Chapter 7 - THE BREAK-IN
Glass exploded across the floor.
Claire screamed.
Daniel dragged her behind the island.
Another shot.
Then another.
“Stay down!”
“I am down!”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
Before he could dial, the back door crashed open.
Footsteps.
Inside the house.
Claire grabbed Daniel’s arm.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
The security alarm started screaming.
Daniel looked around.
No weapon.
No way out except the hallway.
The footsteps moved closer.
Daniel grabbed a heavy cast-iron pan.
Claire stared at him.
“Seriously?”
“You got a better idea?”
A shadow crossed the kitchen doorway.
Daniel raised the pan.
A masked man stepped in.
Daniel swung.
The pan hit the man’s forearm.
He cursed and dropped something.
A pistol.
Claire kicked it under the table.
The attacker slammed Daniel into the refrigerator.
Pain flashed through his back.
Daniel punched him.
Once.
Twice.
The man drove a knee into Daniel’s stomach.
He dropped.
Claire grabbed a chair and smashed it into the attacker’s shoulder.
“Run!”
They ran.
The man chased them into the hallway.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
The attacker stopped.
Turned.
Ran toward the back door.
Daniel followed just far enough to see the black SUV tear away.
Police arrived three minutes later.
Elena arrived twenty minutes after that.
She walked through the kitchen without speaking.
Then crouched near the broken back door.
“They weren’t trying to kill you.”
Daniel stared at her.
“They shot through my window.”
“High shots. Wide angles.”
“So?”
“They wanted fear.”
Claire hugged herself.
“They wanted something else.”
Elena looked at her.
“What?”
Claire ran upstairs.
Daniel followed.
The bedroom had been destroyed.
Drawers dumped.
Mattress cut.
Closet emptied.
Claire dropped to her knees beside the dresser.
“No.”
“What?”
She pulled open a hidden compartment.
Empty.
Daniel crouched beside her.
“What was there?”
“The original files from Evan.”
“The investigator?”
She nodded.
“Photos. Corporate records. Notes.”
“All gone?”
Claire looked up.
“Yes.”
Elena stood behind them.
“Then they knew exactly where to look.”
Daniel slowly turned.
“How?”
Claire’s face changed.
Only four people knew about the files.
Claire.
Daniel.
Elena.
And Alan Mercer.
The family attorney.
Daniel felt cold.
“No.”
Elena understood immediately.
“How long has Alan represented your family?”
“Twenty-seven years.”
“Did he have access to your house?”
Daniel’s mouth went dry.
“He handled the estate.”
Claire whispered.
“He knew where the safe compartments were.”
Daniel pulled out his phone.
Called Alan.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Elena called her office.
Then looked at Daniel.
“His phone is off.”
Daniel stared at the empty compartment.
Claire stood slowly.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
She pointed inside.
Something had been left behind.
A small white envelope.
Daniel opened it.
May you like
Inside were four handwritten words.
YOUR FATHER KNEW EVERYTHING.
