Chapter 5 - The Person on the Other Side
Mason drew his weapon before the echo finished.
"Stay behind me."
August pulled Elsie close.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Mason opened the door.
Thomas Green.
August's father's former driver.
August had not seen him in fifteen years.
"Thomas?"
The old man's eyes filled when he saw Elsie.
"She has Caroline's eyes."
August stepped forward. "How did you know we were here?"
"Because Caroline made me promise to watch this place."
Nora's expression sharpened. "For eight years?"
"For as long as it took."
Thomas looked at the recorder in August's hand.
"You finally heard her."
"Not enough."
"Then hear this first."
Thomas sat on an old crate and told them about the night Caroline's car burned.
Thomas picked her up before the car was found.
"Why didn't you call me?" August demanded.
"She begged me not to."
"She was my daughter."
"She thought your phones were being watched. She thought anyone close to you could be used to find her."
August looked toward the files.
"Victoria?"
Thomas did not answer directly.
"Caroline found money moving out of the Children's Trust. She traced it to Marcus Vane. Then she discovered Marcus wasn't acting alone."
Elsie hugged the pink backpack to her chest.
Thomas lowered his voice.
"Caroline was pregnant."
August stared at him.
"With Elsie?"
"Yes."
The grief came in a wave so hard August had to grip the desk.
Then Thomas said something worse.
"Caroline tried to come home once."
"When?"
"Five years ago."
August looked up.
"What happened?"
"She made it as far as your front gate."
Thomas swallowed.
"Victoria met her there."
August's face went cold.
"And Caroline never tried again."
Nora asked the question August could not.
"What did Victoria say to her?"
May you like
Thomas looked toward Elsie.
"She told Caroline that if she came back, the next accident would happen to her child."
