Chapter 4 - Beneath the FloorboardsI returned to Mama's house before sunset.
Julian's car wasn't there.
Good.
I entered through the back door.
The kitchen was exactly as I had left it.
The flour tin was still on the counter.
I looked at it differently now.
It wasn't a container.
It was a message.
I searched the pantry walls.
Nothing.
Then I remembered Mama's strange habit.
Every spring, she moved the refrigerator.
She always said it was because she hated dust.
I pulled it forward.
Behind it was a loose floorboard.
My heart began pounding.
I pried it open.
Underneath was a metal box.
Inside were documents.
A passport.
Three bank books.
Photographs.
And a USB drive.
I opened the passport.
Arthur Carter.
Different name.
Different photograph.
Different country.
He had been living under an alias.
I opened one of the bank books.
The balance was staggering.
$7.4 million.
Another account held $3.2 million.
I stared at the numbers.
Then I found a document explaining everything.
Arthur had once worked for a financial company involved in a massive fraud scheme.
He discovered that executives were stealing money from elderly investors.
He became a whistleblower.
But before he could expose them, they threatened his family.
Rebecca was targeted.
So Arthur created a secret trust.
He moved legitimate assets into protected accounts.
Then he disappeared.
Mama helped him.
She lied to us.
She pretended to hate him.
She let everyone believe he had abandoned the family.
Because it kept us safe.
I wiped tears from my eyes.
Then I saw a second file.
This one contained Julian's name.
I opened it.
My brother had been communicating with the people Arthur had exposed.
Emails.
Bank transfers.
Photographs.
My hands went numb.
Julian wasn't just hiding the truth.
He had been helping them.
The last document was a payment record.
$250,000.
Recipient:
Julian Marsh.
I couldn't breathe.
My brother had sold us.
I heard the front door open.
I quickly closed the box.
Footsteps entered the hallway.
“Elena?”
Julian.
I froze.
He walked into the kitchen.
“You shouldn't have come back.”
I turned.
“Why?”
He stared at me.
“You found it.”
I didn't answer.
His face changed.
“You found the box.”
“Did you kill Arthur?”
He looked shocked.
“No.”
“Did you help the people hunting him?”
Silence.
That was enough.
“Why?”
“I had no choice.”
“Everyone has a choice.”
He shook his head.
“You don't understand what they threatened.”
“Rebecca?”
He looked away.
“Me.”
I stared at him.
“They threatened you?”
“They said if I didn't cooperate, they'd kill you.”
I didn't know what to believe.
Then Julian whispered:
“Arthur isn't dead.”
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?”
Julian looked toward the door.
“Run.”
“What?”
“They know you're here.”
A car engine roared outside.
May you like
Julian grabbed my arm.
“NOW.”
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