Chapter 9 - THE MAN WHO WASN'T MY FATHER
There are moments when the mind refuses to accept reality.
This was one of them.
"My father died fifteen years ago."
Michael shook his head.
"No."
"I attended his funeral."
"I know."
"I saw his body."
Michael looked at me.
"That wasn't him."
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because sometimes disbelief comes out sounding like laughter.
"You expect me to believe someone replaced my father?"
"No."
"Then what are you saying?"
"I'm saying your father had a twin."
Silence.
I stared at him.
"A twin?"
Michael nodded.
"His name was Edward."
I felt something deep inside me shift.
I remembered my father.
Robert Bennett.
He had always refused to talk about his childhood.
He had one photograph from his younger years.
One.
I remembered asking him once about it.
He told me:
"Some things are better forgotten."
At the time, I thought he was talking about war.
Now I wasn't sure.
Michael reached into his coat.
He pulled out an old envelope.
He handed it to me.
Inside was a photograph.
Two men stood side by side.
Identical.
My hands trembled.
One was my father.
The other...
looked exactly like him.
On the back was a handwritten note.
ROBERT — IF I DISAPPEAR, DON'T TRUST EDWARD.
I stared at the handwriting.
I knew it.
My father's.
Michael said:
"Edward built the network."
"What network?"
"The insurance scheme."
I looked at him.
"Why?"
"Money."
"How much?"
"Enough to disappear."
"And Sarah discovered it?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"She found a connection between the deaths."
"Daniel?"
"Daniel was a middleman."
"And Vanessa?"
"She was trying to expose him."
I looked toward Vanessa.
"Is that true?"
She nodded.
Michael continued.
"Sarah trusted Vanessa."
"Then why did she warn Mark about her?"
"Because Sarah knew someone was watching."
"And she needed Vanessa to look guilty."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if Daniel believed Vanessa was the problem, he would stop looking for the real evidence."
I looked at the birthday footage.
The crystal horse.
The accusation.
The camera.
Vanessa had known about the camera.
She had deliberately pushed the sculpture.
She had deliberately blamed Lily.
Why?
Michael answered the question before I asked.
"The crystal horse contained something."
"What?"
"A microdrive."
My stomach tightened.
"What was on it?"
"The names."
"Whose names?"
"Everyone involved."
Mark looked at Vanessa.
"You knew."
She nodded.
"I knew."
"You used Lily."
Vanessa's face collapsed.
"I needed the camera to record me breaking it."
Mark stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because I needed you to destroy the sculpture."
"What?"
"The microdrive had to disappear."
Mark shook his head.
"You could have told me."
"If I told you, someone might be listening."
I looked at the ceiling.
"The cameras."
Vanessa nodded.
"They've been watching this house for months."
"Who?"
"Edward."
My chest tightened.
"Where is he?"
Michael looked toward the window.
"Close."
Then the lights went out again.
This time, nobody screamed.
We knew.
Someone was inside the house.
A door creaked upstairs.
Mark grabbed a fireplace poker.
I pulled Lily behind me.
Michael moved toward the staircase.
Vanessa whispered:
"Don't."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because that's what he wants."
A man's voice came from upstairs.
Calm.
Old.
Familiar.
"Thomas."
I froze.
I knew that voice.
It was my father's voice.
The voice I had heard when I was a child.
The voice I had buried fifteen years ago.
"Come upstairs."
Lily started crying.
I looked at Michael.
His face had gone pale.
"He's here."
Then the voice spoke again.
"And Thomas..."
May you like
A pause.
"Bring Lily."
