Chapter 6 - What Laura Finally Chose)
Laura listened to the recording twice.
After the second time, she sat on Brooke’s bed and covered her face.
No one spoke.
Brooke stood near the window.
Ethan sat beside his mother.
Finally Laura lowered her hands.
“He knows about the storage unit.”
“Yes,” Brooke said.
“I should have moved whatever was there.”
“You said you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why did Grandma hide the number?”
Laura looked toward Ethan.
“Because your grandmother didn’t trust me anymore.”
That hurt her.
Brooke could see it.
“She had reason not to.”
“I know.”
Brooke expected an argument.
None came.
Laura stood.
“We leave now.”
Brooke blinked.
“What?”
“Gary is meeting someone in Dublin. He said he’ll be gone until seven.”
“It’s five.”
“The storage facility is twenty minutes away.”
“You’re actually taking us?”
Laura grabbed her purse.
“I should have taken you two out of this house months ago.”
Brooke looked at her.
“Why didn’t you?”
Laura stopped.
“I kept thinking evidence would protect us.”
“It doesn’t stop a belt.”
Laura closed her eyes.
“No.”
Ethan looked confused.
“What belt?”
Brooke immediately regretted mentioning it.
Laura looked at Ethan.
Then Brooke.
“He hasn’t used it?”
“Not on him.”
“Brooke?”
“Not on me either.”
Laura looked relieved for one second.
Brooke added, “But he threatens.”
The relief disappeared.
They left through the garage.
Laura drove faster than usual.
Nobody talked until they reached the storage facility.
Unit 317 sat near the far end of a climate-controlled building.
Laura entered Evelyn’s access code.
The door unlocked.
Inside were six cardboard boxes.
A lamp.
An old sewing machine.
Christmas decorations.
And one green metal case.
Ethan pointed.
“That looks like what Dad brought.”
Laura approached it.
There was a combination lock.
Brooke looked at the numbers Grandma had written.
B17.
E9.
L40.
A42.
“Four digits,” Laura said.
Brooke tried 1740.
Nothing.
909.
Nothing.
Ethan said, “Grandma’s birthday?”
No.
Brooke thought.
“Three knocks.”
“Three?”
“Maybe three is part of it.”
Then she remembered Grandma’s favorite saying.
Family first. Always in order of arrival.
Brooke looked at the initials.
Laura.
Adam.
Brooke.
Ethan.
Ages.
40, 42, 17, 9.
Too many digits.
Birth months.
Laura March.
Adam?
Brooke did not know.
“Dad’s birthday?”
“October third,” Laura said.
Brooke froze.
10-03.
She entered 1003.
Click.
The case opened.
Inside were financial records.
A flash drive.
Three sealed envelopes.
And a small digital voice recorder.
Laura picked up the first envelope.
Her name.
The second said Brooke and Ethan.
The third said ADAM.
Brooke opened theirs.
Evelyn’s handwriting covered two pages.
My sweet children,
If you are reading this, I was right to be afraid.
Gary Whitlock did not simply steal from Adam’s company.
He created trusts in your names because he needed somewhere to hide the money.
When Adam was convicted, Gary gained access through forged documents that claimed he was acting on Laura’s behalf.
Laura did not know at first.
When I confronted Gary, he threatened to make sure Adam never came home.
Brooke stopped reading.
Ethan whispered, “Keep going.”
She did.
There is something else.
I found proof that another person helped him.
Someone close enough to our family that I could not risk writing the name here.
The proof is on the drive.
Do not open it in Gary’s house.
Do not trust anyone who tells you Adam acted alone.
And Brooke, if Laura freezes when you need her, remember that fear can make good people fail you.
Failure is not the same as evil.
But neither is fear an excuse forever.
Laura began crying.
Brooke looked at her.
Grandma had understood all of them.
Even after death.
“What does the recorder say?” Ethan asked.
Laura pressed play.
Evelyn’s voice filled the storage unit.
Weak.
Older.
Still unmistakably hers.
“If this recording is being heard, I probably did not live long enough to finish what I started.”
Brooke swallowed.
“I discovered that Gary’s fraud involved property transfers, forged identities and a trust account opened in Brooke’s name eight days after Adam’s arrest.”
A pause.
“I also discovered the signature authorizing that account was not Gary’s.”
Laura frowned.
Evelyn continued.
“It belonged to someone Adam trusted.”
The recording clicked.
Static.
Then Gary’s voice suddenly came from outside the unit.
“Laura?”
Everyone froze.
Brooke turned.
Gary stood at the end of the corridor.
He was not supposed to be there until seven.
It was 5:41.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
“How did you find us?” Laura whispered.
Gary raised his phone.
“Your car.”
Brooke understood.
Tracking application.
Gary walked closer.
“Give me the case.”
“No,” Laura said.
“Laura.”
“No.”
Gary stopped.
Something changed in him.
“Get the kids in the car.”
“We’re leaving.”
“You’re not taking that.”
Laura clutched the case.
Gary looked at Brooke.
“You’ve done enough damage.”
Brooke stepped in front of Ethan.
“Stay away.”
Gary smiled.
“You always have to make yourself important.”
“And you always need children to be scared of you.”
His smile vanished.
Laura took Ethan’s hand.
“Run.”
They did.
Brooke shoved the storage cart into Gary’s path.
He stumbled.
Laura reached the car.
Ethan climbed into the back.
Brooke followed.
Gary struck the window with his palm.
Laura locked the doors.
He shouted something Brooke could not hear.
Laura reversed hard.
They reached the street.
Gary ran toward his own vehicle.
“He’s following us,” Ethan said.
Laura called Adam.
Brooke looked toward her.
“You have his number?”
Laura did not answer.
She put the call on speaker.
Adam answered immediately.
“Laura?”
“He found us.”
“Where?”
“Westerville Road.”
“Are the kids with you?”
“Yes.”
“Go to the police station.”
Laura looked in the mirror.
Gary’s SUV pulled onto the road behind them.
“He’s following.”
“Do not go home.”
Brooke interrupted.
“Dad?”
Silence.
Then Adam said, “Brooke?”
“He found the storage unit.”
“Did you get the green case?”
“Yes.”
Adam exhaled.
“Then Gary knows it’s over.”
Laura whispered, “Not yet.”
“What does that mean?” Brooke asked.
Neither answered.
Adam spoke quickly.
“Laura, take Cleveland Avenue south. There’s a state patrol post.”
Gary’s SUV accelerated.
Ethan twisted around.
“He’s getting closer.”
Brooke grabbed his shoulder.
“Don’t look.”
Laura turned.
Traffic boxed them in.
Gary came alongside.
His passenger window lowered.
“Pull over!” he shouted.
Laura kept driving.
Gary swerved toward them.
Ethan screamed.
Laura hit the brakes.
Gary overshot.
A truck behind them blasted its horn.
Laura turned hard into a shopping center.
Gary reversed illegally across traffic.
Brooke grabbed the green case.
“Mom, he’s going to catch us.”
Laura looked at her daughter.
Then at Ethan.
Something settled in her face.
Not fear.
Decision.
She grabbed the phone.
“Adam.”
“I’m here.”
“I’m done waiting.”
“Laura.”
“Tomorrow. The kitchen.”
Adam went quiet.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Brooke looked between the phone and her mother.
“What happens tomorrow?”
Laura drove toward the police post.
Adam answered first.
“Tomorrow we make Gary believe he still has control.”
Brooke stared.
“And then?”
May you like
Laura looked in the rearview mirror at Gary’s approaching vehicle.
“We take it away.”
