Chapter 9 - WHAT MY FATHER HID
Delaney cursed.
“Connection dropped.”
Ruiz looked toward the security room.
“Get it back.”
Preston headed for the doors.
Two officers moved in front of him.
“You said I could leave.”
Ruiz nodded.
“That was before we learned you may be connected to a fatal crash.”
Dad sat at an empty table.
I walked toward him.
Every step felt heavy.
“How long?”
He couldn’t look at me.
“How long have you known?”
“Not everything.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“Two years.”
My throat tightened.
“You knew for two years?”
“I suspected.”
“You let me have dinner with him.”
“Rachel—”
“You let Sophie call him Uncle Preston.”
Mom started crying.
“I didn’t know.”
I turned on her.
“Didn’t you?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
She slapped one hand over her mouth.
That was answer enough.
I laughed.
It came out broken.
“Oh my God.”
“Rachel, listen—”
“How many of you knew?”
Mom shook her head.
“Your father told me six months ago.”
“Six months.”
“I begged him to go to the police.”
Dad looked up sharply.
“That’s not what happened.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You said think about the family.”
“I said think about what would happen to Rachel!”
“I’m Rachel!” I shouted.
The room went quiet again.
“I was the person you were supposed to think about.”
Dad stared at the table.
Then he told me.
Three years ago, Daniel had discovered financial irregularities inside Preston’s company.
Preston ran Carter Development, a real estate firm Dad had helped build.
Daniel was an accountant.
And for six weeks before he died, he had quietly reviewed contracts for one of Preston’s investors.
“He found money missing,” Dad said.
“How much?”
“Almost three million dollars.”
Vanessa sat down.
Preston shouted, “That’s a lie.”
Dad ignored him.
“Daniel planned to report it.”
My stomach twisted.
“The night he died?”
Dad nodded.
“He called me.”
“What did he say?”
“That Preston had threatened him.”
I closed my eyes.
I remembered that night.
Daniel had kissed Sophie goodnight.
He kissed me in the kitchen.
“I’ll be back before midnight.”
I had complained that he was always helping people with work emergencies.
Those were some of the last words I ever said to my husband.
“Where was Preston?”
Dad swallowed.
“He followed Daniel.”
“And Harris?”
“I don’t know.”
Preston laughed suddenly.
Everyone turned.
“You don’t know because you’re making this up.”
Dad stood.
“No.”
His voice was stronger now.
“I know because two months after Daniel died, you came to my house drunk.”
Preston went still.
“You said something I never forgot.”
Dad’s eyes filled.
“You said, ‘I only needed Harris to scare him.’”
May you like
Ruiz immediately reached for her radio.
And Preston ran.
