Chapter 10 - THE EMPTY HOUSE
The address led to an abandoned farmhouse forty miles outside the city.
Police surrounded it before dawn.
Dad was ordered to stay away.
He ignored that order until Detective Grant physically blocked him.
“You are the victim’s father, not law enforcement.”
“I can still help.”
“You can help by not getting shot.”
Dad hated that.
I watched the operation through a secure video feed from my hospital room.
Officers entered.
Kitchen clear.
Living room clear.
Upstairs clear.
No Julian.
No Marcus Vale.
But the basement was different.
There were maps on the walls.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Copies of my medical charts.
And one large whiteboard.
My entire life was written across it.
AUDREY — SCHOOL RUN 7:40.
GYM — TUESDAY/THURSDAY.
GROCERY — FRIDAY.
CHLOE — PIANO WEDNESDAY.
I felt physically sick.
Then one officer turned his camera.
At the bottom of the whiteboard was a date.
My crash date.
Beside it:
PHASE ONE.
Underneath:
PHASE TWO — HOSPITAL.
And beneath that:
PHASE THREE — BENNETT.
My father.
This wasn’t only about killing me.
They planned to do something to Dad.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Dad stared at the screen.
“I don’t know.”
Weston did.
He pointed toward another photograph recovered from the basement.
It showed Dad entering a federal building six months earlier.
“Julian knew Thomas was investigating.”
I looked at my father.
“You said he didn’t.”
“I said I wasn’t sure.”
Weston continued.
“If Julian believed Thomas could expose the financial network, Audrey’s death served two purposes.”
“Insurance money.”
“And emotional leverage.”
I felt cold.
“They thought losing me would destroy him.”
Dad said nothing.
Weston looked grim.
“Or draw him somewhere.”
Police found a laptop.
Most files were encrypted.
One wasn’t.
A video.
The date showed it had been recorded the previous night.
Julian appeared on screen.
He looked exhausted.
Unshaven.
Desperate.
But his voice was calm.
“Audrey.”
I stopped breathing.
“If you’re watching this, your father found the farmhouse.”
Dad leaned forward.
Julian almost smiled.
“Thomas, you always were predictable.”
Dad’s face hardened.
Julian continued.
“You’ve spent your whole life thinking you could control every room you entered.”
He leaned closer to the camera.
“But you never controlled your own family.”
My hands clenched.
Then Julian held up a photograph.
It showed my childhood home.
My father stared at it.
Julian said,
“There’s something buried in that house you never wanted Audrey to know.”
I turned to Dad.
“What is he talking about?”
Julian continued.
“If you want the truth, come alone.”
An address appeared on screen.
Dad recognized it.
So did Weston.
An old military training facility scheduled for demolition.
“This is a trap,” Grant said.
“Yes,” Dad replied.
“You’re not going.”
“Yes, I am.”
I grabbed his hand.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Dad, that is exactly what Julian wants.”
“He’s dangling something he thinks will make me reckless.”
“What?”
Dad looked away.
That scared me more than anything.
“What secret is he talking about?”
He remained silent.
Then Weston whispered,
“Thomas.”
Dad closed his eyes.
May you like
Finally he looked at me.
“Audrey, your mother’s death wasn’t what you were told.”
