Chapter 3 - Daniel's Second Life
Emily found the key's purpose that afternoon.
She had picked Noah up from school early.
She waited until he was asleep.
Then she returned to the black envelope.
There was another piece of paper hidden inside.
This time, Daniel's handwriting filled the page.
Emily,
If you are reading this, then Dad has finally shown you who he really is.
Do not trust anyone who tells you I failed.
I did not fail.
I disappeared on purpose.
Emily stopped reading.
Her breath caught.
She read the sentence again.
I disappeared on purpose.
Daniel had died.
She had attended the funeral.
She had watched the casket lowered.
She had spent eleven months trying to explain to Noah why Daddy was never coming home.
How could Daniel have disappeared?
The next paragraph answered nothing.
There are things I could not tell you while I was alive.
Things that would have put you and Noah in danger.
If something happens to me, find the building on Willow Street.
Use the key.
Do not bring your father.
Emily grabbed her coat.
Willow Street was forty minutes away.
She left Noah with her trusted neighbor.
Then she drove.
The building was old.
Almost abandoned.
A faded sign above the entrance read HAWTHORNE STORAGE.
Emily inserted the key into a side door.
It opened.
Inside was a narrow hallway.
At the end was a metal door.
The key fit that too.
Emily entered.
The room was filled with boxes.
Documents.
Hard drives.
Photographs.
Bank statements.
Legal files.
And one enormous whiteboard.
Names were connected by lines.
Companies.
Accounts.
Transactions.
At the center was Richard Coleman.
Emily stared.
Her father was connected to dozens of businesses.
Some she recognized.
Others she did not.
Then she saw Daniel's name.
A thick red line connected him to Richard.
Another line connected both men to Marcus Hale.
Emily moved closer.
There was a date written beside Daniel's name.
November 14.
The day before Daniel's supposed death.
Emily's hands went cold.
A sound came from behind her.
She spun around.
Nothing.
Then her phone rang.
Richard.
She answered.
“Where are you?”
Emily said nothing.
Richard's voice became sharper.
“Emily, tell me where you are.”
“How did you know I was gone?”
Silence.
“You are tracking me?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know?”
Richard exhaled.
“You need to leave that building.”
Emily looked at the whiteboard.
“You knew about it.”
“Emily…”
“You knew.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Richard hesitated.
“From the truth.”
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
“Then tell me.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel is not the man you think he was.”
Emily stared at the room.
“What does that mean?”
Richard's voice dropped.
“It means the man you buried may not be dead.”
The call ended.
Emily stood motionless.
May you like
Then she heard footsteps outside the door.
Someone was coming.
