CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
THE EVIDENCE
Ethan arrived at the chapel alone.
At least, that was what the person who had sent the message wanted him to believe.
The old stone building stood at the edge of the woods, nearly a mile from the main road.
There were no lights outside.
No cars.
No security cameras.
No sign that anyone had been there in years.
Ethan stopped the car.
The photograph of Sophie was still open on his phone.
She was sitting on a wooden bench inside the chapel.
Her hands were folded in her lap.
Her face looked frightened.
And beside her stood a woman whose face was hidden in darkness.
Ethan had stared at that photograph for nearly twenty minutes.
He had enlarged it.
Adjusted the brightness.
Studied every shadow.
There was no doubt.
The woman was wearing Anna's blue coat.
The same coat Anna had worn on the night of the accident.
The coat Ethan had buried with her.
He stepped out of the car.
Cold wind moved through the trees.
He looked around.
Nothing.
Then his phone vibrated.
COME INSIDE.
Ethan opened the chapel door.
It creaked.
The smell of dust and old wood filled the air.
Rows of empty benches stretched toward the altar.
A single candle burned near the front.
Sophie was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan's heart began pounding.
"Sophie?"
His voice echoed.
"Sophie!"
Nothing.
Then—
"Daddy?"
Ethan spun around.
Sophie was standing behind him.
Alive.
Unharmed.
Ethan rushed toward her.
He dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms.
"Oh God."
Sophie buried her face against his chest.
"I knew you'd come."
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head.
"Did anyone hurt you?"
"No."
"Who brought you here?"
Sophie looked toward the altar.
"She did."
Ethan slowly stood.
"Who?"
Sophie pointed.
"Mommy."
Ethan's breath caught.
The candle flame moved.
A figure stepped out from behind the altar.
A woman.
Dark hair.
Blue coat.
Pale face.
Ethan stopped breathing.
"Anna."
The woman looked at him.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Ethan."
He couldn't move.
For three years he had dreamed of this moment.
He had imagined Anna walking through the front door.
He had imagined hearing her voice.
He had imagined touching her face.
But dreams never prepared him for the shock of seeing a dead woman standing ten feet away.
Ethan took one step.
Then another.
"You're alive."
Anna nodded.
"I am."
He stopped in front of her.
His hand trembled as he reached toward her face.
She didn't move.
His fingers touched her cheek.
Warm.
Real.
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
"You're really here."
"I'm sorry."
He pulled his hand away.
"Don't."
"Ethan—"
"Don't say you're sorry."
"You need to understand."
"I buried you."
"I know."
"I watched your funeral."
"I know."
"I thought I killed you."
"I know."
"You let me believe that for three years."
Anna closed her eyes.
"I had no choice."
Ethan's anger finally broke through.
"You always had a choice."
Anna looked at Sophie.
"Not when it came to her."
Ethan followed her gaze.
Sophie was watching them silently.
Anna knelt.
"Sophie."
The little girl stared at her.
"Mommy?"
Anna smiled through her tears.
"Hello, sweetheart."
Sophie ran into her arms.
Ethan turned away.
He couldn't watch.
The grief he had carried for three years suddenly became something else.
Not relief.
Not yet.
Something more painful.
He had mourned a woman who had been alive.
He had hated himself for a death that hadn't happened.
He had raised their daughter believing she had lost her mother.
And Anna had allowed it.
When Sophie finally stepped back, Ethan looked at Anna.
"Tell me everything."
Anna nodded.
"I will."
"But first..."
Ethan held up the photograph.
"Explain this."
Anna looked at it.
Her expression changed.
"You found it."
"I found more than that."
He pulled the folder from his coat.
"Room 17."
Anna stared.
"How did you get inside?"
"Paulo."
She closed her eyes.
"He shouldn't have let you in."
"Why?"
"Because the people who built Room 17 weren't protecting me."
Ethan frowned.
"Then what was it?"
"A trap."
"For whom?"
"For anyone who discovered the truth."
Ethan looked at Sophie.
"Then why did you send me there?"
"I didn't."
"What?"
Anna shook her head.
"I never sent you to Room 17."
Ethan's face hardened.
"The message came from you."
"No."
"The woman on the phone."
"Not me."
"The recording."
"My voice."
"Yes."
Anna stepped closer.
"They copied it."
Ethan stared.
"How?"
"Someone has been collecting my voice for years."
He felt a chill.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You expect me to believe someone can imitate your voice well enough to fool me?"
Anna looked at him.
"They didn't imitate it."
"What did they do?"
"They used my own recordings."
Ethan's mind raced.
"Then someone has access to everything you recorded."
"Yes."
"Who?"
Anna hesitated.
"Richard."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Of course."
"Richard isn't working alone."
"Celeste."
Anna nodded.
"And someone else."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Ethan looked at the folder.
"Then let's find out."
They returned to Ethan's mansion just before dawn.
Anna refused to enter through the front door.
"Why?"
"Because someone is watching the house."
Ethan looked at the security cameras.
"They've been watching us for years."
Anna nodded.
"Exactly."
They entered through an underground passage connecting the garage to the basement.
Sophie stayed close to Anna.
She hadn't let go of her hand since leaving the chapel.
Ethan watched them.
It was the first time he had seen Sophie with her mother in three years.
The little girl kept asking questions.
"Where did you go?"
"Why didn't you come back?"
"Did you miss me?"
Anna answered every question.
But when Sophie asked:
"Why did Daddy think you were dead?"
Anna went silent.
Ethan noticed.
"So did I," he said.
Anna looked at him.
"Because I needed you to."
"Why?"
"Because you were being watched."
"By Richard?"
"By everyone."
Ethan frowned.
"Everyone?"
"Your company."
"My company?"
"Your board."
"Why would my board care about Anna?"
"Because of the money."
Ethan's expression changed.
"Tell me."
Anna took a deep breath.
"Three months before the accident, I discovered someone had been transferring money from your company."
"How much?"
"Twenty-seven million dollars."
Ethan stared.
"That's impossible."
"I thought so too."
"Who had access?"
"Your chief financial officer."
"Daniel?"
Anna nodded.
"Daniel had access to the accounts."
"He's been with me for fifteen years."
"I know."
"He's family."
"He was working with Richard."
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
Anna opened the folder.
"Look."
She spread several bank statements across the table.
Transfers.
Shell companies.
Offshore accounts.
Every payment was connected to the same network.
Ethan studied them.
"These companies don't exist."
"They do."
"Where?"
"Portugal."
His eyes narrowed.
"Lisbon."
Anna nodded.
"The money was being moved through three companies."
She pointed.
"One belonged to Richard."
"Another?"
"Celeste."
Ethan's stomach tightened.
"And the third?"
Anna looked at him.
"Your company."
Ethan stared.
"What?"
"The third company was controlled through an account under your name."
He shook his head.
"I never opened that account."
"I know."
"Then who did?"
Anna didn't answer.
Ethan looked at the statements.
"How did you find this?"
"I followed the money."
"By yourself?"
"At first."
"What happened?"
"Someone found out."
"Who?"
Anna looked toward Sophie.
"That's when they tried to kill me."
The room went silent.
Ethan's voice became quiet.
"Tell me about the crash."
Anna sat down.
"It wasn't an accident."
"I know."
"They tampered with the brakes."
Ethan's fists clenched.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Richard?"
"Possibly."
"Celeste?"
"Possibly."
"Then what do you know?"
Anna looked at him.
"I know someone wanted me dead."
"Why?"
"Because I had proof."
"What proof?"
Anna reached into the folder.
She removed a small memory card.
"This."
Ethan stared.
"What is it?"
"Everything."
"Bank records?"
"More."
"Phone calls?"
"More."
"Photographs?"
"More."
"What is on it?"
Anna looked directly at him.
"Your own confession."
Ethan froze.
"What?"
"You confessed to moving the money."
"No."
"You confessed to knowing about the operation."
"No."
"You confessed to helping them."
Ethan stepped backward.
"That's impossible."
Anna's eyes filled with tears.
"I know."
"Then why would you have it?"
"Because I recorded the confession."
"Of whom?"
Anna didn't answer.
Ethan reached for the card.
She pulled it away.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because once you hear it, you will remember."
"Remember what?"
"Why you agreed to forget."
Ethan stared at her.
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
"Tell me."
Anna shook her head.
"You need to hear it yourself."
They moved to the study.
Anna connected the memory card to Ethan's computer.
A single audio file appeared.
CONFESSION_17.wav
Ethan stared at the screen.
Anna stood behind him.
Sophie sat beside her mother.
Ethan pressed play.
Static.
Then his own voice.
Calm.
Controlled.
"I know what you're doing."
Ethan froze.
The recording continued.
"You've moved twenty-seven million."
A second voice answered.
Richard.
"Then you know what happens if you stop us."
Ethan's eyes widened.
On the recording, he sounded afraid.
"Leave my family alone."
Richard laughed.
"You don't get to make demands anymore."
Ethan clenched his fists.
The recording continued.
"I'll give you the account."
"No."
"You want the account?"
"Yes."
"You leave Anna and Sophie alone."
Richard was silent.
Then:
"We can't."
"Why?"
"Because Anna knows."
Ethan's recorded voice became angry.
"Then I'll make her forget."
Anna suddenly stopped the recording.
Ethan turned.
"Why did you stop it?"
"Because you aren't ready."
"I am."
"No."
"You promised to tell me everything."
"I promised."
"Then finish it."
Anna stared at him.
"Listen to me."
"I am."
"You weren't confessing."
"What?"
"You were pretending."
Ethan stared.
"Why?"
"Because you were trying to buy time."
"For what?"
"To get me and Sophie out."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"But the recording makes it sound like I was helping them."
"That was the point."
"Why?"
"Because we needed them to believe you were part of the operation."
"Why would they believe that?"
"Because the signatures were yours."
Ethan's face went pale.
"The forged documents."
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you expose them?"
"Because we needed proof."
"Twenty-seven million dollars wasn't enough?"
"No."
"What was?"
Anna looked at him.
"The person behind it."
Ethan's voice lowered.
"Who?"
Anna whispered:
"We never found out."
A sound came from the hallway.
They all turned.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Someone was walking toward the study.
Ethan immediately stood.
"Stay behind me."
Anna pulled Sophie closer.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Nobody moved.
Then—
Three knocks.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
Three knocks.
A pause.
Three more.
Exactly the same pattern Sophie had made from inside the suitcase.
Ethan reached for the door.
Anna grabbed his wrist.
"Don't."
"Why?"
"Because that's the signal."
"What signal?"
"Someone knows I'm here."
The door handle moved.
Ethan stepped backward.
The handle stopped.
Then a voice came through the door.
"Mr. Carter?"
Ethan recognized it.
His lawyer.
Jonathan Hale.
The man who had handled Anna's estate.
The man who had signed the papers for Ethan's medical treatment.
The man who had told Ethan that Anna's death was an accident.
Ethan looked at Anna.
She was terrified.
"Do not open that door."
Ethan whispered:
"Why?"
Anna's eyes filled with fear.
"Because Jonathan Hale is the man who erased your memory."
The door suddenly burst open.
Two men rushed inside.
Ethan pushed Sophie behind the desk.
Anna grabbed a heavy lamp.
One of the men lunged toward Ethan.
Ethan fought back.
The room erupted into chaos.
A chair crashed.
Glass shattered.
Anna screamed.
Then a gunshot exploded through the house.
Everyone froze.
The attacker stumbled backward.
Blood appeared on his shoulder.
Someone had shot him.
Ethan looked toward the doorway.
Jonathan Hale stood there.
Holding a gun.
He looked at Ethan.
Then Anna.
Then Sophie.
His face was completely calm.
"Anna."
Anna stared at him.
"Jonathan."
He lowered the gun.
"I told you this would happen."
Ethan stepped forward.
"You erased my memory."
Jonathan looked at him.
"Yes."
The room went silent.
Ethan felt as if the ground had disappeared.
"Why?"
Jonathan sighed.
"Because you asked me to."
Ethan stared.
"I never asked you."
Jonathan looked at Anna.
"Tell him."
Anna said nothing.
"Tell him the truth."
Ethan turned toward her.
"What truth?"
Jonathan's voice was cold.
"Your wife wasn't hiding from Richard."
He paused.
"She was hiding from you."
Ethan's face went white.
Anna whispered:
"Jonathan, don't."
He continued.
"Three years ago, Ethan came to me."
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
"He asked me to erase specific memories."
"No."
"He asked me to make him forget one night."
"Stop."
Jonathan looked directly at him.
"The night he killed someone."
Silence.
Sophie began crying.
Anna pulled her close.
Ethan stared at Jonathan.
"Who did I kill?"
Jonathan's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
"That's the problem."
"What?"
"We never found the body."
Ethan couldn't breathe.
Jonathan continued:
"Because the person you thought you killed..."
He looked at Anna.
"...wasn't Anna."
Ethan turned toward his wife.
Anna was crying.
And then Ethan saw something he hadn't noticed before.
A small scar on the side of her neck.
He knew that scar.
Anna had never had it.
His wife had a tiny birthmark there.
Not a scar.
Ethan stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
The woman standing beside Sophie looked at him.
Her tears stopped.
Her expression became strangely calm.
Then she whispered:
"My name isn't Anna."
Ethan's heart stopped.
The woman looked at Sophie.
Then at the photograph.
And finally at Ethan.
"Anna Carter died three years ago."
She paused.
"I was the woman she sent to replace her."
May you like
The room went silent.
And somewhere upstairs, a clock began striking seventeen times.
