Chapter 4 - The Man in the Gray SuitHis name was Victor Hale.
He had worked security contracts for several large corporations.
He had a criminal record that had been sealed.
And he had been seen near the warehouse the night Caleb died.
Agent Morris found his photograph.
Mia pointed at it immediately.
She wrote:
HE WAS THERE.
I looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
Then she drew Caleb.
Then Victor.
Then my father.
Three figures.
One warehouse.
Agent Morris studied the drawing.
"What happened that night?"
Mia closed her notebook.
She wouldn't draw anymore.
She stared at the floor.
I sat beside her.
"You don't have to tell us."
She looked at me.
Then she whispered.
The first sound I had ever heard from her.
"Fire."
I froze.
Agent Morris froze.
Mia covered her mouth.
Tears filled her eyes.
"You can talk," I whispered.
She shook her head.
"Only sometimes."
Her voice was tiny.
Broken.
But real.
I didn't ask her why she had been silent.
I didn't need to.
She had spent two years learning that speaking was dangerous.
She had survived by becoming invisible.
I held her hand.
"You're safe."
She whispered:
"Grandma said if I talked, they would take me too."
I felt sick.
"Who said that?"
"Grandma."
"My mother?"
Mia nodded.
"She said Dad would go to prison."
I looked at Agent Morris.
"So my mother knew."
Mia nodded.
"What else?"
Mia swallowed.
"Dad didn't start the fire."
I stared at her.
"Who did?"
"Victor."
Agent Morris leaned forward.
"How do you know?"
Mia whispered:
"He poured something."
"Gasoline?"
She nodded.
"Why?"
"To burn the papers."
My heart pounded.
"What happened to Caleb?"
Mia closed her eyes.
"He tried to stop him."
She started crying.
"Grandpa hit him."
I couldn't breathe.
My father had lied.
He had told us Caleb died because he was trapped by the fire.
But he had been there.
He had attacked his own son.
Mia continued.
"Dad said Caleb was ruining everything."
I covered my mouth.
Then she said:
"Mom came."
"Your mother?"
Mia nodded.
"She screamed."
"What did she do?"
"She pulled me out."
I stared at her.
"She saved you."
Mia nodded.
"But she left Caleb."
The words shattered me.
I understood now.
My mother wasn't innocent.
She had saved Mia.
But she had abandoned my brother.
Why?
Because she was afraid.
Because she believed she couldn't save both.
The question would haunt me forever.
Agent Morris stood.
"We have enough to reopen the case."
"But Victor?"
"We'll find him."
Then my phone rang.
My father.
I answered.
"Hello?"
His voice was calm.
"You're digging where you shouldn't."
"Where is Mom?"
"Safe."
"Bring her home."
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because she made a mistake."
I stared at Mia.
"What mistake?"
"She told you too much."
I felt anger rising.
"She didn't tell me."
"Then who did?"
I didn't answer.
My father laughed.
"Mia."
The little girl froze.
"Give her the phone."
"No."
"Then listen carefully."
His voice became cold.
"Your mother is willing to cooperate."
"Cooperate with what?"
"With leaving the country."
I felt sick.
"You're threatening her."
"I'm offering her a way out."
"And Mia?"
Silence.
Then:
"She was never supposed to survive the warehouse."
I stopped breathing.
Agent Morris reached for the phone.
But my father had already hung up.
Mia looked at me.
She understood.
She whispered:
"Grandpa wants me gone."
I hugged her.
"No."
She began shaking.
"No."
I held her tighter.
"He doesn't get to decide that."
Agent Morris looked at me.
"We're going to find your mother."
"And my father."
She nodded.
"Both."
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Then she said:
"And we're going to Storage Unit 17."
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