Chapter 5
Evelyn ran upstairs.
Wren was sitting on the bed exactly where Evelyn had left her.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Evelyn knelt.
“Sweetheart, did Daddy ever give you a key?”
Wren frowned.
“A key?”
“Think carefully.”
Helen and Caleb appeared in the doorway.
Wren looked at them.
Then she climbed from the bed and walked toward her toy chest.
She pulled out an old stuffed rabbit.
Nathan had bought it for her when she was four.
“Daddy said Mr. Rabbit had a secret.”
Evelyn’s heart pounded.
Wren opened a tiny zipper in the rabbit’s back.
Inside was a brass key.
Helen began crying again.
“He trusted her.”
“No,” Evelyn said softly. “He trusted us to protect her.”
Caleb examined the key.
“This is it.”
Evelyn immediately shook her head.
“We give it to police.”
“We can.”
Caleb looked uneasy.
“But the moment Mercer realizes they have the real key, everything inside that unit becomes evidence in a public case.”
“So?”
“So some of Nathan’s records could put people in danger.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“No more secrets, Caleb.”
He exhaled.
“The files include names of employees who helped Nathan gather evidence. People with families.”
“We still go to police.”
This time Caleb nodded.
They drove to the station.
Detective Laura Grant listened carefully.
She photographed the key but asked Wren to keep the stuffed rabbit with her.
Then she arranged officers for the storage facility.
Evelyn, Helen, and Caleb were asked to stay behind.
Evelyn refused.
“That unit belonged to my husband.”
Grant finally allowed Evelyn to come.
The storage facility stood outside town behind a row of warehouses.
Unit 214.
Grant inserted the key.
The lock opened.
Inside were boxes.
A desk.
Two old laptops.
And a large metal cabinet.
Nathan’s handwriting appeared on labels everywhere.
BANK RECORDS.
CONTRACTS.
MERCER.
COLE.
Caleb stopped beside one box.
“He saved everything.”
Grant opened the cabinet.
Inside were stacks of files.
Then Evelyn noticed a small digital recorder.
Her name was written across it.
EVELYN.
Her chest tightened.
Grant placed it in an evidence bag.
“You’ll get access after we process it.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s voice cracked.
“Please.”
Grant studied her.
Then she put on gloves and connected headphones.
After confirming the file could be safely played, she set the recorder on the desk.
Nathan’s voice filled the unit.
Evelyn stopped breathing.
“If Evelyn is hearing this, I failed.”
She covered her mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
Helen began crying.
Nathan continued.
“Cole is involved. James Mercer is involved. But neither of them is the reason I kept quiet.”
Evelyn looked at Caleb.
He seemed confused.
“The person I fear most is someone Evelyn loves.”
Helen slowly raised her head.
Nathan’s voice became weaker.
“I kept hoping I was wrong.”
A long pause.
Then—
“If anything happens to me, don’t trust—”
The recording stopped.
Evelyn stared at the device.
“No.”
Grant checked it.
“The file is damaged.”
“Can you recover it?”
“We’ll try.”
Suddenly, Caleb shouted from the back of the unit.
“Detective!”
Everyone turned.
He had opened another box.
Inside were photographs.
Dozens.
Evelyn.
Wren.
Nathan.
Helen.
Someone had been watching all of them for years.
Grant picked up one picture.
It showed Helen entering a bank.
Another showed Nathan meeting Caleb.
Then Evelyn found one that made her blood turn cold.
It showed Wren sleeping in her bedroom.
Taken from inside the house.
On the back was a date.
Four days before Nathan died.
Evelyn nearly dropped it.
“Someone was inside my home.”
Grant’s face became serious.
Then Helen whispered, “Evelyn.”
She was holding another photograph.
Evelyn took it.
Nathan stood beside Mercer.
Cole stood behind them.
And between them was a woman.
Evelyn knew her immediately.
May you like
Her own sister.
Marissa.
