Chapter 8 - WHY THEY WANTED ME
I read the letter twice.
Then a third time.
“You were the target.”
Those four words wouldn't leave my mind.
Michael stood beside me.
“Let me see.”
I handed him the letter.
His face changed as he read.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“I didn't know.”
My mother sat down.
“I did.”
I stared at her.
“When?”
“The night your father died.”
“Tell me.”
She looked at Eleanor.
Eleanor nodded.
My mother began.
“Your father had discovered the trust.”
I frowned.
“What trust?”
“The one your grandfather created for you.”
Michael whispered:
“They knew about it.”
My mother nodded.
“The investors knew your grandfather had placed everything in your name.”
“Why?”
“Because your grandfather didn't trust his own partners.”
She explained that the trust contained property, investments, and company shares.
The assets had been designed to pass to me when I reached adulthood.
But there was a condition.
If I died before the transfer became final, control would revert to another branch of the family.
I understood.
“Someone wanted me dead.”
My mother nodded.
“And your father found out.”
“What did he do?”
“He tried to protect you.”
“That's why he died?”
She looked down.
“He was supposed to take you and leave.”
“Where?”
“Canada.”
I stared at her.
“What stopped him?”
“Your father was followed.”
Michael closed his eyes.
“I should have known.”
My mother looked at him.
“You were supposed to help him.”
“I never got the message.”
“Because I intercepted it.”
Michael stood.
“You lied to me too.”
“I was terrified.”
“You let him die.”
My mother broke down.
“I know.”
Nobody spoke.
Then Dana's phone rang.
She answered.
After a few seconds, she looked at me.
“Mr. Carter, we found the trust's original custodian.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Your grandfather's former accountant.”
“Where is he?”
“Dead.”
I stared at her.
“Of course.”
“He left behind records.”
“Where?”
“An old storage facility outside Fort Worth.”
I stood.
“We're going.”
Dana shook her head.
“You shouldn't go.”
“I need to know.”
“We'll handle it.”
“No.”
I looked at Michael.
Then at Eleanor.
Then at Olivia, who had come into the hallway.
“I've spent my entire life letting other people decide what I should know.”
Olivia stepped beside me.
“Not anymore.”
We drove to the storage facility before sunrise.
The place was abandoned except for a security guard.
Dana showed him the authorization.
He led us to Unit 214.
The lock was old.
Inside were boxes stacked from floor to ceiling.
Financial records.
Property deeds.
Photographs.
Letters.
And one small wooden box.
My name was written on it.
I opened it.
Inside was a key.
A handwritten note.
This key opens the account no one knows exists.
Below it was a bank name.
And an account number.
Dana immediately photographed it.
“We need to verify this legally.”
I nodded.
Then Michael found another box.
Inside was a series of photographs.
My father.
My mother.
Raymond.
And a fourth man.
I recognized him.
He had been at our house that afternoon.
Sitting near the dining room.
Quiet.
Unnoticed.
My mother's attorney.
I looked at Dana.
“Why was he there?”
She frowned.
“Who?”
I pointed.
“The attorney.”
She looked at the photograph.
Then at me.
“That photograph is twenty years old.”
I shook my head.
“He's the same man.”
Eleanor stepped closer.
“No.”
“What?”
She stared at the photograph.
“That isn't him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He had a brother.”
I felt cold.
“Twin?”
She nodded.
“Identical.”
Michael looked toward the doorway.
“Where is the brother?”
Eleanor whispered:
“Dead.”
Dana's phone rang.
She answered.
Then her face went pale.
“What?”
She listened.
“Understood.”
She hung up.
“What happened?”
“The man who came to represent your mother…”
She swallowed.
“His real identity is not what he told us.”
I felt my heart pounding.
“Who is he?”
Dana looked at me.
“His name is Victor Lang.”
Michael stepped back.
“No.”
“What?”
“I know that name.”
“Who is he?”
Michael's voice dropped.
“He worked for the investors.”
The lights inside the storage facility suddenly went out.
Everything went black.
May you like
Then we heard the door slam.
Someone had locked us inside.
