Chapter 12 - Rebecca’s Apartment
Daniel did not tell Owen about Rebecca’s warning.
Not yet.
He kept the flash drive hidden inside his jacket.
Rebecca’s old apartment had been preserved by the Mercer Foundation.
Daniel never knew why.
Thomas sat in the living room when police arrived.
No weapon.
No attempt to escape.
He looked tired.
Twenty years older than he had at dinner.
Daniel stood six feet away.
“You ran.”
Thomas nodded.
“Because I knew Charles was alive.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“You shot him?”
“No.”
“You attacked my mother?”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Claire made a sound behind Daniel.
Thomas continued.
“Twenty-three years ago.”
Daniel wanted to hit him.
Instead he asked, “Why?”
“Eleanor discovered Blackwood.”
“So you killed her?”
“No.”
“You grabbed her.”
“Yes.”
“She collapsed.”
“Yes.”
“You left her.”
Thomas’s voice cracked.
“I called Margaret.”
Daniel stared.
“And then you helped my father cover it up.”
“Yes.”
Michael stepped forward.
“You threatened Rebecca?”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
“You forged documents.”
“No.”
“Your firm did.”
“Evan did.”
“Under your nose.”
“Yes.”
Daniel studied him.
“Why come here?”
Thomas looked around Rebecca’s old apartment.
“Because this is where she first confronted me.”
“About my mother?”
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
“The truth.”
“And did you give it to her?”
“Most of it.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Everybody keeps giving my wife most of the truth.”
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“She asked who continued Blackwood after Charles shut it down.”
“Who?”
“I told her I didn’t know.”
“Was that true?”
“At the time.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“And now?”
Thomas looked at Owen.
Daniel noticed immediately.
Owen remained still.
Thomas asked, “How much has Detective Hart told you about his father?”
Silence.
Daniel turned.
Owen’s expression didn’t change.
“What about your father?”
Owen’s jaw tightened.
Thomas continued.
“Dr. Samuel Hart was Blackwood’s lead neurologist.”
Claire whispered, “Oh my God.”
Daniel stared at Owen.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“My whole adult life.”
“And you never told me?”
“It wasn’t relevant to Rebecca’s crash.”
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“Wasn’t it?”
Owen turned toward him.
“Careful.”
Daniel caught the warning in his tone.
Rebecca’s note returned to his mind.
Don’t trust the person who brings the police first.
Owen had arrived before anyone called him.
Someone from the house had summoned him.
Or he had lied.
Daniel said quietly, “Who called you that night?”
Owen looked at him.
“I told you.”
“No name.”
“That’s correct.”
“Show me the call.”
Owen didn’t move.
Daniel knew.
“You deleted it.”
“It was routed through a masked number.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Silence.
Claire stepped away from Owen.
Michael did the same.
Thomas smiled sadly.
“Rebecca figured it out.”
Daniel’s blood went cold.
“What did she figure out?”
“That Blackwood didn’t continue because Charles wanted it.”
Thomas looked at Owen.
“It continued because Samuel Hart did.”
Owen’s face hardened.
“My father died twelve years ago.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Thomas leaned forward.
“But somebody inherited his research.”
Daniel looked at Owen.
“Did you?”
Owen shook his head.
“No.”
“Did Rebecca think you did?”
“She suspected me.”
Daniel stared.
“And you investigated her death.”
“Yes.”
“You never recused yourself.”
“I wasn’t directly assigned until after the first week.”
Thomas interrupted.
“Because you requested the case.”
Owen snapped, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I saw the email.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Enough.”
He looked at Thomas.
“What did Rebecca believe Owen was doing?”
Thomas swallowed.
“She thought he was protecting someone.”
“Who?”
Thomas stared at Daniel.
“Lily.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
“She believed Lily was connected to Blackwood.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“No.”
“Daniel—”
“No.”
Thomas continued anyway.
“Rebecca found medical records from Lily’s birth.”
Daniel could barely hear him.
“What records?”
“Someone collected biological samples.”
Nora whispered, “Without permission?”
Thomas nodded.
Daniel turned toward Owen.
“You knew?”
Owen said nothing.
Daniel’s voice rose.
“Did you know?”
“Yes.”
Daniel lunged.
Michael grabbed him.
“You stay away from my daughter!”
Owen didn’t move.
“I never harmed Lily.”
“You hid this from me.”
“To protect her.”
“From who?”
Owen looked toward Thomas.
Then back at Daniel.
“From the person Rebecca was trying to expose.”
“Name.”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel laughed angrily.
“Everybody knows nothing.”
“I know one thing.”
Owen stepped closer.
“The night Rebecca died, she called me.”
Daniel stopped struggling.
“What?”
“At 10:14 p.m.”
Daniel stared.
Her accident occurred at 10:32.
“What did she say?”
Owen’s voice lowered.
“She said she finally knew who was behind everything.”
Daniel’s throat tightened.
“Who?”
“She never said the name.”
“Why?”
“The call cut out.”
Daniel wanted to scream.
Then Owen continued.
“But she said something else.”
“What?”
“She said, ‘It isn’t who Charles thinks.’”
Daniel frowned.
Owen stared directly at him.
“Then she said, ‘Daniel is protecting them without knowing it.’”
Daniel froze.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
Thomas whispered, “I do.”
Everyone turned.
Thomas looked toward Rebecca’s bedroom.
“She left something here.”
“What?”
Thomas stood.
“A photograph.”
He walked to an old bookshelf.
Pulled out a framed picture.
Behind it was a sealed envelope.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a photograph taken at Lily’s christening.
Daniel.
Rebecca.
Baby Lily.
Claire.
Michael.
Richard.
Thomas.
Owen.
Nora.
Charles.
Almost everyone involved.
Rebecca had circled one person in red ink.
Daniel stared at the circle.
His heart began pounding.
“No.”
Claire looked over his shoulder.
She gasped.
Inside the circle was not Owen.
Not Thomas.
Not Michael.
Not Richard.
May you like
It was Nora.
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