Chapter 9: The Last Recording
I hit the ground hard.
Lily landed against me.
I wrapped my arms around her before she could strike the concrete.
“Mommy!””
“I've got you.””
Zoe landed beside us.
Mark came down next.
My father was last.
Above us, the trapdoor slammed shut.
The room was pitch black.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
We were standing in a tunnel.
Concrete walls.
Metal pipes.
A narrow path leading into darkness.
My father stared ahead.
“This wasn't here before.””
Mark looked around.
“My father built it.””
“For what?””
“Escape.””
Zoe pointed down.
“Look.””
There were footprints in the dust.
Fresh ones.
Someone had walked through recently.
My heart raced.
“Daniel?””
My father shook his head.
“No.””
“How do you know?””
“Because Daniel never walked anywhere.””
“What?””
“He always made someone else go first.””
We moved forward.
Lily held my hand.
She was shaking.
“Mommy?””
“Yes?””
“I remember this.””
I stopped.
“What?””
She pointed toward the wall.
“There's a door.””
I looked.
Nothing.
“Where?””
She touched a section of concrete.
“Here.””
Mark ran his fingers over it.
A hidden latch clicked.
The wall opened.
Inside was a small room.
And on the floor was a video camera.
Still recording.
Zoe picked it up.
“Someone left this for us.””
My father looked at the camera.
“Don't touch it.””
Too late.
The screen activated.
A countdown appeared.
*00:59*
Then Daniel's face filled the screen.
“If you've reached this room, you're finally ready.””
I stared.
“Daniel!””
He smiled.
“Chloe, I'm sorry you had to learn everything this way.””
My father stepped closer.
“Where is my family?””
Daniel ignored him.
“The money was never the real issue.””
Mark whispered, “What money?””
Daniel continued.
“The eight million dollars was insurance.””
“Insurance for what?””
“For the truth.””
The timer reached fifty seconds.
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“Your father discovered the accounts.””
I looked at my dad.
“He did.””
“He tried to expose me.””
“I did.””
Daniel smiled.
“So I made him disappear.””
My chest tightened.
“Why didn't you kill him?””
“Because dead men cannot sign documents.””
My father clenched his fists.
“I never signed.””
“No.””
Daniel smiled.
“You didn't.””
The timer reached forty seconds.
“But someone else did.””
Mark's face changed.
“No.””
Daniel looked toward him.
“Yes.””
I stared at Mark.
“What did you sign?””
Mark shook his head.
“I didn't know what it was.””
“What did you sign?””
“When I was eighteen.””
Daniel continued.
“Mark signed control of the Carter accounts to me.””
My father closed his eyes.
“I didn't know.””
“I thought it was a release.””
Mark's voice cracked.
“My father told me it was paperwork to get you home.””
I looked at him.
“And you believed him?””
“I was eighteen!””
“You signed away my father's company.””
“I thought I was saving him!””
Daniel smiled.
“That is why Mark was always useful.””
The timer reached thirty seconds.
I stared at the screen.
“What do you want?””
Daniel finally answered.
“You.””
My blood froze.
“Me?””
“You are the legal heir.””
“To what?””
“The original Carter trust.””
My father stepped forward.
“What trust?””
Daniel smiled.
“The one your father hid from you.””
I looked at my dad.
He was stunned.
“You never told me.””
“I didn't know.””
Daniel continued.
“Your grandfather established it decades ago.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew the company would eventually be attacked.””
The timer reached twenty seconds.
“The eight million dollars isn't stolen money.””
Mark looked up.
“What?””
“It belongs to Chloe.””
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel smiled.
“Every dollar.””
The timer reached fifteen seconds.
“And the reason Lily was targeted was simple.””
I held my daughter tighter.
“She is the beneficiary.””
The timer reached ten.
Daniel's expression became cold.
“Megan was supposed to frighten her into revealing where Chloe kept the final key.””
“What key?””
My father suddenly looked at me.
Then at the floor.
“Oh God.””
“What?””
He whispered:
“The key.””
“To what?””
“The original ledger.””
The timer reached five.
Daniel said:
“Ask your father what he hid inside the rabbit.””
The screen went black.
Silence.
I looked down at Lily's stuffed rabbit.
Bunny.
The one she had carried everywhere since she was two.
The one Megan had taken.
The one we'd found at the cabin.
I picked it up.
My fingers found a seam along the belly.
“This isn't original.””
Lily looked at me.
“What?””
I remembered.
The rabbit had never had a seam there.
Zoe pulled out a small pocketknife.
“Hold it.””
I opened the stitching.
Inside was a tiny brass key.
My father sat down.
“That key belonged to your grandfather.””
“What does it open?””
“The bank vault.””
I stared at him.
“Which bank?””
He looked at Mark.
Mark answered.
“The old First National branch.””
“That building was demolished.””
“No.””
Mark shook his head.
“The vault remained underground.””
Zoe looked at the camera.
“So the eight million dollars…”
“Was never in the trust account,” Mark said.
“Where was it?””
“In the vault.””
I looked at Lily.
“Why would Daniel need the key?””
My father whispered:
“Because he never found it.””
A sound came from the tunnel.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Approaching.
Mark moved in front of us.
“Stay behind me.””
I held Lily.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a man's voice came through the darkness.
“You found the key.””
I recognized it.
Daniel.
My father stepped forward.
“Show yourself.””
A figure emerged.
Gray hair.
Black coat.
Silver watch.
Daniel Hale.
Alive.
Standing ten feet away.
Megan had lied.
The recordings had lied.
The entire night had been designed to bring us here.
Daniel smiled.
“Hello, son.””
Mark stared at him.
“You're supposed to be dead.””
“I was.””
“For eleven months.””
“I needed everyone to believe it.””
My father stepped forward.
“You kidnapped my daughter.””
Daniel's smile disappeared.
“No.””
He looked at Lily.
“I brought her here.””
I tightened my grip.
“Why?””
“Because she remembers where your mother hid the ledger.””
My father shook his head.
“She never knew.””
Daniel looked at Lily.
“She did.””
Lily buried her face against me.
Daniel crouched.
“Sweetheart, tell Mommy what you saw.””
Lily shook her head.
“It's okay.””
I held her tighter.
Daniel stood.
“Then I'll tell her.””
He looked at me.
“Your mother didn't die naturally.””
My father froze.
“What?””
Daniel's voice became quiet.
“She found the ledger.””
My father's face went white.
“And she tried to expose me.””
I felt sick.
“You killed her?””
Daniel smiled.
“No.””
He pointed toward Mark.
“Your husband did.””
Mark's face went blank.
“What?””
Daniel said the words slowly.
“Mark was there the night your mother died.””
I stared at my husband.
He shook his head.
“No.””
Daniel smiled.
“He remembers.””
Mark stumbled backward.
“I don't remember.””
“You do.””
“I don't.””
“You've spent twenty years trying not to.””
I looked at Mark.
“Tell me.””
He looked at me.
Tears filled his eyes.
“I was there.””
My heart shattered.
“What happened?””
Mark opened his mouth.
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot exploded.
Daniel disappeared.
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And Lily screamed:
“Mommy, the man behind you!””
