Chapter 6 - GREG MERCER
I wish I had listened.
Instead, I said, “Why?”
Frank locked the front door.
Then the back door.
The family watched him move around the house.
“Dad?” Eric said.
Frank checked the windows.
“Everybody stay inside.”
Evelyn laughed nervously.
“Oh, please.”
Frank turned on her.
“How long?”
She looked away.
“How long have you been talking to Greg?”
“Frank—”
“How long?”
“Eight months.”
His face hardened.
“You brought him back into our lives?”
“I didn’t bring him anywhere.”
“He took forty grand from the company.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
Frank looked at his sons.
“Greg didn’t leave because we had a disagreement. I forced him out.”
Evelyn crossed her arms.
“You never proved anything.”
“I had records.”
“You had suspicions.”
“I had missing money.”
My stomach turned.
Twenty thousand.
Missing business money.
A secret account.
Nothing felt accidental anymore.
Frank continued.
“Greg was handling vendor payments. Money started disappearing. Small amounts at first.”
Eric asked, “Why didn’t you call the cops?”
“I was going to.”
Evelyn cut in.
“He decided not to.”
Frank stared at her.
“No. You begged me not to.”
She went silent.
The room changed again.
Frank stepped toward her.
“You said it would destroy the family.”
Evelyn’s hands started trembling.
“You’re twisting this.”
“Why did you protect him?”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
Linda whispered, “Oh my God.”
I suddenly understood.
“This didn’t start eight months ago.”
Evelyn looked at me.
I kept going.
“You knew Greg back then.”
She said nothing.
“You were already involved with him.”
“No.”
Frank’s face crumpled.
“Evelyn?”
She shouted, “No!”
My phone buzzed.
Another text.
THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.
Then a second message.
CHECK YOUR CAR.
I ran to the window.
My Honda sat under the streetlight.
At first, it looked normal.
Then I saw the windshield.
A white envelope was tucked beneath the wiper.
Daniel grabbed my arm.
“Don’t go outside.”
I pulled free.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Rachel, seriously.”
“You knew he was messaging me.”
“I knew he might.”
The room went dead.
I turned.
“What did you just say?”
Daniel realized his mistake.
“Nothing.”
“No. Say it again.”
“Rachel—”
“You knew he might contact me?”
Evelyn stood.
“Daniel, don’t.”
I laughed in disbelief.
“There it is again.”
I pointed between them.
“The two of you keep telling each other when to shut up.”
Daniel looked furious.
“Because you’re blowing up a situation you don’t understand.”
“Then help me understand.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
He looked at his mother.
She looked at the floor.
And I knew.
Not the details.
But I knew one thing.
My husband wasn’t protecting his mother from embarrassment.
He was protecting her from something bigger.
I walked toward the front door.
Daniel blocked me.
“Move.”
“No.”
“There’s an envelope on my car.”
“That’s exactly why you’re not going outside.”
I stared at him.
“Move.”
“No.”
Frank grabbed his son’s shoulder.
“Daniel.”
Daniel spun.
“You don’t get it!”
“Then explain it!”
Daniel’s face twisted.
For one second, I saw panic.
Real panic.
May you like
Then he said the words none of us were ready for.
“Because Greg thinks Mom still owes him fifty thousand dollars.”
