her.
“Vanessa.””
She ignored him.
“Rebecca knew something about me.””
My mother stood.
“What?””
Vanessa looked at her.
“She knew I wasn’t who I claimed to be.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa reached into her purse.
She pulled out an old photograph.
And placed it on the table.
I picked it up.
The woman in the picture was younger.
But I recognized her.
Rebecca.
Standing beside someone else.
Someone I had never seen.
Vanessa pointed at the person beside Rebecca.
“That’s my sister.””
I looked closer.
Then my eyes widened.
Because written on the back of the photograph was a date.
And a name.
The same name from the police report.
The name everyone thought belonged only to a stranger.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Why is your sister connected to Rebecca’s death?””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“Because she was the reason Rebecca found the truth.””
My father suddenly shouted:
“Stop talking.””
Everyone turned.
His voice was filled with panic.
Not anger.
Panic.
Detective Miller noticed.
“So you do know.””
Daniel looked at her.
“No.””
But it was too late.
Everyone saw it.
The fear.
The guilt.
The realization that the story he controlled for years was finally slipping away.
Detective Miller stood.
“Daniel Brooks, I need you to answer some questions.””
He stepped back.
“Maya…”
I looked at him.
And for the first time in my life, I didn’t see my father.
I saw a man who had spent years protecting a secret.
A secret that had destroyed everyone around him.
Then my phone buzzed.
Another message.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
A photo appeared.
My heart stopped.
It was a picture of my mother.
Taken that morning.
Outside her apartment.
May you like
Underneath it were five words.
*She was never the target.*
