Chapter 5 - The Man Behind the Accident
Federal investigators moved quickly.
Richard Hale was questioned.
My father was questioned.
My mother disappeared for two days.
Melissa stayed with me.
For the first time in our lives, my sister and I sat together without fighting.
We talked about Lily.
About Noah.
About Ethan.
She showed me videos.
Birthday parties.
Christmas mornings.
Beach trips.
Little moments I had forgotten.
One evening, she said:
“I wish I had gone to the funeral.”
I looked at her.
“So do I.”
She cried.
I hugged her.
It was the first time I had held my sister in years.
Then my phone rang.
Daniel.
“Claire, they found the mechanic.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“Did he talk?”
“He did.”
I held my breath.
“What did he say?”
“He was paid to falsify the inspection.”
“By whom?”
Daniel paused.
“Your father.”
My eyes closed.
“And Richard?”
“Richard gave the money.”
The entire plan was becoming clear.
Ethan had discovered the financial fraud.
Richard needed him silent.
My father helped.
The truck was sabotaged.
The driver was drugged.
Ethan, Lily, and Noah were killed.
Then the settlement would be redirected.
My father and Richard would profit.
But they had underestimated me.
They had underestimated Ethan.
And they had underestimated the people who loved us.
The next morning, federal agents arrived at my house.
They gave me one final piece of evidence.
A recording.
My father's voice.
“We don't need Claire to know anything. Once the settlement comes through, she'll be too broken to fight.”
I closed my eyes.
Another voice answered.
Richard.
“And the children?”
A long silence.
Then my father's voice.
“They're part of the risk.”
I couldn't breathe.
My father had known.
He had known my children were in danger.
And he had done nothing.
I turned off the recording.
“Arrest him.”
The agent nodded.
“We will.”
But there was one problem.
May you like
Richard had disappeared.
And my father had disappeared with him.
