Chapter 5
Sarah’s second video was recorded one week later.
She looked worse.
“Daniel, if you’re seeing this, do not trust the story Rebecca tells you.”
Lily whispered, “Aunt Rebecca.”
I nodded.
Sarah continued.
“Rebecca is my younger foster sister. She loves the children. At least she used to.”
Used to.
Important distinction.
“Grant changed things slowly. First he started asking why I kept an old Mercer photograph. Then why I refused to sell my mother’s jewelry. Then he discovered I had contacted Marco Russo.”
I turned toward Marco.
His face went pale.
“You knew.”
“Not who she was.”
“That is not what I asked.”
He swallowed.
“She contacted me eight months ago.”
My anger shifted.
“What did she say?”
“That she needed to speak to you privately.”
“And?”
“I thought it was a setup.”
Fair.
In our world, strangers asking for private access to me usually were.
“What did you do?”
“I told her to send proof.”
Sarah answered from the recording as though she were in the room.
“I sent him a photograph.”
Marco closed his eyes.
I remembered.
Months earlier, he had shown me a blurry image of my father with a child. We both dismissed it as someone manufacturing a story around an old family photograph.
I looked at him.
“You never told me the woman kept trying.”
His shame answered.
“She sent six messages.”
“Why didn’t I see them?”
“I blocked the number.”
I stood.
Marco did not move.
I trusted that.
Sarah continued.
“After Marco stopped answering, Vincent contacted me.”
Everything inside me sharpened.
My uncle had learned about her attempt almost immediately.
That meant somebody around Marco had passed the information.
Sarah looked directly into the camera.
“Daniel, Vincent knows I tried to reach you.”
Pause.
“He told me the next time I tried, my children would learn what happens to people who disturb Mercer peace.”
Lily pressed against my arm.
I looked at Marco.
“Who knew?”
He swallowed.
“Three people.”
May you like
Good.
The betrayal had just narrowed.
