Chapter 5 - THE PERSON MARTHA RECOGNIZEDMartha sat with Detective Harris.
He showed her a photograph.
“Do you recognize this man?”
She stared.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Thomas Reed.”
David frowned.
“Who is he?”
Martha looked at her son.
“He worked for your father.”
David froze.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
David's father had owned a food distribution company before he died.
Thomas had been his business partner.
But after his father's death, the company had collapsed.
David had never understood why.
“What does he have to do with this?”
Martha sighed.
“Your father discovered that Thomas was falsifying food safety records.”
David stared.
“What?”
“He planned to expose him.”
“Why didn't he?”
“He died before he could.”
David's face went pale.
His father's death had been ruled accidental.
A heart attack while driving.
But Martha had always suspected something.
Now she understood.
Thomas had motive.
He had opportunity.
And he had been connected to the warehouse.
The police reopened the old investigation.
Then they found another piece of evidence.
A bank transfer from Thomas's account.
It had been made the night before David's father's death.
The recipient?
The same shell company involved in the flour sabotage.
David sat in silence.
His family had been carrying this secret for decades.
Martha had known.
“Mom…”
She looked at him.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you were twelve.”
“You could have told me later.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“He threatened you?”
Martha nodded.
“He told me if I spoke, you would be next.”
David's eyes filled with tears.
“You protected me.”
“I tried.”
He hugged her.
“I wish you had trusted me.”
Martha cried.
“I wish I had been brave enough.”
Detective Harris entered.
“We found Thomas.”
David stood.
“Where?”
“He's at the Westbrook headquarters.”
“Arrest him.”
“We need more evidence.”
Martha suddenly spoke.
“I have it.”
Everyone turned.
She reached into her purse.
“I kept this for thirty years.”
It was an old cassette tape.
A recording.
Thomas's voice.
Threatening David's father.
The room went silent.
Detective Harris stared.
“Where did you get this?”
“Your father gave it to me.”
David couldn't breathe.
His father had known.
He had trusted Martha with the evidence.
And Martha had protected it all these years.
May you like
The detective looked at David.
“This changes everything.”
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