Chapter 11 - THE NIGHT EMILY DIED
Daniel watched the video without blinking.
Grant walked toward Emily’s wrecked car.
Rain hammered the road.
He opened the driver’s door.
Daniel’s hand shook.
“Turn the sound up.”
Margaret did.
At first there was only rain.
Then Emily’s voice.
Weak.
“Help me.”
Grant leaned inside.
“Where is it?”
“Grant…”
“The files.”
“You’re sick.”
“Where are they?”
Daniel stood so fast the chair behind him fell over.
Margaret grabbed his wrist.
“Daniel.”
He pulled away.
On screen, another vehicle approached.
Grant stepped back.
Robert’s Lincoln.
This time Robert got out.
Margaret covered her mouth.
Her husband looked older than she remembered.
Tired.
Terrified.
He rushed to Emily.
“What did you do?” Robert shouted.
Grant answered, “She wouldn’t stop.”
Daniel froze.
So did Margaret.
Robert looked into Emily’s car.
Then at Grant.
“You hit her?”
“She has copies.”
“Call an ambulance.”
“She’ll talk.”
“Call the damn ambulance!”
Margaret stared.
Robert hadn’t caused the crash.
He had arrived after.
Grant had lied for years.
The video shook.
Apparently recorded from a truck parked across the road.
Robert pulled out his phone.
Grant knocked it away.
They argued.
Then Grant shouted a sentence that silenced the room.
“If she talks, Daniel finds out what you made him take the blame for.”
Robert went still.
Emily heard it.
Even injured, she understood.
“You framed him,” she whispered.
Robert looked at her.
Shame covered his face.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily began crying.
“You destroyed him.”
Grant reached into the car.
The video cut out.
Daniel slammed both hands onto the table.
“No!”
“That’s all?” Margaret asked.
Ortega checked.
“One file.”
Daniel paced.
“He left her there.”
Ortega shook his head.
“The official report says a passing driver called 911 seven minutes after impact.”
“Seven minutes.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“She was alive.”
Nobody spoke.
Lily appeared in the hallway.
“Daddy?”
Daniel wiped his face quickly.
“Hey, baby.”
“Why are you crying?”
He crouched.
“Because I miss Mom.”
Lily hugged him.
Margaret turned away.
Her phone rang.
Grant.
Everyone stared at the screen.
Daniel said, “Answer it.”
Margaret did.
“Grant.”
His voice was calm.
“You found it.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know Robert wasn’t innocent.”
“I know you killed Emily.”
“No. I panicked.”
“You ran her off the road.”
“She was going to destroy everything.”
Margaret’s voice became ice.
“So you destroyed her?”
Grant stayed silent.
Then he said, “Ask Daniel why Emily had the mitten that night.”
Daniel looked up.
Margaret frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Grant laughed softly.
“You still don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Emily wasn’t driving home.”
May you like
Grant paused.
“She was driving to your house.”
