Chapter 6 - The Storage UnitWe escaped the SUV by turning into a crowded shopping center.
The police arrived minutes later.
The vehicle disappeared.
Naomi was safe.
Austin had fled before officers reached her father's house.
The police wanted us to stay somewhere secure.
But my mother insisted that the storage unit was the key.
We went there with two detectives.
The facility looked abandoned.
Inside Unit 417 were dozens of boxes.
Medical records.
Bank statements.
Hard drives.
Contracts.
Photographs.
And a notebook.
My mother recognized it immediately.
“Austin's handwriting.”
I opened it.
Names.
Dates.
Account numbers.
Payments.
Every transaction was recorded.
Then I saw something that made my blood run cold.
There was a list of people.
Each name had an amount beside it.
And beside some names was a single letter:
D.
“What's D?”
My mother looked over my shoulder.
“Dead.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“No. I don't know what it means.”
The detectives photographed every page.
Then one detective opened a locked metal box.
Inside was a folder marked:
WELLMAN — MONICA
My hands trembled.
“What is that?”
The detective opened it.
Inside were copies of my employment records.
My medical information.
My signature.
And photographs of me entering and leaving my apartment.
Someone had been monitoring me for months.
I felt sick.
“This isn't just fraud,” I whispered.
The detective nodded.
“It's surveillance.”
Then we found the real reason.
A financial report showed that my hospital network had rejected several fraudulent claims.
Those claims had cost the criminals millions.
My audits had become a problem.
I hadn't accidentally discovered Austin's crimes.
I had been getting close to them through my work without knowing it.
That's why my identity had been stolen.
That's why someone had forged my signature.
That's why Austin attacked me.
I wasn't just his sister.
I was a threat.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Everyone froze.
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
The detective drew his weapon.
“Stay behind me.”
The metal door rattled.
Then someone tried to force it open.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“I'm sorry.”
I looked at her.
“For what?”
“For everything.”
The door burst inward.
But the person standing there wasn't Austin.
It was Dr. Victor Hale.
He looked directly at me.
“You should have stopped.”
The detective ordered him to surrender.
Hale smiled.
“You think I'm afraid of prison?”
He reached into his jacket.
The detective shouted.
“Drop it!”
Hale froze.
Then slowly raised both hands.
Behind him, police officers rushed in.
He was arrested.
For the first time, I thought it was over.
But then Hale laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
The detective handcuffed him.
“Understand what?”
Hale looked at me.
“Your brother wasn't the one who started this.”
I stared at him.
“Then who did?”
Hale smiled.
“Ask your mother.”
Everyone looked at Amanda.
She closed her eyes.
May you like
And whispered:
“Your father.”
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