Chapter 9 - The Night Dad Called
I called Jason immediately.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
Robert contacted police.
They sent someone to his apartment.
Empty.
His car gone.
His phone pinged near the interstate.
Running.
Of course.
Chloe sat in an interview room when we arrived.
Her mascara was gone.
Her face looked ten years younger.
And ten years more tired.
I sat across from her.
“Tell me.”
She hugged herself.
“Jason came over.”
“When?”
“Six days before Dad died.”
“What did he say?”
“That Mom needed help keeping Dad calm.”
“His clonazepam?”
“Yes.”
“Did he know what it was for?”
“He said Mom asked for it.”
“So yes.”
Chloe looked down.
“He gave me four tablets.”
“Four?”
“I used two.”
My stomach twisted.
“On Dad.”
“Yes.”
“Did he become sedated?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“A few hours.”
“Did anyone bring documents?”
She looked up.
Mom.
That was the answer.
“Which documents?”
“I don’t know.”
“Chloe.”
“I swear.”
Robert leaned forward.
“What did Linda do while Thomas was sedated?”
“She tried to get him to sign something.”
My throat tightened.
“Did he?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“He knocked the pen away.”
I almost smiled.
Dad.
“What happened?”
“Mom got furious.”
“Then?”
“Jason came upstairs.”
My chest tightened.
“Why?”
“I texted him.”
“What did he do?”
“Talked to Dad.”
The smart-speaker recording.
Mr. Brooks, just sign it.
I closed my eyes.
“Then Dad called me.”
Chloe nodded.
“After Jason left.”
2:17 a.m.
Dad:
Hannah, come home.
I looked at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was scared.”
“You had forty-three days.”
“I know.”
“You sat at Thanksgiving wearing his bracelet and smiling while Mom threw me out.”
Her face crumpled.
“I hated you.”
The honesty cut cleaner.
“Why?”
“Because Dad forgave you for leaving.”
“I did not need forgiveness.”
“I know that now.”
She wiped her face.
“Mom made staying feel like sacrifice. Like I was owed something because I never left.”
“You chose to stay.”
“I know.”
“She made you feel like I abandoned you.”
“Yes.”
“And Jason?”
Chloe closed her eyes.
“I wanted one thing that was yours.”
The sentence hit.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it was pathetic.
I stood.
Robert said, “Hannah.”
I looked down at my sister.
“Did Dad know about you and Jason?”
Her face changed.
“Yes.”
I froze.
“When?”
“A month before he died.”
“What did he say?”
“He told Jason to end it.”
“And you?”
“He told me that if I wanted to destroy my relationship with you, at least be honest enough to do it sober.”
I almost laughed.
Dad again.
Then Chloe remembered something.
“He also said Jason was using me.”
“For what?”
“He never explained.”
Robert opened the financial audit.
Cedar Ridge.
Jason’s company.
$418,000.
Chloe received some.
But not all.
We traced the rest.
One recipient.
Pike Document Services.
The fake notary.
Another.
Dr. Elaine Porter.
Another.
Private investigator.
And one transfer that stopped my heart.
REBECCA LANE.
$75,000.
Six months before Dad died.
I stared.
“Rebecca.”
Robert looked at the photograph from the storage unit.
“Same name.”
We opened the payment memo.
CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT - FAMILY MATTER.
My mouth went dry.
“Dad paid her?”
Robert shook his head.
“Transfer originated from Cedar Ridge.”
Jason.
I looked at Chloe.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman said:
“Hannah Brooks?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Rebecca Lane.”
My chest stopped.
Before I could speak, she said:
May you like
“Jason paid me to disappear.”
CUT.
