Chapter 13 - The Man in the Photograph
Lily snatched the photo.
Her father, Daniel Monroe, had died when she was ten.
Cancer, according to every story she knew.
"He couldn't have been part of this."
Ethan didn't answer.
Claire pointed to the back of the photograph.
Three initials were written beneath the date.
TC.
WM.
DM.
Lily's stomach twisted.
Detective Vega spread the deeds across a cafeteria table.
"Your father owned one of the shell companies."
"No."
"On paper, he did."
Lily searched the documents until she found Daniel Monroe's signature on a company called Riverlight Holdings.
Her hands shook.
Then Claire said, "Look at the dates."
The company had been created six months after Daniel's death.
Lily looked up.
"Someone forged his name."
Vega nodded.
"And used a dead man's identity to hide property purchases."
The photo suddenly made more sense.
Daniel had been there before the flood, but maybe not as a partner.
Rachel's tape contained the answer.
They replayed the last thirty seconds.
A faint voice under static said, "Daniel took the picture."
Lily stopped the tape.
"My father wasn't in front of the camera."
Ethan looked again.
The third man resembled him.
Same jaw.
Same narrow eyes.
Claire went pale.
"That's not Daniel Monroe."
She looked at Ethan.
"That's Uncle Grant."
Thomas's younger brother.
A man who had vanished before Ethan was born.
Ruth had once said Grant died overseas.
Vega checked her tablet.
"Grant Cole has no death certificate."
Lily stared at the man's face.
Then her phone rang from an unknown number.
She answered.
An old male voice said, "If you want Wade Mercer, stop looking for dead men."
Lily's grip tightened.
"Who is this?"
May you like
The caller breathed once.
"Your father."
