Chapter 17 - Richard Remembers
Richard had buried the memory for twenty-three years.
Not intentionally.
His father had simply replaced it with a different story.
The crash had been an accident.
They had happened upon it.
Richard had been confused.
Traumatized.
Young.
Every adult around him repeated the same explanation.
Eventually, he believed it.
But Charles’s letter reopened the night.
Richard remembered his father saying one sentence into the phone.
“Do it before he reaches the bridge.”
Then Derek’s taillights vanished around the curve.
Minutes later, the road exploded with emergency lights.
Elena sat beside Richard on the nursery floor.
He looked sick.
“I heard him.”
“You were a child.”
“I heard him order it.”
“You didn’t understand.”
“I should have.”
“At sixteen?”
“I knew my father.”
“No.”
Elena touched his face.
“You knew the version of him he allowed you to know.”
Richard closed his eyes.
For months, Elena had been angry at him for secrecy.
Now she understood where it came from.
The Howard family had survived through silence.
Nobody confronted.
Nobody explained.
Nobody trusted.
Secrets were treated like protection.
And every generation inherited the damage.
Detective Ruiz returned that evening.
Richard gave a full recorded statement.
Ruiz also collected Charles’s tapes and letter.
The case against Gerald became stronger.
Conspiracy.
Fraud.
Evidence tampering.
Attempted murder of Derek.
Multiple counts connected to financial crimes.
But Gerald remained missing.
Vanessa had been formally charged over the staircase assault and the forged documents.
Her attorney wanted a deal.
Ruiz refused to discuss one until she revealed everything she knew.
That night, Elena finally slept.
At 2:13 a.m., she woke to the sound of Richard’s phone vibrating.
He answered.
Nobody spoke on the other end.
Then a familiar voice said one word.
“Brother.”
Richard sat upright.
Daniel.
“What happened?”
Daniel’s breathing sounded fast.
“He has Mom.”
Richard was on his feet instantly.
“What?”
“Gerald took her.”
Elena turned on the lamp.
Richard put the call on speaker.
Daniel continued.
“She left the hospital after visiting Derek.”
“Why was she alone?”
“She dismissed the officer.”
Richard cursed.
“Where are you?”
“Driving north.”
“Daniel, stop.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Gerald sent me a location.”
Ruiz was already being called from Elena’s phone.
Richard asked, “What does he want?”
Daniel became silent.
Then he answered.
“The confession tapes.”
Elena looked toward the empty evidence shelf.
Gerald did not know the police already had them.
Richard said, “We can give him copies.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“He’ll know.”
“How?”
“Because Charles said my name at the end of the original tape.”
Richard frowned.
“What did he say?”
Daniel inhaled.
“I haven’t told you everything.”
Richard’s expression hardened.
“What else is there?”
Daniel whispered.
May you like
“Dad didn’t order my accident.”
“I did.”
