Chapter 14 - The Call
Nobody told Dad to answer.
He did anyway.
“Hello?”
A man's voice came through the speaker.
Calm.
Old.
Familiar to Thomas.
“Daniel.”
Thomas stepped closer.
“Samuel.”
The voice laughed softly.
“Thomas.”
“You should be dead.”
“So should you.”
Thomas's face hardened.
“What do you want?”
“Your granddaughter.”
Dad immediately stepped forward.
“No.”
Samuel laughed.
“Still pretending to be a father?”
Dad's face tightened.
“Leave her alone.”
“You already handed her to me.”
Dad froze.
“What?”
Samuel continued.
“You brought Rachel to the hospital twelve years ago.”
Rachel looked at Dad.
“You did?”
Dad nodded slowly.
“I thought I was helping.”
Samuel's voice continued.
“You made the choice.”
Thomas grabbed the phone.
“You threatened him.”
“I gave him a choice.”
“What choice?”
“His daughter or Rachel.”
The room became silent.
Dad whispered,
“I chose both.”
Samuel laughed.
“And lost both.”
Rachel looked at me.
Tears filled her eyes.
I realized my father had spent twelve years carrying the consequences of one night.
Then Samuel said something that changed everything.
“Thomas, ask your granddaughter what she remembers about the night Rachel disappeared.”
Thomas looked at me.
I closed my eyes.
Fragments returned.
A hallway.
A red door.
My mother crying.
Someone holding my hand.
A man's voice saying,
“Don't tell your grandfather.”
I opened my eyes.
“I remember.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“What?”
“A red door.”
Thomas looked at her.
Rachel went pale.
“You remember the room.”
“What room?”
“The records room.”
I shook my head.
“I was six.”
“You were there.”
Dad stared.
“No.”
Rachel looked at him.
“You brought her there.”
“I didn't know.”
“You knew enough.”
I looked at my father.
“What did I see?”
He whispered,
“You saw me give Samuel the file.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“What file?”
Dad looked at him.
“The original investigation.”
Rachel whispered,
“And now she can identify where it was hidden.”
I didn't understand.
Then I remembered.
A metal cabinet.
A red door.
A number.
17.
I whispered,
“Room 17.”
Thomas looked at Rachel.
She nodded.
“That's where the truth is.”
Michael suddenly stepped away from the window.
“Then we need to get there first.”
Thomas frowned.
“Why?”
Michael looked at us.
“Because Samuel already knows you're going.”
Outside, headlights appeared.
Several cars.
May you like
Rachel grabbed my hand.
“Run.”
