Chapter 8 - Midnight at My Apartment
Daniel was not arrested that afternoon.
Not yet.
The joint account had been opened when he was eighteen. Evelyn had kept it active, and Daniel swore he had forgotten it existed. Ortiz didn't tell me whether she believed him.
I didn't know whether I did either.
By evening, Maya took me back to my apartment. I packed a bag because I couldn't imagine sleeping beside Daniel.
At 12:17 a.m., someone knocked.
Maya grabbed a heavy flashlight.
I checked the peephole.
Evelyn stood outside.
Alone.
Her hair was messy. Her coat was buttoned wrong. For the first time since I'd met her, she looked small.
"Go away," I called through the door.
"Claire, please. Victor is going to bury Daniel."
Maya whispered, "Call Ortiz."
I did. Then I opened the door with the chain still on.
"You have two minutes."
Evelyn pressed both hands together.
"Victor started taking money years ago. Small amounts. He said nobody would notice."
"And you helped him."
"At first. Then I tried to stop."
"After how much?"
She looked away.
"Enough."
"Great answer. Very moving."
"He has proof about Daniel."
"The paternity thing?"
Her face collapsed.
So it was true.
I had expected the possibility. Hearing her silence confirm it still felt like a door slamming somewhere deep inside the family.
"Victor is Daniel's biological father," she whispered.
Maya muttered, "Oh, hell."
Evelyn began crying. "Richard never knew. Victor used it to control me. Every time I tried to cut him off, he threatened to tell Daniel and Richard in the ugliest possible way."
I stared at her.
"You were terrified of being exposed, so you stole from Richard, framed your son, stole my identity, and assaulted me?"
"I panicked."
"You weaponized panic with both hands."
She flinched.
Then she reached into her coat.
Maya lifted the flashlight like a club.
"Slow."
Evelyn pulled out a small brass key on a plastic tag.
STORAGE 317.
"Victor keeps paper records," she said. "He doesn't trust computers. There are ledgers, copies of transfers, everything."
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Because he thinks I still have it."
A car engine revved on the street below.
Evelyn looked over her shoulder and went white.
"He's here."
I moved to the window.
The same dark sedan from Richard's house rolled to the curb.
The driver's door opened.
But Victor wasn't the person who stepped out.
Daniel was.
May you like
--- The next chapters are on the left side of your screen. If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://metro.treeiq.biz New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
