Chapter 10 - THE IMPOSSIBLE CRASH
Nobody believed him.
I could see it on every face.
Dad nearly exploded.
“You expect me to believe my son killed himself?”
Malcolm remained calm.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You just said he sabotaged his car.”
“He changed the remote maintenance settings.”
“Why?”
“To create evidence.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“Evidence of what?”
“That someone had illegally accessed the vehicle.”
Malcolm looked at her.
“Nathan was clever.”
He returned his gaze to Dad.
“Too clever.”
My father looked sick.
Malcolm continued.
“He knew we had the override.”
“So he set a trap?”
“Yes.”
“What went wrong?”
For the first time, Malcolm hesitated.
That hesitation mattered.
“What went wrong?” I repeated.
He looked at me.
“Another vehicle appeared.”
Dad frowned.
“What vehicle?”
Malcolm’s eyes shifted toward Detective Bennett.
“I’ll answer through counsel.”
The detective smiled without humor.
“Convenient.”
Marcus suddenly approached with a tablet.
“Emily.”
He had located archival traffic footage.
Nathan’s original accident investigation had included one highway camera.
For years, the footage showed only Nathan’s vehicle.
Marcus had enhanced the edge of the frame.
A second vehicle was visible.
Dark SUV.
No plates.
Following thirty yards behind.
Dad whispered.
“That was never in the report.”
Detective Bennett’s expression hardened.
“Then somebody removed it.”
Rachel looked at Malcolm.
“Who was driving?”
He said nothing.
Nathan’s phone chimed from my hand.
The room fell silent.
One message.
ASK PRESTON.
Everyone turned.
Preston backed away.
“No.”
His attorney grabbed him.
“Don’t say anything.”
Dad stared at him.
“You were nineteen.”
Preston’s breathing accelerated.
Malcolm shouted.
“Preston.”
His son looked at him.
For once, there was hatred in his eyes.
“You said nobody would die.”
Malcolm’s face changed.
Preston began crying.
“I was supposed to follow him.”
I felt numb.
Dad whispered.
“You were driving the SUV?”
Preston nodded.
His attorney cursed.
Malcolm closed his eyes.
Preston continued.
“Dad told me Nathan had stolen documents.”
“You chased him.”
“I followed him.”
“What happened?”
“He knew I was there.”
“How?”
“He called me.”
My stomach twisted.
“What did he say?”
Preston looked at me.
“He told me to stop.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
Dad’s voice broke.
“Why?”
“I was nineteen.”
“That is not an answer.”
“I wanted my father to respect me.”
Malcolm stared at the floor.
Preston continued.
“Nathan accelerated.”
“The road was wet.”
“I know.”
“What happened?”
“He tried to take the exit.”
“And?”
Preston shut his eyes.
“I hit him.”
Dad stopped breathing.
“It wasn’t intentional.”
I stared at him.
“You hit his car.”
“The front corner.”
“At seventy miles per hour?”
“I panicked.”
Nathan’s car had spun through a barrier.
The official report blamed mechanical failure and wet conditions.
Preston had been behind him the entire time.
Dad’s face crumpled.
For six years, I had never seen my father cry.
Not at the funeral.
Not at the cemetery.
Not when Nathan’s name came up at Christmas.
Now tears filled his eyes.
“My son died because you wanted your father’s approval.”
Preston looked destroyed.
“I didn’t know.”
Malcolm finally spoke.
“Enough.”
Preston turned on him.
“No.”
His father froze.
“You made me leave him.”
Malcolm’s face went pale.
I felt the room change.
“What?”
Preston looked at Detective Bennett.
“Nathan was alive after the crash.”
A sound escaped my father.
Preston continued.
“He was trapped, but he was alive.”
“You left him?”
“My father arrived.”
Malcolm shouted.
“Stop talking!”
Police restrained him.
Preston looked at me.
“Your brother asked me to call an ambulance.”
Tears ran down his face.
“I reached for my phone.”
May you like
He pointed at Malcolm.
“And my father took it away.”
