Chapter 6 - THE DEAD WOMAN’S SECOND SECRET
Detective Ramirez stopped treating Megan Cole’s death like a simple accident.
Within two hours, she had contacted police in the county where Megan died.
The official report said Megan’s car had crossed the center line on a wet road and struck a utility pole.
No other vehicle had been involved.
At least, none had been reported.
But Claire couldn’t forget Ryan’s words.
Mom told me to run from Uncle Travis.
Daniel paced the hospital hallway.
“I’m going to find him.”
Ramirez stepped in front of him.
“No, you’re not.”
“He used a kid to attack my daughter.”
“And if you go hunting him, you’ll make my job harder.”
“My job is keeping my family safe.”
“Then start by not getting arrested.”
Daniel stopped pacing.
Claire sat against the wall.
“My family.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“You keep saying my family.”
“Claire…”
“Ryan is probably your son.”
Daniel shut his mouth.
The reality of that sentence hung between them.
A son.
Not an old mistake.
Not a photograph.
A ten-year-old boy sitting in county custody, crying because his mother was dead.
Daniel sat down beside her.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“For once, neither do I.”
His voice cracked.
“I swear to you, I didn’t know.”
“I believe that part.”
He looked relieved.
“Don’t.”
Claire’s eyes stayed cold.
“You still hid Megan. You hid the blackmail. Every time the truth got ugly, you buried it.”
“I was scared.”
“So was I when I saw our daughter bleeding on the floor. Funny how fear doesn’t make lying feel better when you’re the person paying for it.”
Daniel looked down.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
Then a man laughed.
Daniel stood.
“Travis?”
Claire’s head snapped up.
The voice on the phone was loud enough for her to hear.
“Finally remembered my name.”
Daniel put the call on speaker.
Ramirez immediately moved closer.
“You sent Ryan into my house.”
“No. Ryan made a choice.”
“He’s ten!”
“He’s your son.”
Daniel clenched his jaw.
“Where are you?”
Travis laughed.
“Now you care where we are?”
“Stay away from my family.”
“Which family?”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“The one in the nice house? The little girl with the pink bike? The wife who had no idea who you really were?”
Claire felt sick.
He had watched them.
“Why are you doing this?” Daniel demanded.
“Because Megan spent eleven years cleaning up the mess you made.”
“She told me Ryan died before he was born!”
Silence.
Then Travis said, “You really believe that?”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“She didn’t lie because she hated you.”
“Then why?”
“She was scared of you.”
Daniel looked stunned.
“That’s bullshit.”
“Ask your wife what kind of man hits a ten-year-old.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
Travis continued.
“Megan knew exactly what you were.”
Claire grabbed the phone.
“If you cared about Megan or Ryan, you wouldn’t have handed that child a brick.”
Travis went silent.
“Hello, Claire.”
Her blood ran cold.
“You followed me.”
“I wanted to see what Daniel chose instead.”
“You’re sick.”
“Maybe.”
“What do you want?”
A pause.
Then his voice changed.
“I want what Megan was owed.”
“Money?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I want Daniel to lose something he loves.”
The call ended.
Ramirez immediately ordered officers to trace it.
Claire stared at the black screen.
Then she saw a new message appear.
A photograph.
She tapped it.
Her knees nearly gave out.
It was Lily.
Taken through the hospital window less than five minutes earlier.
May you like
Under the photograph were six words.
I CAN STILL SEE YOUR DAUGHTER.
