Chapter 8
“Amy’s things.”
Amy frowned.
“What?”
“Dad hid the evidence somewhere Teresa would never willingly look.”
Understanding crossed her face.
“My office.”
Teresa hated Amy’s office.
She called it a waste of space.
She complained constantly that a mother didn’t need a private room.
And four years earlier, Dad had personally helped Amy install new shelves there.
I remembered him insisting on doing the work himself.
At the time, I thought he was being kind.
Now I knew better.
Detective Harris met us at the house.
Officers had already searched the room.
Nothing obvious.
Amy walked toward the built-in bookshelf.
“Thomas installed this.”
Harris examined it.
“Anything unusual?”
Amy touched the third shelf.
“He kept complaining that this side wasn’t level.”
I crouched.
One screw was different.
Newer.
I removed it.
The wooden panel shifted.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside sat a sealed plastic package.
Amy covered her mouth.
Harris put on gloves.
He pulled out documents.
Bank records.
Photographs.
Copies of Teresa’s messages with Marcus.
A flash drive.
And a handwritten letter.
To Ryan.
Harris photographed everything before allowing me to read it.
Son,
If you are reading this, I failed to solve this before my time ran out.
I stopped.
My eyes burned.
Amy stood beside me.
I continued.
Your mother has lied to you for years. I protected you from the truth because I believed protecting a child meant hiding ugly things.
I was wrong.
Secrets become weapons when cruel people control them.
I thought about my own secret about the house.
Dad had made the same mistake.
The letter continued.
Teresa and Marcus had an affair while we were married. Daniel is their son. Teresa gave him away because Marcus refused responsibility and because she feared losing you, me, and the life she had.
Years later, Marcus returned.
He threatened to expose everything.
Teresa began paying him.
When the money was not enough, they started taking mine.
Amy whispered, “Oh my God.”
I kept reading.
When I confronted them, Teresa threatened to claim I was mentally incompetent. She has already contacted Dr. Cross.
My hands shook.
Then came the sentence I had feared.
If I die suddenly, investigate my medication.
Harris immediately took the letter.
“This changes everything.”
“What’s on the flash drive?” I asked.
“Forensics will check.”
I looked at the last page.
There was one paragraph left.
Ryan, Amy is stronger than you realize. Do not make her prove it by forcing her to survive your mother alone.
I stopped reading.
Amy started crying.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She shook her head.
“Finish it.”
I read the final lines.
Protect your wife.
Protect your children.
And when the truth comes, choose the family you are building, not the fear you inherited.
Dad.
I couldn’t speak.
Amy wrapped her arms around me.
For several minutes, the investigation disappeared.
The house disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
Then Harris’s phone rang.
His face changed.
“What?”
He listened.
“When?”
He ended the call.
“Teresa’s gone.”
I stared at him.
“What do you mean gone?”
“She was supposed to appear for questioning thirty minutes ago.”
“Maybe she refused.”
“Her car was found abandoned.”
“Where?”
“Near the interstate.”
Amy gripped my arm.
“And Marcus?”
“Also missing.”
My stomach dropped.
Then my phone rang.
Teresa.
Harris motioned for everyone to stay quiet.
I answered on speaker.
“Mom?”
She was crying.
“Ryan, help me.”
I said nothing.
“Marcus has lost his mind.”
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Then call police.”
“I can’t!”
“Why?”
“Because he has everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“He knows what happened to your father.”
My heart hammered.
“So do the police.”
“No.”
Her breathing became ragged.
“They don’t know all of it.”
I glanced at Harris.
“What don’t they know?”
Teresa whispered.
“I was there when he died.”
Amy covered her mouth.
Then a man’s voice appeared in the background.
“Hang up.”
Teresa screamed.
The call ended.
Harris immediately started tracing it.
Seconds later, my phone received a location pin.
Followed by a message from Teresa.
May you like
Please.
He’s going to kill me too.
