Chapter 8 - The Missing Father
Leo had been six when his father died.
At least, that was the word everyone used.
Died.
Not disappeared.
Not vanished.
Died.
Michael Bennett had driven off a mountain road during heavy rain.
Police found the car at the bottom of a ravine.
They never recovered his body.
Leo suddenly felt cold for a reason that had nothing to do with the night air.
“Leo?”
Rachel touched his shoulder.
“You okay?”
He locked his phone.
“Yeah.”
He lied badly.
Grandpa noticed.
Grandpa always noticed.
They kept moving.
Behind them, men searched the woods.
Victor led the group through an old deer trail.
Henry could barely walk.
Rachel supported most of his weight.
Leo stayed beside him.
After several minutes, he whispered, “Grandpa.”
Henry glanced down.
“What happened to Dad?”
Henry stumbled.
Rachel turned.
“Leo?”
“What happened to Dad?”
His mother’s face changed.
“Your father died in an accident.”
Leo looked at Grandpa.
“Did he?”
Henry said nothing.
That silence was louder than any answer.
Rachel stopped walking.
“Dad.”
Victor cursed.
“This is not the time.”
“It became the time when my son asked the question.”
Henry looked toward the dark trees.
“Michael was investigating the missing company funds before I knew about them.”
Rachel stared.
“What?”
“He came to me six years ago. Told me numbers didn’t match.”
“You never told me.”
“He asked me not to.”
“My husband asked you to hide something from me, so you did?”
“He was trying to protect you.”
Rachel laughed once.
A broken sound.
“Every man in this family seems to use that sentence before lying to me.”
Henry looked ashamed.
“Michael believed someone inside Caldwell Manufacturing was moving money through overseas accounts.”
“Elaine?”
“No.”
Victor stared.
“Then who?”
Henry looked at him.
“Michael found transactions that began before Elaine ever joined the family.”
Nobody moved.
Leo asked, “Who sent me the text?”
Rachel turned sharply.
“What text?”
Leo showed her.
Her hands trembled as she read it.
Victor took the phone.
“Unknown number.”
Henry closed his eyes.
“I was afraid of this.”
Rachel grabbed his coat.
“Stop speaking in riddles.”
Henry looked at Leo.
“Your father didn’t die the night his car went into that ravine.”
Leo’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
“He survived.”
Rachel went completely still.
“No.”
“I saw him two days later.”
Rachel slapped Henry.
The sound cracked through the woods.
Victor whispered, “Rachel…”
She stared at her father with tears running down her face.
“You let me bury an empty coffin.”
“I thought it was the only way to keep you safe.”
“Where is Michael?”
Henry’s face crumpled.
“I don’t know.”
A branch snapped behind them.
Everyone turned.
A man stepped from the trees.
He wore a dark jacket.
Gray had touched his hair.
Leo looked at his face and forgot how to breathe.
The man whispered, “I do.”
May you like
Rachel dropped the flashlight.
“Michael?”
