Chapter 7 - THE MISSING WITNESS
Emily read the note twice.
“I don’t know everything.”
Detective Sarah Collins studied her.
“Marcus may think you do.”
“Then he’s wrong.”
“That won’t make you safer.”
Police protection was assigned to Emily and Rosa.
Nathan wanted them to stay at the mansion.
Emily refused.
“Someone just set it on fire.”
“Then a hotel.”
“I’m not hiding forever.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“This isn’t about pride.”
“No.”
Emily looked at him.
“It’s about my life being destroyed because your fiancée decided I was convenient.”
The words hurt him.
She saw it.
But she didn’t apologize.
Nathan nodded.
“You’re right.”
Emily hadn’t expected that.
He continued.
“But being right won’t stop Marcus.”
Eventually she agreed to stay in a secure apartment owned by Caldwell Development.
Two days passed.
Then three.
Police searched for Marcus.
Vanessa disappeared completely.
Thomas remained missing.
On the fourth night, Emily received a call.
Unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
“Hello?”
Breathing.
Then a weak voice.
“Emily.”
She recognized him.
“Thomas?”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Where are you?”
“They’ll kill me.”
Emily stood.
“Thomas, the police are looking for you.”
“Marcus has people inside the company.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know all of them.”
“Tell me where you are.”
Thomas coughed.
“I need the drive.”
Emily looked toward the police officer outside her door.
“The police have copies.”
Silence.
Then Thomas whispered something that made her blood run cold.
“The drive you found is fake.”
Emily gripped the phone.
“What?”
“I switched them.”
“Where is the real one?”
“With you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Thomas breathed heavily.
“Your necklace.”
Emily touched the small silver pendant around her neck.
Her father had given it to her before he died.
She had worn it for twelve years.
Thomas whispered.
“Open the back.”
The call disconnected.
Emily removed the necklace.
The pendant had always seemed solid.
But when she pressed the edge with her thumbnail, the back clicked open.
Inside was a microSD card.
Emily stared at it.
Thomas hadn’t hidden the real evidence in her jacket.
He had hidden it around her neck.
And somewhere during the last three weeks, he had done it without her noticing.
Nathan arrived twenty minutes later.
Daniel inserted the card into an isolated computer.
A single folder appeared.
CALDWELL.
Inside were recordings going back almost a year.
Marcus.
Vanessa.
Bankers.
Attorneys.
Employees.
Then Daniel opened the final recording.
Richard Caldwell appeared.
Emily looked toward him.
Richard stared at the screen.
The video showed him meeting Marcus six months earlier.
Nathan slowly turned toward his father.
“You told me you hadn’t seen him in nine years.”
Richard said nothing.
Nathan’s voice hardened.
“Dad?”
May you like
Richard closed his eyes.
“I lied.”
