Chapter 6 - The Friend Who Knew Everything
His name was Ryan Brooks.
Daniel had known him for twenty years.
They had gone to college together.
Built businesses together.
Vacationed together.
Ryan had been the best man at Daniel's wedding.
He had held Lily the day she was born.
Now his face was in evidence photographs beside Marcus.
Daniel refused to believe it.
“That's impossible.”
Detective Miller didn't argue.
“We found financial transfers between Ryan and Marcus.”
Daniel stared.
“How much?”
“Over two million dollars.”
Ryan was arrested the next morning.
During interrogation, he confessed.
But his confession wasn't what Daniel expected.
“I didn't know about Lily.”
Daniel stared through the glass.
“Then what did you know?”
Ryan lowered his head.
“I knew your uncle was stealing money.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“He threatened my family.”
“So you helped him?”
“I thought I could control it.”
“You never controlled anything.”
Ryan looked broken.
“I know.”
Then he revealed something worse.
Marcus hadn't planned to kidnap Lily.
He had planned to kill Daniel.
The night Vanessa was arrested was supposed to be the night Daniel died.
The assault on Lily had been an accident.
Marcus had entered the house to retrieve the evidence.
Lily had seen him.
Vanessa had fought back.
The plan collapsed.
Ryan's voice shook.
“He was going to poison you.”
Daniel remembered the glass of water he had left on his desk that evening.
His stomach turned.
“Did he poison it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Vanessa stopped him.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
His wife had saved him again.
But there was still another secret.
Ryan handed investigators a photograph.
It showed Vanessa standing outside a hospital.
Beside her was an elderly woman.
Daniel recognized her.
His mother.
But his mother had died when he was fifteen.
Daniel stared.
“What is this?”
Ryan whispered:
“Your mother isn't dead.”
Daniel couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“She was placed in witness protection.”
“Why?”
“Because she testified against your uncle.”
Daniel's world collapsed.
His mother was alive.
All these years.
He had mourned her.
Visited her grave.
Talked to her photograph.
And she had been alive.
Vanessa had known.
Daniel turned toward her.
“You knew?”
She nodded through tears.
“She made me promise not to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus was still looking for her.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“You let me believe my mother was dead.”
“I was protecting you.”
He turned away.
For the first time, he wasn't sure whether protection and deception were becoming the same thing.
But then Vanessa whispered:
“She wanted to come home.”
Daniel froze.
“Where is she?”
Vanessa gave him an address.
Three hours later, Daniel stood outside a small house in Vermont.
He knocked.
The door opened.
An older woman stood there.
Gray hair.
Trembling hands.
She looked at him.
“Daniel?”
He couldn't speak.
She whispered:
May you like
“My baby.”
Daniel collapsed into her arms.
