We told the police.
They advised us not to meet Daniel alone, but there was a practical problem.
The address led to an abandoned warehouse.
No one knew whether Daniel would actually be there.
The officer arranged surveillance nearby.
I stayed in the car with Henry.
Neither of us spoke much.
Rain tapped against the windshield.
Every few minutes, Henry looked at me.
“You don't have to do this.”
“I need to know.”
“I know.”
At exactly nine o'clock, a man appeared at the far end of the street.
He was older than Matthew had been, with gray beginning at his temples and a dark coat pulled tightly around him.
He looked toward the warehouse.
Then toward our car.
Henry recognized him from the photographs.
“That's Daniel.”
My heart began pounding.
Daniel walked closer.
When he reached the passenger window, he stopped.
I lowered it slightly.
“You're Eleanor's son?”
His expression tightened.
“I'm Matthew's brother.”
The words were strange to hear.
I unlocked the door.
Henry immediately said, “No.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You're Henry.”
Henry stiffened.
“How do you know my name?”
Daniel's eyes moved to me.
“Because Matthew wrote about you.”
I swallowed.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because I helped him.”
Henry stared.
“Helped him with what?”
Daniel looked around.
“Not here.”
We followed him into the warehouse.
The police remained nearby, but Daniel didn't know exactly where.
He led us into a small office.
Dust covered the desk.
Daniel closed the door.
“I don't have much time.”
I asked the question that had haunted me since Matthew's letter.
“What happened to him?”
Daniel looked at me for a long moment.
“Matthew was investigating our father's company.”
“I know.”
“No. You don't.”
He sat down.
“Our father wasn't simply hiding debts.”
“What was he doing?”
“He was laundering money.”
The words landed heavily.
Daniel explained that the family company had been used to move money between several accounts.
Victor Hale had managed the operation.
Matthew discovered it after Daniel sent him documents.
Matthew wanted to go to the police.
Daniel wanted more proof.
“That argument lasted months,” Daniel said.
“And the sedan?”
“My father's.”
“But he was dead.”
“Victor kept access to it.”
I felt cold.
“So Victor was following Matthew.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To find out what he knew.”
I looked at Henry.
“Then the accident wasn't random.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I didn't say that.”
“But you believe it.”
“I believe someone wanted Matthew frightened.”
“What about the truck driver?”
Daniel looked down.
“He was supposed to scare him.”
My stomach dropped.
“Scare him?”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
“The driver lost control.”
Daniel's voice became quieter.
“He was drunk, but that wasn't the plan.”
I covered my mouth.
Henry asked, “Who hired him?”
Daniel looked at us.
“Victor.”
Silence.
I couldn't move.
For two years, I had believed Matthew's death was a terrible accident.
Now I was hearing that the crash had begun with an intentional act.
“Do you have proof?”
Daniel nodded.
“I had it.”
“What happened to it?”
“I gave it to Matthew.”
I stared.
“Then where is it?”
“Gone.”
“Gone where?”
“I don't know.”
Henry frowned.
“Then why come here?”
Daniel reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small memory card.
“I kept a copy.”
My breath caught.
“What's on it?”
“Bank records. Calls. A recording.”
“Of Victor?”
“Yes.”
I reached toward it.
Daniel pulled it back.
“Before I give you this, you need to understand something.”
“What?”
“Matthew wasn't killed because of the money.”
I stared at him.
“Then why?”
Daniel looked directly at me.
“He was killed because he was going to expose someone.”
“Victor?”
“No.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“Who?”
Daniel looked toward Henry.
I followed his gaze.
Henry's face had gone completely white.
Daniel said quietly, “The person who arranged everything was much closer to you than Victor.”
My heart began pounding.
I turned toward Henry.
He looked at Daniel.
“Don't.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You promised you'd tell her.”
Henry's voice was barely audible.
“I know.”
I stared between them.
“What are you talking about?”
Daniel stood.
“Ask your husband what he knew before he met you.”
Henry closed his eyes.
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
“You said you didn't know Daniel.”
“I didn't.”
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
“You've been lying to her again.”
Henry looked at me.
“I never knew Daniel before the accident.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That's not what I said.”
I stepped backward.
“What did he know?”
Daniel placed the memory card on the desk.
“Ask him about the night Matthew died.”
Henry's face had changed completely.
I had never seen him look so frightened.
I turned toward him.
“Henry.”
He didn't answer.
“Tell me.”
His lips parted.
Then he whispered four words.
“I wasn't following Matthew.”
I stared.
“What?”
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“I was following Victor.”
Click Here to continue read next: PART9: Henry Finally Told Me Why He Had Been Following Victor That Night, and the Truth Made His Silence Far More Dangerous Than I Imagined
The Promise I Made to a Grieving Woman Followed Me Into a New Marriage, But I Never Expected the Past to Wait Behind Our Door
Part 8 of 16
