Chapter 12 - Why Rachel Left
Daniel turned toward Rachel so slowly it frightened Emma.
“You knew my mother escaped.”
Rachel did not deny it.
“Three years ago, your father took me to see her.”
Daniel’s chair scraped backward.
“You saw my mother?”
“Yes.”
“Alive.”
“Yes.”
His voice cracked. “And you came home to me.”
Rachel started crying.
“She begged me not to tell you.”
“Everybody begs you not to tell me things.”
“Daniel—”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know now.”
Emma stepped closer to her mother. “Why would Grandma hide from Dad?”
Rachel wiped her face.
“Because Samuel found her once after Ashcroft. He told her if she contacted Daniel, he would go after you.”
Emma went pale.
Rachel continued. “Your grandfather moved Laura again. He asked me to help because he knew I could travel without Samuel watching as closely.”
Daniel stared at her.
“And then you left me.”
“I left after Samuel came to Emma’s school. I thought distance would make us harder to use together.”
“It broke us.”
“I know.”
The honesty hit harder than an excuse would have.
Officer Kim entered carrying an evidence bag.
“They found Samuel’s burner phone backup.”
Inside were deleted messages between Samuel and someone saved only as R.M.
The last message was three days before Robert Mercer died.
R.M.: I’M DONE PROTECTING THIS. DANIEL GETS EVERYTHING.
Samuel: THEN DANIEL LOSES EVERYTHING.
R.M.: NOT IF LAURA SPEAKS FIRST.
Daniel looked up.
“My father was going to tell me.”
Kim nodded. “Maybe.”
Another message appeared beneath it.
Samuel: YOU WON’T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO OPEN THAT ROOM FOR HIM.
Daniel’s breath stopped.
His father’s death had been ruled a heart attack.
May you like
Officer Kim met his eyes.
“We’re reopening it.”
