MY FAMILY LOCKED MY SISTER IN A FREEZER — BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT SHE HID IN HER COAT 109a

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Jake showed up two hours later.

He looked older. Grayer. But his eyes were the same—sharp, suspicious. He'd always been the type to see through people. That's why I trusted him.

"You look like hell," he said, sliding into the booth across from me.

"Feel like it too."

He flagged down the waitress. Ordered coffee. Waited until she was gone before speaking.

"Talk."

I told him everything. The freezer. The note. The flash drive. Dad's video.

He listened without interrupting. When I was done, he sat back and rubbed his face.

"You're telling me your father—rest in peace—was murdered. Your mother's running a money laundering operation. And your family tried to kill your sister."

"Yes."

"And you have proof?"

I pushed the laptop across the table. "See for yourself."

He watched the video. Read Karen's notes. His expression didn't change, but his jaw tightened.

"How long have you known about this?"

"About an hour."

"And you called me because..."

"Because you're the only cop I know who isn't corrupt."

He laughed. No humor in it. "You don't know that."

"I know enough."

He was quiet for a minute. Then: "Where's your sister now?"

"Still at the restaurant. They're... they're taking care of her. Or that's what my other cousin said."

"You believe her?"

"I don't know what to believe."

Jake pulled out his phone. Typed something. Waited.

"We need to get Karen out of there. If what you're saying is true, she's a liability. They'll kill her as soon as they think nobody's watching."

"She's my sister. I can't just—"

"Which is exactly why you need to let me handle it." He looked up. "I have a team. People I trust. We can raid the restaurant, get her out, secure the evidence. But I need you to stay out of the way."

"The last time I stayed out of the way, my sister almost froze to death."

"And if you go back in there, what happens? You're not trained for this, Marcus. You're a chef. A good one, from what I remember, but not exactly Jason Bourne."

"I can't just sit here."

"You can. And you will." He stood up. "Give me the drive. I'll make copies. Then I'll get your sister."

I handed it over. Reluctantly.

"One thing," I said.

"What?"

"The note. The one on the freezer. It said 'SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH ABOUT DAD.' If they knew what she knew—if they knew she'd been investigating—why keep her alive? Why not just kill her outright?"

Jake frowned. "Good question."

"There's something else. Something they wanted from her. Something besides the money."

"Like what?"

I thought about Karen's notes. The ledger. The photos she'd taken.

"She hid the originals somewhere. The real ledger. The one that would put them all away. They want to know where."

"And she didn't tell them."

"She didn't tell them."

Jake nodded slowly. "That's why they were keeping her alive. Torturing her. Making an example."

"They were waiting for her to break."

"And she didn't."

I felt something swell in my chest. Pride. Guilt. Grief.

"No," I said. "She didn't."

Jake's phone buzzed. He checked it.

"We move in an hour. Stay here. Don't call anyone. Don't leave."

"What if they come looking for me?"

"They won't. They're too busy trying to find the drive." He stood up. "Lock the door to the bathroom. If anything happens—anything at all—you call this number."

He slid a card across the table. A phone number. Nothing else.

"Who is it?"

"Someone who owes me a favor." He grabbed the laptop. "An hour, Marcus. Then it's over."

He walked out. The door swung shut behind him.

I sat there, alone. The diner was empty now. Just me and the waitress.

I looked at my phone. Twelve missed calls. All from Mom.

I didn't call her back.

Instead, I went to the bathroom. Locked the door. Sat on the floor.

And waited.

The bathroom was cold. The tile was dirty. But it was safe. For now.

I thought about Dad. His voice on that video. The fear in his eyes.

I thought about Karen. Blue lips. Frost-covered hair. Still fighting. Still hoping.