Chapter 4 - THE KEY
Daniel closed his fist around the silver key.
“What does this open?”
Ethan turned toward Margaret.
“You said you searched her coat.”
“I did.”
“Then how did Sophie get that?”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Stop talking like I’m not here.”
Margaret looked terrified.
“Sophie, honey, when did Mommy give you that?”
Daniel snapped, “Don’t question her.”
“She gave it to me at the window.”
“How?”
Sophie held up her small hand.
“There was a little hole.”
“She pushed it through.”
“And what did she say?”
Sophie’s voice became barely audible.
“She said, ‘Give Daddy the moon.’”
Daniel looked at the key.
A crescent moon had been engraved near the top.
His heart nearly stopped.
The moon.
Emily had given Daniel an antique wooden box on their fifth anniversary.
She called it their moon box because a crescent moon was carved into the lid.
They kept private letters inside.
After Emily disappeared, Daniel had searched everywhere for it.
It was gone.
Daniel stared at his mother.
“Where is Emily’s storage unit?”
Margaret blinked.
“What?”
“You cleaned out her office after the crash.”
“You moved half her belongings into storage.”
“Which unit?”
“Daniel, that was years ago.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“That key might not have anything to do with storage.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You seem nervous.”
“I’m trying to keep you from destroying yourself.”
“No.”
Daniel pocketed the key.
“You’re trying to keep me from opening something.”
He left.
Aaron Blake was waiting beside an unmarked police car across the street.
Daniel handed him the photograph.
Aaron studied it.
“Could be Emily.”
“It is.”
“Your mom admitted she’s alive?”
“Yes.”
Aaron’s expression hardened.
“That creates about fifty new questions.”
They drove to the storage facility Margaret had used after Emily’s disappearance.
The manager recognized Daniel’s ID and confirmed that a unit remained under Emily Mercer’s name.
Paid automatically.
By Mercer Holdings.
Daniel’s company.
Except Daniel had never authorized it.
The silver key opened the lock.
Inside were boxes, old furniture, Sophie’s baby crib, and Emily’s yellow raincoat.
Daniel stood frozen when he saw it.
Aaron touched his shoulder.
“You okay?”
“No.”
They searched for twenty minutes.
Then Daniel found the moon box beneath a blanket.
The tiny key fit.
Inside were letters.
Bank statements.
Photographs.
A flash drive.
And an envelope addressed in Emily’s handwriting.
DANIEL — IF THEY TELL YOU I’M CRAZY, READ THIS FIRST.
His hands shook as he opened it.
Daniel,
If you are reading this, something went wrong.
I found money disappearing from Mercer Holdings.
Not thousands.
Millions.
Someone created shell companies using your signature.
I confronted your mother because I thought she could help.
That was my mistake.
Daniel stopped reading.
Aaron leaned closer.
“What?”
Daniel continued.
Your mother already knew.
So did Ethan.
I heard them discussing something worse.
They said your father’s trust changes when Sophie turns five.
If I am declared mentally incompetent or dead before then, control of my shares passes temporarily to Margaret.
Daniel’s stomach turned.
Sophie would turn five in seven weeks.
He kept reading.
I am afraid they are building a case that I am unstable.
I am afraid they will try to make you believe it too.
Please remember this:
I would never leave Sophie.
I would never leave you willingly.
Daniel’s vision blurred.
At the bottom was one final line.
If I disappear, find Dr. Warren Hale.
He knows what they did to me.
Aaron immediately searched the name.
His face darkened.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Dr. Hale died two years ago.”
Daniel stared at him.
“How?”
Aaron read the screen.
“House fire.”
A sound came from behind them.
Daniel turned.
The storage unit door began rolling downward.
“Hey!”
Aaron ran forward.
Too late.
The metal door slammed shut.
Then the lights went out.
Daniel heard Sophie’s key disappear from the box beside him.
May you like
Someone was inside the storage unit with them.
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