CHAPTER 3: The Person In The Reflection
Nathan stared at the picture for almost a full minute.
He wanted his eyes to be wrong.
He wanted his mind to be playing tricks on him.
Because the person standing beside Claire’s car that night was impossible.
It couldn’t be him.
It couldn’t be the man who had held his shoulder at the funeral.
The man who had looked him in the eyes and said, “Nathan, I promise I’ll help you get through this.”
His own brother.
Ethan Walker.
Nathan slowly closed the laptop.
His hands felt numb.
For two years, Ethan had been the person Nathan trusted most after Claire died.
When Nathan couldn’t get out of bed, Ethan brought food.
When Nathan forgot to pick up the kids from school because grief had taken over his mind, Ethan was there.
When Nathan cried alone in the garage, Ethan sat beside him without saying a word.
But now…
A photo was telling him something impossible.
His brother had been at the scene of Claire’s death.
And he never told him.
Nathan walked upstairs quietly.
The house was dark.
The kind of darkness that felt different after learning the truth.
Every corner suddenly looked suspicious.
Every room held a memory.
The kitchen where Claire used to dance while making breakfast.
The hallway where Emma took her first steps.
The living room where Claire sat the night before she died and told him, “I feel like something is wrong.”
Nathan remembered that moment.
He remembered laughing softly.
“Claire, you’ve been working too hard.”
She had smiled.
But there was sadness in her eyes.
“I hope I’m wrong.”
Nathan had kissed her forehead.
“You are.”
Those were the last serious words they ever shared.
And now he realized something painful.
Claire wasn’t asking him to believe her.
She was begging him.
And he ignored her.
A noise came from behind him.
Nathan turned.
Emma was standing in the hallway.
Her stuffed rabbit was pressed against her chest.
“Daddy?”
Nathan quickly wiped his face.
“Hey, sweetheart. You should be sleeping.”
She looked at him carefully.
“You found out, didn’t you?”
Nathan froze.
“Found out what?”
“That I wasn’t lying.”
The sadness in her voice broke him.
Nathan walked over and knelt in front of her.
“Emma…”
“I told you about Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“But you didn’t believe me before.”
Nathan felt a heavy weight in his chest.
“I’m sorry.”
Emma looked down.
“Mommy told me not to tell anyone.”
Nathan’s eyes widened.
“When?”
“The night before she died.”
The room became silent.
“Emma, what did Mommy tell you?”
The little girl hugged her rabbit tighter.
“She said if something happened, I had to be brave.”
Nathan swallowed.
“What else?”
“She said some people smile when they are lying.”
A chill ran through him.
“Did she say Vanessa’s name?”
Emma hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
Every piece of the puzzle was becoming darker.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Emma’s eyes filled with tears.
“Because Vanessa said Mommy’s death made you sad enough.”
She looked terrified.
“She said if I talked about it, you would leave me too.”
Nathan immediately pulled her into his arms.
“Oh, Emma…”
“I didn’t want to lose you, Daddy.”
Nathan held his daughter tightly.
“No one is taking me away from you.”
But inside, he knew something.
Someone had already tried.
And they had been successful.
Because for two years, his children had carried a secret that was too heavy for them.
The next morning, Nathan made a decision.
He couldn’t confront Vanessa yet.
Not without proof.
Not without knowing how deep this went.
He needed someone he could trust.
Someone outside the family.
Someone who didn’t owe Ethan or Vanessa anything.
He called Detective Mark Reynolds.
Mark had investigated Claire’s accident.
He was the one who told Nathan there was no evidence of foul play.
The call connected.
“Nathan? Everything okay?”
Nathan looked at the picture on his desk.
“No.”
A pause.
“What happened?”
“I need you to reopen Claire’s case.”
Silence.
“Nathan…”
“I found something.”
“What?”
Nathan lowered his voice.
“I think we were wrong.”
Another silence.
Then Mark asked:
“What did you find?”
Nathan looked toward the hallway.
Making sure the children couldn’t hear.
“A photo from the accident scene.”
“What kind of photo?”
“A person was there.”
Mark’s voice changed.
“Who?”
Nathan stared at the screen.
“My brother.”
There was a long pause.
“Ethan?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“I saw him.”
Mark exhaled.
“Send me the picture.”
Nathan did.
Five minutes later, his phone rang.
Mark sounded different.
Not skeptical.
Concerned.
“Nathan…”
“What?”
“You need to come to the station.”
“Why?”
“Because I checked the original accident file.”
Nathan stood still.
“And?”
“There was something missing.”
“What do you mean missing?”
“The evidence report.”
Nathan frowned.
“What evidence report?”
“The report showing what caused the crash.”
His heart started beating faster.
“Mark, the police said the road was wet.”
“They did.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
Mark lowered his voice.
“The original report said the brake lines were damaged.”
Nathan stopped breathing.
“What?”
“Yes.”
“But the final report said it was weather-related.”
“Exactly.”
Nathan felt the room spinning.
Someone had changed the investigation.
Someone had removed evidence.
Someone had turned a possible murder into an accident.
Then Mark said something that made Nathan’s blood run cold.
“Nathan, I checked who signed the updated report.”
“Who?”
A pause.
Then:
“Ethan Walker.”
Nathan slowly lowered the phone.
His own brother had changed the evidence.
The same brother who stood beside him at Claire’s funeral.
The same brother who told him he would always protect his family.
Nathan looked toward the stairs where his children were sleeping.
And for the first time in two years…
he felt afraid.
Not of losing Claire.
He had already lost her.
He was afraid of losing Emma and Lucas.
Because the people who destroyed his family…
were the people closest to him.
At that exact moment, Nathan’s phone received a message from an unknown number.
One sentence.
No explanation.
No name.
Just a warning.
“If you want your children to stay alive, stop digging into Claire’s death.”
Nathan stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
A photo.
A photo of Emma sleeping in her bedroom.
Taken only minutes earlier.
Nathan’s blood turned cold.
Someone was inside his house.
May you like
Watching his children.
TO BE CONTINUED...
