Chapter 4 - THE TRUTH ON THE SCREEN
Michael returned six minutes later.
The men were gone.
But one thing remained.
A black folder.
He handed it to Evelyn.
"Victor wants us to find this."
Evelyn opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Bank records.
Police reports.
City contracts.
And one video drive.
"What is this?"
"The reason they killed everyone who got close."
They returned to Michael's safe apartment.
Daniel sat at the table.
Evelyn inserted the drive into an old laptop.
The video began.
The image was grainy.
A warehouse.
A man standing beneath a single light.
Victor Crane.
He was younger.
Thirty years younger.
Beside him stood Thomas Reed.
And in the corner was a frightened eight-year-old Daniel.
Evelyn's breath caught.
The video continued.
Victor spoke.
"The boy saw everything."
Thomas answered.
"He won't remember."
Victor shook his head.
"Memory isn't the problem."
"What is?"
"The judge."
Evelyn froze.
The recording continued.
Victor looked directly at the camera.
"Evelyn Whitmore will investigate."
Thomas asked,
"Then what?"
Victor smiled.
"We give her someone else to blame."
The screen went black.
Daniel stared at Evelyn.
"They used me."
"Yes."
"And your husband?"
Michael answered.
"They framed me."
Evelyn turned.
"Why?"
"Because I refused to cooperate."
"They made you disappear."
"They made everyone believe I was dead."
Daniel stood.
"Then who was in the car?"
Michael looked at him.
"What?"
"The night you disappeared."
Michael's face went pale.
Daniel continued.
"I remember another man."
"What man?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Gray hair."
Evelyn looked at Michael.
Michael whispered,
"Victor's father."
Daniel suddenly opened his eyes.
"Wait."
"What?"
"He said something."
"What did he say?"
Daniel's voice shook.
"He said, 'Your father will take care of you.'"
Thomas had lied.
He hadn't been trying to save Daniel.
He had been involved.
Evelyn's phone rang.
Thomas.
She answered.
"Where are you?"
No response.
Then Thomas whispered,
"I made a mistake."
"What happened?"
"They found me."
"Who?"
"Victor."
A crash sounded.
Thomas gasped.
Then the line went dead.
Evelyn stood.
"We have to go."
Michael stopped her.
"To where?"
"Thomas."
"No."
"He's Daniel's father."
"He's also the man who helped Victor."
Daniel looked between them.
"I want to see him."
They found Thomas at an abandoned courthouse.
He was injured.
Bleeding.
But alive.
He looked at Daniel.
"My son."
Daniel stood several feet away.
"You lied to me."
Thomas began crying.
"I was afraid."
"You let me believe my father abandoned me."
"I thought it was the only way to keep you alive."
Daniel's voice hardened.
"You don't get to call that love."
Thomas lowered his head.
"I know."
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Where is Victor?"
Thomas looked at her.
"Tomorrow night."
"Where?"
"The mayoral gala."
Evelyn understood.
Victor was about to become mayor.
Thousands of people would be there.
Politicians.
Business leaders.
Journalists.
Police.
And Victor planned to destroy the last evidence.
Thomas reached into his coat.
He handed Evelyn a small memory card.
"This contains everything."
Evelyn looked at it.
"Why give it to me?"
"Because I can't undo what I did."
Thomas looked at Daniel.
"But maybe he can still have a life."
Suddenly, headlights appeared outside.
Michael moved toward the window.
"Someone's here."
The building doors burst open.
Men rushed inside.
Evelyn grabbed Daniel.
Michael fired toward the ceiling.
"Back door!"
They ran.
Thomas stayed behind.
Daniel stopped.
"Come with us!"
Thomas shook his head.
"They'll follow."
"Then run!"
Thomas smiled sadly.
"For twenty-three years, I ran."
He looked at his son.
"Tonight, I stay."
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
"Don't."
Thomas stepped forward.
He hugged his son.
For the first time in twenty-three years.
Then he whispered,
"I'm sorry."
The gunfire began.
Michael pulled Daniel away.
Evelyn ran behind them.
They escaped through the back door.
Thomas remained inside.
When the police arrived minutes later, they found him alive.
And they found something else.
A confession.
Recorded before they entered.
Thomas had finally told the truth.
Every name.
Every payment.
Every order.
Every crime.
And at the end, he said one sentence.
May you like
"Daniel Reed was never the criminal."
"He was the witness."
