Chapter 4 - THE MAN IN THE SILVER EMBLEM
I spent the next morning pretending nothing had changed.
That was the hardest part.
Abigail made breakfast.
She asked whether I had slept well.
She kissed my cheek.
She spoke about Mom as if she were discussing a difficult patient.
“She needs structure,” Abigail said.
I looked at her.
“Of course.”
She smiled.
“Dr. Pierce thinks she may need medication.”
“Does he?”
“Yes.”
I didn't ask what medication.
I already knew.
Something designed to make Mom confused.
Something that would make her testimony easier to dismiss.
At noon, I left the house.
I drove to the headquarters of the security company owned by Daniel Voss.
The building was small.
Too small for a company connected to millions of dollars.
I entered through the front office.
A receptionist looked up.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Daniel Voss.”
“He's not here.”
“Where is he?”
She hesitated.
I placed a photograph on the desk.
It showed the man from my security footage.
“Do you recognize him?”
Her face changed.
That was enough.
I took the photograph back.
“Thank you.”
Before I could leave, a man appeared at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Silver emblem on his jacket.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither of us spoke.
Then he turned and disappeared through a side door.
I followed.
The door opened into an alley.
He was gone.
But something had been left behind.
A small black envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
My father.
Standing beside Daniel Voss.
The photograph had been taken twenty years earlier.
On the back, someone had written:
YOUR FATHER KNEW THE TRUTH.
I returned home.
Mom was sitting in the living room.
Abigail was beside her.
“What happened?” Abigail asked.
“Nothing.”
She studied my face.
“You look upset.”
“I found an old photograph.”
“Of whom?”
“My father.”
Her eyes flickered.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
That night, I asked Mom about Daniel Voss.
She went completely still.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Who is he?”
Mom looked toward the hallway.
“Not here.”
We waited until Abigail went upstairs.
Then Mom whispered:
“Daniel worked with your father.”
“How?”
“Your father discovered that Daniel was stealing money from clients.”
“What happened?”
“He confronted him.”
“And?”
“Daniel threatened him.”
I stared at her.
“Did Dad tell the police?”
“He was going to.”
“But he died first.”
Mom nodded.
I felt cold.
“Was his death an accident?”
Mom looked down.
“I don't know.”
“You said Daniel asked about the second account.”
“Yes.”
“Why would he know about it?”
“Because your father created it to hide evidence.”
I stared at her.
“What kind of evidence?”
Mom lowered her voice.
“Your father was investigating a network of financial fraud.”
“Who was involved?”
“Daniel.”
She paused.
“And someone else.”
“Who?”
Mom looked directly at me.
“Your wife's father.”
I couldn't speak.
Abigail's father had died before I met her.
I had heard stories about him.
A successful businessman.
A respected investor.
A man who had supposedly lost everything during a financial crisis.
But if he had been involved with my father…
Then Abigail may have known more than she had ever told me.
I went upstairs.
Abigail was asleep.
At least, she appeared to be.
I checked her laptop.
It was locked.
I didn't need to break into it.
The cloud notifications were enough.
An email had arrived from Daniel Voss.
The subject line read:
THE SOLDIER KNOWS TOO MUCH.
I stared at the screen.
Then another email appeared.
From Abigail.
Then we move faster.
I took photographs of both messages.
Before I could leave, Abigail spoke behind me.
“What are you doing?”
I turned.
She was standing in the doorway.
Barefoot.
Watching me.
I smiled.
“Looking for my old deployment photos.”
Her eyes moved to the laptop.
Then back to me.
“You could have asked.”
“I didn't want to wake you.”
She smiled.
“Of course.”
We stood in silence.
Then she walked toward me.
“Samuel?”
“Yes?”
“Do you trust me?”
I looked into her eyes.
“Completely.”
She smiled.
But this time, I saw something behind it.
Fear.
The next morning, I woke to find Mom gone.
Her room was empty.
The window was open.
The security system had been disabled.
On the mattress was a single note.
May you like
Written in Mom's handwriting.
Samuel, don't trust Abigail.
