Chapter 18 - Daniel’s Confession
Richard thought he had heard incorrectly.
“What did you say?”
Daniel repeated it.
“I arranged the car.”
Elena watched Richard’s face collapse.
Daniel continued before Richard could speak.
“I needed to disappear.”
“So you staged your death.”
“Yes.”
“You let everyone think Gerald did it.”
“Gerald helped me.”
Richard gripped the phone.
“Why?”
“Because I had discovered Dad’s crimes.”
“That doesn’t explain why you destroyed your family.”
Daniel’s voice became rough.
“Dad told me if I exposed him, he would destroy you.”
Richard shut his eyes.
Daniel continued.
“He had already used your signature on two shell companies.”
“He was preparing to make you the fall guy.”
“So I needed him to believe I was dead while I gathered evidence.”
“And Gerald?”
“He helped me switch the car.”
“Then when did he turn against you?”
“After Charles refused to return Derek’s money.”
Daniel paused.
“Gerald stopped wanting evidence.”
“He wanted punishment.”
Richard walked toward the window.
“You could have contacted me.”
“I wanted to.”
“You had seven years.”
“I know.”
“You saw Mom mourning you.”
“Yes.”
“You saw me bury you.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“Yes.”
Richard almost ended the call.
Elena stopped him with a hand on his wrist.
Not because Daniel deserved comfort.
Because Mrs. Howard was still missing.
Ruiz arrived within fifteen minutes.
Daniel’s location was traced to Route 9D.
Gerald had instructed him to drive toward an abandoned Howard textile mill.
Richard recognized it immediately.
The mill had belonged to his grandfather.
Ruiz mobilized tactical units.
Richard insisted on going.
This time Elena stopped him.
“You are not giving Gerald both brothers.”
“He has my mother.”
“And Daniel is already going.”
“She’s my mother.”
“And I am your wife.”
Richard looked at her.
She placed his hand against her stomach.
“And this is your daughter.”
He closed his eyes.
She continued.
“Your family keeps proving love by walking into danger alone.”
“Stop doing that.”
Richard stayed.
It was the hardest decision he had made all night.
At the textile mill, Daniel parked outside the main warehouse.
His phone rang.
Gerald.
“Come inside.”
“Let my mother go.”
“Bring the tapes.”
Daniel carried a metal case.
Inside were convincing replicas prepared by police.
A transmitter had been hidden beneath the handle.
Daniel entered.
Mrs. Howard sat tied to a chair beneath an old industrial light.
Gerald stood behind her.
He looked exhausted.
Not wild.
Not frantic.
Calm.
That frightened Daniel more.
“You shot your father.”
Gerald’s face tightened.
“He chose the Howards again.”
“He chose the truth.”
“He chose you.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Your father saved my life.”
“And you repaid him by protecting Charles’s children.”
“Richard was innocent.”
Gerald laughed.
“Nobody raised by Charles was innocent.”
From outside, Ruiz listened through the transmitter.
Daniel held up the case.
“Here.”
Gerald looked at it.
“Open it.”
Daniel crouched.
His fingers reached the latch.
Then Gerald smiled.
“Daniel.”
Daniel stopped.
Gerald lifted a second phone.
“You should tell the police outside to stop moving.”
May you like
Ruiz froze.
Gerald had known about them from the beginning.
