CHAPTER 4 — THE NIGHT ANNA DISAPPEARED
Arthur collapsed into the chair.
Daniel didn't move.
Neither did Evelyn.
The only sound in the room was the quiet crying of Daniel's daughter.
She had buried her face against his chest.
“Daddy…”
Daniel wrapped both arms around her.
“I'm here.”
“Don't let Grandpa take me.”
Daniel's eyes snapped toward Arthur.
“What did you do to her?”
Arthur looked up.
His face was gray.
“I never touched her.”
“But she thinks you did.”
“Because she was told to fear me.”
“By whom?”
Arthur said nothing.
Daniel turned toward Evelyn.
“Mom.”
She was crying now.
Not the controlled tears of a woman trying to manipulate sympathy.
These were the tears of someone who had finally run out of lies.
“Did you tell her to fear Grandpa?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She whispered,
“Anna.”
Daniel stared at her.
“That makes no sense.”
“She told the child.”
“Why?”
“Because she wanted you to investigate.”
Daniel's daughter lifted her head.
“Anna said Grandpa was bad.”
Arthur looked at the little girl.
“I never hurt your father.”
Daniel's voice hardened.
“Then prove it.”
Arthur looked at him.
“What?”
“You said Anna was a witness.”
“Yes.”
“You said she knew what happened.”
“Yes.”
“Then where is she?”
Arthur's face collapsed.
“She disappeared.”
Daniel froze.
“When?”
“Twenty-three years ago.”
“That doesn't answer me.”
Arthur looked toward the upstairs bedroom.
“She disappeared three days after your father's death.”
Daniel's stomach turned.
“The same three days you said my wife survived after her accident.”
Arthur nodded.
“Your wife found Anna.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
“What?”
“Your wife discovered the truth.”
He remembered the box.
The handwritten notes.
DO NOT TRUST MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.
His wife's final warning suddenly made sense.
Daniel ran upstairs.
Arthur called after him.
“Daniel!”
He ignored him.
He entered the bedroom.
The cardboard box remained on the bed.
He grabbed the papers.
There were photographs.
Receipts.
Old newspaper clippings.
Medical records.
A faded police report.
And one photograph that made his blood run cold.
A young Anna stood beside his father.
Behind them was the Carter mansion.
On the back was a date.
October 14, 2003.
Daniel stared.
He remembered that date.
He had been seven.
His father had died that night.
He had been told his father collapsed after dinner.
But the photograph showed something else.
A small dark stain on his father's shirt.
Blood.
Daniel turned the photograph over.
His wife's handwriting covered the back.
Anna took this picture minutes before he died.
Daniel's hands began shaking.
Another note was underneath.
She was there. She saw everything.
He kept reading.
Arthur lied.
Daniel stopped.
Arthur.
The man who had just told him he hadn't killed his son.
Daniel grabbed another page.
But Arthur wasn't the only one who lied.
His eyes moved downward.
Evelyn lied too.
He stopped.
Then came the final sentence.
And neither of them knows that I found the original evidence.
Daniel looked around the room.
“Where?”
He searched the box.
Nothing.
He pulled out the hospital bracelet.
The one from his wife's accident.
He turned it over.
Something was written on the inside.
A number.
314.
Daniel frowned.
Room 314.
Hospital room?
Storage locker?
Safe deposit box?
He searched the papers.
Nothing.
Then he noticed something else.
A receipt.
From a self-storage facility.
The date was six days before his wife's death.
The unit number was 314.
Daniel stared at it.
His wife had rented a storage unit shortly before she died.
Why?
And what had she hidden there?
He grabbed his phone.
Still no signal.
He ran downstairs.
“Where is my car?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“What?”
“My keys.”
“You're not going anywhere.”
Daniel stopped.
“Excuse me?”
Evelyn stepped closer.
“It's late.”
“I don't care.”
“You don't know what you're doing.”
“I know exactly what I'm doing.”
“You're angry.”
“Yes.”
“You're not thinking clearly.”
Daniel stared at her.
“My wife rented a storage unit six days before she died.”
Evelyn's expression changed.
Just slightly.
But Daniel saw it.
“You know about it.”
“No.”
“You recognized the number.”
“I didn't.”
“Three-one-four.”
Her face went pale.
Arthur stood slowly.
“Daniel.”
“Do you know what's in Unit 314?”
Arthur didn't answer.
Daniel looked between them.
“Of course you do.”
Evelyn whispered,
“You need to stop.”
“Why?”
“Because if you open that unit, you will destroy the only thing keeping this family together.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“This family is already destroyed.”
He turned toward the door.
Arthur stepped in front of him.
“You cannot go there alone.”
“Move.”
“I mean it.”
“Move.”
Arthur grabbed his shoulder.
Daniel shoved him away.
The old man stumbled.
His daughter screamed.
“Daddy!”
Daniel immediately turned toward her.
She was pointing at Arthur.
“Grandpa has blood on his hand.”
Everyone looked.
Arthur's right hand was trembling.
There was a tiny red smear across his palm.
Daniel stared.
“Where did that come from?”
Arthur looked down.
His face went blank.
“I don't know.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Where did you get that?”
Arthur suddenly looked toward the pantry.
Daniel followed his eyes.
The pantry door was open again.
A trail of tiny red drops led from the pantry across the floor.
Daniel's daughter whispered,
“Anna is hurt.”
Daniel felt his blood run cold.
“Anna?”
“She said she fell.”
“Where?”
The girl pointed inside.
Daniel approached the pantry.
Arthur shouted,
“Don't!”
Daniel ignored him.
He opened the door wider.
The smell hit him first.
Old wood.
Dust.
And something metallic.
Blood.
There was a small smear on the floor.
Daniel crouched.
Beside it lay a child's hair clip.
Pink.
He recognized it.
His daughter wore the same kind.
But this one was old.
Very old.
Daniel picked it up.
On the back was engraved:
A.C.
Anna Carter.
He stood slowly.
“She's been here.”
Arthur whispered,
“Yes.”
Daniel turned.
“You kept her here?”
“No.”
“Then why is her hair clip inside?”
Arthur looked broken.
“Because this was where she hid.”
“From whom?”
Arthur looked toward Evelyn.
Daniel followed his gaze.
His mother backed away.
“No.”
“You were chasing her?”
“No.”
“You locked her in here?”
“I didn't.”
“Then what happened?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I was trying to protect her.”
Daniel stared.
“You just said that about my daughter.”
“I know.”
“You use the same excuse for everything.”
Her voice broke.
“Because it's true.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Then tell me the truth.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Anna wasn't supposed to be here that night.”
“What night?”
“The night your father died.”
Daniel waited.
“She followed him.”
“Why?”
“Because she heard them arguing.”
“Who?”
“Your father and Arthur.”
Daniel looked at his grandfather.
“What were they arguing about?”
Arthur whispered,
“Money.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Arthur looked at her.
She continued.
“Not money.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Then what?”
Evelyn looked at her son.
“Your father had discovered that Anna wasn't actually Arthur's granddaughter.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Arthur's face went white.
Evelyn continued.
“Anna was Rebecca's daughter.”
Daniel frowned.
“Rebecca was Dad's first wife.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“She wasn't Arthur's biological granddaughter.”
Daniel stared.
“Who was her father?”
Evelyn didn't answer.
Arthur did.
“I was.”
Daniel stared at him.
“What?”
Arthur looked at his grandson.
“Anna was my daughter.”
The room went silent.
Daniel felt dizzy.
“You're saying Anna was your daughter?”
“Yes.”
“But Rebecca was Dad's wife.”
Arthur nodded.
“And you had an affair with her.”
Arthur lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“You knew Dad's father—”
He stopped.
The realization hit him.
“Wait.”
He looked at Arthur.
“You're saying Anna was your daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Then she's not my sister.”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel's heart pounded.
“Then what was she to me?”
Arthur's eyes filled with tears.
“She was your half-sister.”
Daniel stared.
“Because you are also my grandfather's son.”
Arthur nodded.
“And Anna was his daughter.”
Daniel's mind raced.
The family tree was collapsing.
His father had believed Anna was his daughter.
Arthur had secretly been her biological father.
Rebecca had been involved.
Evelyn knew.
And somehow, all of it connected to his father's death.
Daniel whispered,
“Why did Dad want to expose you?”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“Because he discovered the affair.”
“And?”
“He threatened to tell Rebecca.”
Daniel stared.
“Dad was going to destroy you.”
“Yes.”
“So you killed him.”
Arthur shook his head.
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
Arthur looked toward Evelyn.
Again.
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“Mom.”
She began sobbing.
“No.”
“Tell me.”
“I didn't mean for him to die.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What did you do?”
“I went into his study.”
“When?”
“That night.”
“Why?”
“To get the documents.”
“What documents?”
“The ones proving Anna was Arthur's daughter.”
Daniel froze.
Evelyn continued.
“Your father had found the DNA records.”
“And you wanted them destroyed.”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
Evelyn's voice trembled.
“Your father caught me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he would tell you everything.”
Daniel's breathing became shallow.
“And then?”
“I left.”
“You left him alive?”
“Yes.”
“Who came after you?”
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
“I don't know.”
Daniel turned toward his grandfather.
Arthur's face was wet with tears.
“I went to the study.”
Daniel stared.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Arthur whispered,
“Your father was already on the floor.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Did you help him?”
Arthur shook his head.
“Why?”
“Because…”
He stopped.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Because what?”
Arthur whispered,
“He looked at me and said one word.”
“What word?”
“Anna.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why?”
“Because she was hiding in the house.”
Daniel's daughter suddenly spoke.
“She was in the pantry.”
Everyone turned.
The girl pointed at the floor.
“She heard everything.”
Arthur's face went white.
Daniel looked at him.
“Anna witnessed the murder.”
Arthur nodded.
“Yes.”
“And then she disappeared.”
“Yes.”
“Who took her?”
Arthur couldn't answer.
Evelyn suddenly whispered,
“Your father.”
Daniel froze.
“My father was dying.”
“He wasn't.”
“What?”
“He got up.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“He carried Anna out of the house.”
Daniel stared.
“Then where did he go?”
“Outside.”
“And?”
“He put her in a car.”
“Whose car?”
Evelyn's lips trembled.
“Rebecca's.”
Daniel felt a chill.
“Then why did Anna disappear?”
Evelyn looked toward Arthur.
“Because Arthur followed them.”
Daniel turned.
“Did you?”
Arthur's face was broken.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To stop Rebecca from taking Anna.”
“Why?”
Arthur whispered,
“Because Anna knew the truth.”
Daniel stared.
“And what happened?”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“I never found them.”
A long silence followed.
Then Daniel's daughter whispered,
“Yes, you did.”
Arthur looked at her.
The little girl pointed toward the staircase.
“Anna told me.”
Daniel crouched beside his daughter.
“What did she tell you?”
The girl looked frightened.
“She said Grandpa found her.”
Daniel looked at Arthur.
His grandfather's face had turned completely white.
“And then?”
“She said…”
The child swallowed.
“…Grandpa didn't kill her.”
Arthur exhaled.
Relief flashed across his face.
But it vanished when she continued.
“He gave her to someone.”
Daniel froze.
“To whom?”
His daughter pointed toward Evelyn.
“Grandma.”
Evelyn collapsed into the chair.
Daniel stared at his mother.
“You took Anna.”
Evelyn covered her face.
“I was trying to save her.”
Daniel's voice became cold.
“Where is she?”
Evelyn didn't answer.
“Where is Anna?”
Still nothing.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Mom.”
She finally looked up.
Her eyes were filled with terror.
“She never left this family.”
Daniel's heart stopped.
“What?”
Evelyn whispered,
“She grew up.”
“Where?”
Evelyn looked toward the front door.
Then she said:
“Closer to you than you think.”
At that exact moment, someone knocked.
Three times.
Daniel turned.
The front door slowly opened.
A woman stood outside.
Mid-thirties.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
A scar ran from her left temple to her jaw.
She looked directly at Daniel.
Then at his daughter.
And finally at Evelyn.
“Hello, Mother.”
Evelyn stopped breathing.
Daniel couldn't move.
The woman stepped inside.
“I think it's time you told him everything.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Who are you?”
The woman looked at him.
Her eyes were strangely familiar.
Then she smiled sadly.
“My name is Anna Carter.”
And behind her, standing in the darkness outside the house—
was Rebecca.
Holding an old photograph of Daniel's father.
The same photograph Daniel had just found upstairs.
Only now he noticed something he had missed.
In the corner of the photograph stood another person.
A man.
Watching the children.
His face had been scratched out.
May you like
And written beneath him, in his wife's handwriting, were four words:
HE IS STILL ALIVE.
