Chapter 11 - THE SON WHO KNEW
Daniel sat down.
He looked ten years older.
“I was nineteen.”
Frank didn’t blink.
“What checks?”
“Dad—”
“What checks?”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“Greg said he needed help.”
“With stealing from me?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“What did you know?”
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“He gave me two checks.”
“For how much?”
“Five thousand each.”
Frank’s eyes widened.
“You cashed ten thousand dollars?”
“Not for me.”
“You cashed them.”
“Yes.”
“Whose name?”
“Mine.”
Frank stumbled backward.
I couldn’t believe it.
“You never told me this,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
“I was a kid.”
“You were nineteen.”
“I was stupid.”
“Yes.”
He flinched.
“I thought Greg was helping Mom.”
“With what?”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
She whispered, “Bills.”
Frank laughed like a broken man.
“What bills?”
She didn’t answer.
Daniel did.
“Credit cards.”
Frank looked at her.
“How much debt?”
Evelyn started crying again.
I was getting tired of her tears.
They appeared every time the truth got close.
“How much?” Frank asked.
“Forty-three thousand.”
Linda whispered, “Jesus, Evelyn.”
Frank sat down slowly.
“All those years I thought we were paying everything off.”
“I was embarrassed.”
“So you gave Greg access to my company?”
“He said he could help.”
“And when he stole from me?”
“I panicked.”
“So you covered for him.”
She nodded.
Frank laughed bitterly.
“And then you slept with him.”
Evelyn shouted, “Years later!”
Nobody cared about that distinction.
My phone buzzed.
I almost jumped out of my skin.
A message from Officer Martinez.
Vehicle abandoned two miles away. Stay inside.
I showed Frank.
Daniel looked at me.
“Rachel, listen.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“I need to explain.”
“You had years.”
“I was scared.”
“So was I when your mother had me on the floor.”
He looked down.
That was the thing about apologies.
Some come too late.
Some come after a person shows you exactly who they are.
Daniel had shown me.
Again and again.
He stood.
“I love you.”
I stared at him.
I almost laughed.
“You love me?”
“Yes.”
“You watched someone hit me.”
“I froze.”
“You knew she was going to frame me.”
“I made a mistake.”
“You gave Greg our address.”
“I made a lot of mistakes.”
“You kept secrets about stolen money.”
“I was trying to protect my family.”
I stepped closer.
“I am your family.”
He stopped breathing.
I continued.
“Or I was supposed to be.”
His eyes filled with tears.
I felt nothing.
That scared me more than anger.
I looked at Officer Carter.
“Can I leave?”
He nodded.
“We’ll have a unit follow you home.”
Daniel stepped toward me.
“Rachel, don’t go.”
“I’m going.”
“To do what?”
“Pack your things.”
His face fell.
“You can’t be serious.”
I grabbed my purse.
“I’ve never been more serious.”
Then Frank’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Everyone watched.
“What do you mean?”
A pause.
Then Frank looked at Evelyn.
May you like
His voice dropped.
“The bank says the emergency account is empty.”
