Chapter 26 - THE MAN OUTSIDE
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The man across the street stood beside the black car with his hands in his coat pockets.
He wasn't threatening us.
He wasn't trying to hide.
He simply stood there.
Watching.
Leah held the white rabbit against her chest.
"Dad..."
I immediately stepped in front of her.
"Go upstairs."
"But—"
"Now."
She obeyed.
Nah grabbed her hand and followed.
Michael moved toward the front door.
"Don't."
I stopped him.
"Nobody goes outside."
Elena was still staring through the glass.
Her face had lost all its color.
"You know him," I said.
She nodded.
"His name is Daniel Mercer."
"Why did you tell me he was dead?"
"Because that's what he wanted everyone to believe."
I looked at the man again.
He had begun walking toward the house.
My heart hammered.
Then he stopped at the gate.
He didn't come closer.
Instead, he placed an envelope on the stone pillar.
Then he turned around.
I ran outside.
"Wait!"
He stopped.
I reached the gate.
"Who are you?"
He slowly turned.
He was older than I expected.
Late fifties.
Gray hair.
Tired eyes.
And a thin scar running beneath his left ear.
"I know you have questions."
"You're damn right I do."
He looked past me toward the house.
"Is Leah safe?"
"Don't say her name."
His expression softened.
"I've spent nine years making sure she was."
"By spying on her?"
"By protecting her."
"You photographed my daughter."
"Because I needed to know nobody had found her."
"You forged my signature."
"No."
I froze.
"I didn't."
"Then who did?"
He looked at Elena.
She lowered her eyes.
Daniel said:
"Ask your mother."
I grabbed his arm.
"You're not leaving until you tell me the truth."
He didn't resist.
Instead, he looked directly into my eyes.
"Your mother didn't forge your signature either."
"What?"
"She was protecting you."
"Then who did?"
Daniel's voice dropped.
"The person who knew you better than anyone."
I stared at him.
"Who?"
He looked toward the house.
"Your father."
My grip loosened.
"My father is dead."
"Yes."
"Then you're lying."
Daniel shook his head.
"Your father died three years ago."
"I watched the funeral."
"I know."
He pulled a small recorder from his pocket.
"I was there."
He pressed play.
Static filled the air.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
My father's.
"If Graham ever finds out what happened to Leah, he'll try to destroy the people responsible. Make sure he never learns the truth until he's ready."
My chest tightened.
Daniel stopped the recording.
"Your father knew he was dying."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"Because he was afraid you'd make the same mistake he made."
"What mistake?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Trusting family."
Then he walked back toward the car.
I shouted after him.
"Where are you going?"
He stopped.
"To finish what your father started."
"What's that?"
Daniel turned.
"Keeping Leah alive."
Then he drove away.
I ran back inside.
Michael was waiting.
"What did he say?"
I looked at Elena.
"Everything we believed about my father was wrong."
She nodded.
"And it gets worse."
"What?"
She pointed toward the stairs.
Leah was standing there.
She had heard everything.
And she was crying.
"I remember him now," she whispered.
"Who?"
"The man outside."
May you like
She wiped her tears.
"He was there the night I came to you."
