I CAUGHT MY GIRLFRIEND HURTING MY LITTLE DAUGHTER—THEN DISCOVERED MY DEAD WIFE’S SECRET ABOUT MY MISSING BROTHER.

Mercer’s office was empty. His lawyer said he was traveling. His private plane was gone from the airport. Warrants went out, and officers searched the homes of two employees who had handled his money.

At sunrise, Nora called me. “I received a message from someone claiming to be Mercer. He says he'll trade himself for the ledger.”

“Don't answer,” I said.

“I already forwarded it to Rios.”

The message named an old train platform outside town. Police arranged surveillance instead of sending us. Ethan insisted on making a statement in person because Mercer knew he was alive and might target anyone who had helped him.

As we drove to the station to meet Rios, a black SUV struck our truck at an intersection. The impact threw us against our seat belts. Glass exploded over the dashboard.

The truck spun toward a drainage ditch. I tasted blood. Beside me, Ethan's head slumped against the window.

A masked man climbed out of the SUV and ran toward us. I heard sirens in the distance; our security escort had been following a block behind.

“Where's the drive?” the man shouted through the broken window.

Ethan had no drive. The evidence was already in police custody.

The man grabbed my door handle. I kicked it open into his shoulder, then crawled across the seat to unbuckle Ethan. The truck was sliding farther into the ditch.

“Dan,” Ethan whispered. “Go.”

I remembered my father's voice on that tape, explaining why he had traded his sons for silence. I pulled Ethan toward me instead.

“Not this time.”

An officer shouted. The attacker fled, and the escort team chased him. With a firefighter's help, I dragged Ethan out before the truck settled onto its side.

He was conscious when the ambulance arrived. He gripped my wrist.

“Did you save the evidence?”

“It's safe,” I said. “For once, I'm choosing my brother first.”