Chapter 8 - WHAT DANIEL FOUND
Six months earlier, Daniel had been renovating Dr. Patel’s old Victorian house.
The building was over a hundred years old.
Every wall contained a surprise.
Bad wiring.
Rotten studs.
Pipes installed by somebody who apparently hated plumbers.
On the third day, Daniel removed a section of drywall and found a small steel lockbox wedged behind the studs.
“Boss,” he had called.
Richard Wallace came upstairs.
“What is it?”
“Found this.”
Richard took the box.
“Homeowner know?”
“I was about to call him.”
Richard smiled.
“I’ll handle it.”
That should have bothered Daniel.
It didn’t.
Not enough.
Now, inside the detention center, Daniel sat with Elena and the kids while investigators swarmed the building.
Baker had been removed in handcuffs.
Evan sat somewhere else under guard.
Detective Pike returned forty minutes later.
“Tell me everything about the box.”
Daniel did.
Pike asked, “Did you see inside?”
“No.”
“Did Wallace ever mention it again?”
“No.”
Elena suddenly spoke.
“He came to our apartment.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“Richard.”
“When?”
“Two days after you were arrested.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You never told me.”
“You were already losing your mind in here.”
“What did he want?”
“He said he wanted to help.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Help?”
“He offered money.”
“How much?”
“Ten thousand.”
Daniel stood so fast his chair scraped the floor.
“For what?”
“He called it assistance.”
“Elena.”
Her eyes filled.
“I knew it wasn’t.”
Daniel looked away.
“Why didn’t you tell Pike?”
“I tried!”
Pike frowned.
“When?”
“I called the number on his card three times.”
Pike’s face changed.
“I never got those messages.”
Daniel stared at him.
“How convenient.”
Pike didn’t argue.
Elena continued.
“Richard told me something else.”
Daniel turned back.
“What?”
“He said if you cared about your family, you’d accept whatever deal the prosecutor offered.”
The room became silent.
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“This whole thing was planned.”
Pike nodded slowly.
“It’s starting to look that way.”
Sofia looked between the adults.
“What was in the box?”
Elena immediately said, “Honey—”
“No.”
Everyone looked at Sofia.
She crossed her arms.
“I’m not five.”
Daniel sat beside her.
“You’re right.”
Elena gave him a warning look.
Daniel ignored it.
“We don’t know what was inside.”
“But someone does,” Sofia said.
Pike looked toward the interview room.
“Evan.”
Twenty minutes later, Evan sat across from Daniel.
No family.
No children.
Just Daniel, Pike, Collins, and a camera recording everything.
Evan stared at the table.
“My dad’s going to kill me.”
Pike said, “Your father is not here.”
“You don’t understand my father.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“No. You don’t understand me.”
Evan looked up.
Daniel’s voice stayed calm.
“You took three months from me.”
Evan swallowed.
“My son lost three months with his father.”
“I know.”
“My daughter thinks cops can take anyone they want.”
“I know.”
“My wife almost lost our apartment.”
“I said I know!”
Daniel slammed his fist on the table.
“Then talk!”
Evan flinched.
Silence.
Then he whispered, “There was a ledger.”
Pike leaned closer.
“What kind?”
“Names. Payments. Dates.”
“Payments for what?”
Evan looked toward the camera.
Then at Daniel.
“My dad had been paying building inspectors for years.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Evan continued.
“But that wasn’t the worst part.”
“What was?”
“There was a flash drive.”
Pike asked, “What was on it?”
Evan’s eyes filled with tears.
“A video.”
Daniel felt his stomach twist.
“Of what?”
May you like
Evan whispered two words.
“A murder.”
