The car wash smelled of soap, wet concrete, and gasoline.
We found Thomas behind the office, sorting receipts beneath a metal awning.
He looked older than the photograph.
Much older.
But the scar beside his left eyebrow was still there.
I stopped walking.
He looked up.
His eyes went immediately to my face.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he whispered,
“Daniella.”
I felt the blood leave my face.
“You know me.”
“I knew you before you knew yourself.”
Julian stepped beside me.
“Thomas?”
He nodded.
“You must be Julian.”
“Yes.”
Thomas looked at the green dinosaur on the dashboard through the windshield.
Then back at me.
“I wondered when this would reach you.”
My heart began pounding.
“Reach me?”
He sighed.
“I suppose there's no point pretending anymore.”
“Pretending what?”
“That the past stayed buried.”
He set the receipts down.
“Come inside.”
The office was cramped.
A small desk.
Two chairs.
A refrigerator humming in the corner.
Thomas closed the door.
“Your grandmother was a good woman.”
I stared at him.
“You knew her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Lily.”
His expression changed.
“Yes.”
“Then tell me what happened.”
He sat down.
“Daniel was trying to get clean.”
“From what?”
“Drugs.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
“He wanted custody of Lily.”
“Then why did my grandmother take her?”
“Because Daniel couldn't stay sober.”
I looked at Julian.
That matched what he had told me.
“What about Marianne?”
Thomas shook his head.
“She was worse.”
“What happened to her?”
“She left.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Thomas looked tired.
“I've lived with that question for fourteen years.”
I leaned forward.
“What happened the night Daniel died?”
Thomas didn't answer.
“Thomas.”
He looked at his hands.
“We argued.”
“With Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“About Lily?”
“Yes.”
“What was the argument?”
“Daniel wanted to take Lily and leave.”
“Where?”
“Out of state.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why?”
“He believed your grandmother would never let him have her back.”
“Was he right?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Yes.”
That hurt.
“Why?”
“Because Ruth believed Daniel would relapse.”
“She might have been right.”
“She was.”
Thomas sighed.
“But Daniel was convinced she was stealing his daughter.”
I looked down.
“Did he hurt my grandmother?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten her?”
“Not physically.”
“What happened?”
“He took Lily.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Daniel took Lily from the house.”
“When?”
“Two days before the accident.”
My mind raced.
“Then how did she end up at the visitation center?”
“He brought her back.”
“Why?”
“He changed his mind.”
“Why?”
Thomas looked toward the window.
“Because Lily begged him.”
My throat tightened.
“What did she say?”
“She wanted Grandma Ruth.”
I closed my eyes.
Lily had chosen my grandmother.
Or believed she had.
Either way, it changed everything.
“Then what happened?”
“Daniel agreed to return her.”
“And the accident?”
Thomas was silent.
“Thomas.”
He finally looked at me.
“Daniel was driving back to Ruth's house.”
“And?”
“There was another car.”
“What other car?”
“A black sedan.”
I stared.
“Did you see it?”
“Yes.”
“Who was driving?”
“I don't know.”
“Did the police investigate?”
“Yes.”
“Then why was it ruled an accident?”
Thomas swallowed.
“Because the other car left.”
I felt cold.
“Hit-and-run.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“You were a child.”
“That excuse is becoming very old.”
He nodded.
“You're right.”
“What did my grandmother know?”
Thomas looked at me.
“She knew Daniel hadn't simply lost control.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You said it was an accident.”
“I told people that.”
“Why?”
“Because Ruth asked me to.”
“Why?”
“Because she was afraid.”
“Of what?”
Thomas stared at the floor.
“Of losing Lily.”
I shook my head.
“This doesn't make sense.”
“It didn't then.”
“Who was driving the black car?”
“I don't know.”
“But someone knows.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Thomas hesitated.
Then he said,
“Marianne.”
I stared.
“She was alive?”
“At the time.”
“Where was she?”
“Following Daniel.”
“Why?”
“She wanted Lily back.”
My hands began shaking.
“Did she hit him?”
“I don't know.”
“You saw the car.”
“I saw the car leave.”
“Did you see her?”
“No.”
“Then why say Marianne?”
“Because Daniel told me she was coming.”
I looked at Julian.
He had been silent.
Now he spoke.
“Did Daniel mention where he was taking Lily?”
Thomas nodded.
“Your grandmother's house.”
“Did he make it?”
“No.”
“Then how did Lily return?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Someone else took her.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
I stood.
“Who?”
Thomas's eyes filled with tears.
“Me.”
I froze.
“You took Lily?”
“After the crash.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was dead.”
“And Lily?”
“She was alive.”
“Where was she?”
“In the back seat.”
My knees weakened.
Julian moved closer.
Thomas continued.
“I found the car after I heard the crash.”
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“You were the first person there?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you tell the police everything?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of Marianne?”
“Of what would happen to Lily.”
I stared at him.
“You took a child from an accident scene.”
“I took her somewhere safe.”
“Where?”
“To Ruth.”
My heart stopped.
“You brought Lily to my grandmother?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before the ambulance arrived.”
I couldn't speak.
Thomas looked at me.
“Your grandmother knew immediately.”
“And she hid her?”
“She protected her.”
I shook my head.
“You're saying my grandmother had Lily the whole time.”
“No.”
He looked down.
“Only for a short while.”
“What happened after?”
“The authorities came.”
“Then?”
“Lily was placed with another relative.”
I closed my eyes.
That explained why she disappeared.
But not why nobody told me.
“What happened to Thomas?”
I realized I had spoken aloud.
Thomas answered.
“I stayed away.”
“Why?”
“Ruth told me to.”
“Why?”
“She said if I talked, Lily might become evidence in a criminal case.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“She was terrified.”
“Of Marianne?”
“Of everyone.”
I looked at Julian.
He had been listening intently.
“What about the records?”
Thomas frowned.
“What records?”
“The visitation records. The letters. The file.”
“I don't know.”
“Then why did my grandmother leave a note saying ask Daniel's sister?”
Thomas looked confused.
“Daniel didn't have a sister.”
I stared.
“He did.”
“No.”
“My grandmother wrote it.”
Thomas shook his head.
“Dani, Daniel was an only child.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Ruth had no other children.”
I looked at Julian.
He looked equally confused.
“Then who was Margaret?”
Thomas's expression changed.
“Margaret?”
“Yes.”
“Your grandmother's sister.”
He nodded slowly.
“Ruth had a sister named Margaret.”
“So she was the one.”
“Yes.”
“Why did the letter say ask Daniel's sister?”
“I don't know.”
I pulled the old letter from my bag.
Thomas read it.
His face changed.
“That's Ruth's handwriting.”
“I know.”
He pointed to the line.
“Ask Daniel's sister.”
Then he looked at me.
“Dani, there is something wrong.”
“What?”
“Margaret died before Ruth.”
I froze.
“How?”
“Cancer.”
“When?”
“Ten years ago.”
I felt dizzy.
My grandmother died nine years ago.
Margaret died ten years ago.
The timing was possible.
But why had Ruth written that note?
And why had she written it as though Margaret were still available to answer?
Julian took the letter.
“Could it have been written earlier?”
Thomas nodded.
“Maybe.”
“Then why wasn't it given to Dani?”
“I don't know.”
I sat down.
The story was becoming less clear with every answer.
Thomas leaned forward.
“There is one thing I never told Ruth.”
“What?”
“After Daniel died, I found something.”
“What?”
“A receipt.”
“For what?”
“A storage unit.”
I looked at Julian.
“Where?”
“Eastside.”
“Do you still have it?”
“No.”
“Who does?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Your grandmother.”
My breath caught.
“She kept it?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Julian stood.
“Dani.”
I looked at him.
“We need to check the house.”
“The old house?”
“Yes.”
It had been sold after my grandmother died.
I had never gone back.
The new owners had renovated it.
The attic might be gone.
But if the storage unit receipt had survived, it could be somewhere in the records.
Thomas suddenly reached into a drawer.
He pulled out an old photograph.
“This was in the car.”
He handed it to me.
It showed Daniel standing beside Lily.
Behind them was a black sedan.
I stared.
“That's the car.”
Thomas nodded.
“Same one.”
I turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
Not my grandmother's.
Daniel's.
She knows.
I looked at Thomas.
“Who is she?”
He shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Julian took the photograph.
He examined it carefully.
Then his expression changed.
“What?”
He pointed.
In the reflection of the car window was a man's face.
Barely visible.
But unmistakable.
Thomas leaned closer.
“I've seen him before.”
“Who?”
Thomas swallowed.
“Your grandmother's lawyer.”
I stared at the photograph.
The man who had handled Lily's custody paperwork.
The man who had access to the family records.
The man who might have known what happened after Daniel died.
“What was his name?”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Robert Hale.”
I remembered the name.
I had seen it in my grandmother's papers.
Robert Hale.
My grandmother's attorney.
Julian looked at me.
“We need to find him.”
Thomas shook his head.
“You can't.”
“Why?”
“Because Robert Hale died twelve years ago.”
Silence.
Then Thomas added,
“But his son didn't.”
My heart sank.
“Where is his son?”
Thomas looked toward the car wash window.
“He's the owner.”
I followed his gaze.
Across the street, a black sedan had stopped.
A man sat behind the wheel.
He was watching us.
Julian stood.
The sedan pulled away.
Thomas whispered,
“That's him.”
Click here to continue reading: PART 7: The Man Watching From Across the Street Had Inherited More Than His Father’s Business, and He Knew Exactly Who We Were
The Phone Disappeared Without Warning, but the Place Where It Was Found Made Everything Feel Suddenly Wrong
Part 6 of 12
