Chapter 7 - THE WRONG MONSTER
Paul Reyes had been dead for six years.
But his confession was alive.
His face appeared on the screen.
Sweating.
Terrified.
“I was a detective for twenty-seven years. I did things I’m ashamed of.”
Daniel leaned closer.
Reyes continued.
“Victor Stellan paid me to bury evidence after Bellweather.”
Sebastian looked at Daniel.
“But Mara Mercer’s death wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Wasn’t supposed to?”
Reyes rubbed his face.
“Victor told me to scare her. Take the files. Make her stop.”
Daniel went still.
“I followed her from her office.”
His voice shook.
“She wouldn’t pull over.”
Sebastian slowly sat down.
Reyes continued.
“I moved beside her car. I wanted to force her toward the shoulder.”
Daniel’s face drained.
“The road was wet.”
Reyes stared into the camera.
“She lost control.”
“No,” Daniel whispered.
“She hit the guardrail.”
Daniel stood suddenly.
“No.”
“She went over.”
Daniel grabbed the computer and nearly ripped it off the desk.
Sebastian caught him.
“Daniel!”
“I spent eleven years thinking she fell asleep!”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t!”
Daniel shoved him away.
“I identified her body!”
The video continued.
Reyes was crying now.
“I called Victor. He told me to make it disappear.”
Daniel forced himself to look.
“I changed the scene. I removed Mara’s bag. I took the recorder.”
Reyes swallowed.
“But someone else was there.”
Sebastian froze.
Reyes looked into the camera.
“Claire Stellan.”
Sebastian whispered, “Claire.”
“She saw me.”
Daniel turned.
“Your sister watched my wife die.”
“She was twenty-three.”
“She said nothing!”
“She was threatened.”
“For eleven years?”
Sebastian grabbed Daniel’s shirt.
“She lived with this for eleven years!”
“And Mara didn’t get to live at all!”
Daniel shoved him.
For one dangerous second, both men stood ready to fight.
Then Sebastian’s phone rang.
Lily’s babysitter.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Silence.
“Rachel?”
A man spoke.
“Daddy?”
Sebastian’s face changed.
It was Lily.
Her voice was shaking.
“Sweetheart?”
“Dad… there’s a man in the house.”
Sebastian’s blood turned to ice.
“Hide.”
“I’m under your bed.”
“Stay there.”
A floorboard creaked through the phone.
Lily whispered, “He’s coming upstairs.”
Sebastian ran.
Daniel followed.
“Who is it?”
Sebastian grabbed his keys.
“My daughter.”
May you like
The phone went silent.
Then Lily screamed.
