Chapter 3 - THE SECRET BEN WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO TELL
Marcus couldn't move.
“What did you say?”
Ben's little shoulders shook.
Pia held him carefully.
Marcus forced himself to breathe.
“Ben, look at Daddy.”
The boy refused.
“It's okay,” Pia whispered. “You don't have to talk until you're ready.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Don't tell him what to say.”
“I won't.”
“Then let him answer me.”
Pia nodded.
Ben finally looked up.
“Mommy didn't die.”
Marcus's heart pounded.
“Who told you that?”
“Grandma.”
“When?”
Ben thought.
“Before.”
“Before what?”
“Before Grandma made me promise.”
“Promise what?”
Ben's eyes filled with tears.
“Not to tell.”
Marcus knelt.
For the first time in months, he lowered himself completely to his son's level.
“Ben, you won't get in trouble.”
The boy stared at him.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Ben slowly reached for his father's hand.
Marcus nearly broke down.
It had been so long since his son had done that voluntarily.
“Grandma said Mommy went away because Daddy made her sad.”
Marcus felt as though someone had punched him.
“What?”
Ben nodded.
“She said Mommy wanted to leave.”
Pia's face tightened.
Marcus closed his eyes.
He suddenly remembered the months before Victoria's death.
The arguments.
The distance.
His own obsession with work.
Victoria telling him, “Marcus, you're losing yourself.”
And him answering, “I'm doing this for the family.”
Had he really believed she wanted to leave?
Had he allowed his mother to shape the story after Victoria died?
He looked at Ben.
“What else did Grandma say?”
Ben whispered:
“She said Mommy had another family.”
Marcus's face went pale.
“No.”
Ben began crying.
“She said Mommy didn't love us.”
Marcus pulled him into his arms.
“That's not true.”
For the first time, he held his son without thinking about grief.
Without thinking about the past.
Just held him.
Ben clung to his shirt.
Pia watched silently.
Marcus felt tears run down his face.
He didn't wipe them away.
After several minutes, Ben fell asleep.
Marcus carefully placed him in bed.
Then he turned toward Pia.
“My mother was here last night.”
“Yes.”
“She came into his room.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Did she ever say anything to you?”
Pia hesitated.
“Not directly.”
“Then what?”
Pia looked toward the sleeping child.
“Your mother came into the kitchen this morning.”
Marcus stiffened.
“When?”
“Before breakfast.”
“What did she say?”
“She asked how Ben was.”
“And?”
“She asked if he had mentioned Victoria.”
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing.”
Pia paused.
“She also told me to be careful.”
“About what?”
“She said people who dig into old accidents sometimes regret what they find.”
Marcus felt a chill.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know whether I could trust you.”
That answer hurt.
But Marcus couldn't blame her.
He walked downstairs.
The house suddenly felt unfamiliar.
He went into his office and opened the security system.
He searched every recording from the previous eight months.
The weeks before Victoria's accident.
He watched.
Victoria arguing with someone.
Victoria leaving the house.
Victoria returning.
Nothing.
Then he saw something.
Three weeks before her death, Victoria met Rose McKenzie outside a café.
Marcus paused the footage.
It wasn't his camera.
It was from an old security recording he'd obtained after the accident.
He had forgotten about it.
He watched the interaction.
Victoria handed Rose an envelope.
Rose hugged her.
Then Victoria said something.
Marcus couldn't hear.
He enhanced the audio.
“Take this to Marcus if anything happens to me.”
Marcus froze.
Rose shook her head.
Victoria held her hands.
“Promise me.”
Marcus replayed the recording.
Again.
Again.
His hands trembled.
Then he noticed something else.
A man standing across the street.
Black jacket.
Cap.
Watching them.
Marcus recognized him.
He had seen that man before.
At Victoria's funeral.
And again outside the hospital.
Marcus searched the old photographs.
There he was.
Always in the background.
Always watching.
Marcus called his private investigator.
“Tom?”
“Yes?”
“I need you to reopen Victoria's accident.”
There was silence.
“We already did that.”
“I know.”
“Marcus, the police ruled it accidental.”
“I don't care.”
“Why now?”
Marcus stared at the frozen image on his screen.
“Because I think someone lied to me.”
Tom sighed.
“What are you looking for?”
“Everything.”
The call ended.
Marcus leaned back.
Then his eyes fell on a file sitting on his desk.
Victoria's belongings.
He opened it.
Inside was her wedding ring.
A necklace.
A photograph.
And a small flash drive.
Marcus frowned.
He had never seen it before.
He plugged it into his computer.
A single folder appeared.
FOR MARCUS — IF I DON'T COME HOME.
His heart stopped.
He opened it.
There was one video.
Victoria appeared on the screen.
She looked tired.
Scared.
But determined.
“Marcus,” she said.
“If you're watching this, something has happened.”
Marcus's eyes filled.
Victoria continued.
“I need you to know one thing.”
She leaned closer.
“Don't trust Evelyn.”
Marcus stopped breathing.
Then Victoria said something that shattered everything he thought he knew.
“Your mother knows why I was afraid to let Ben stay alone with her.”
The video suddenly cut to black.
Marcus stared at the screen.
Then a message appeared.
FILE 2 — PASSWORD REQUIRED.
Marcus tried Victoria's birthday.
Wrong.
Their wedding date.
Wrong.
Ben's birthday.
Wrong.
Then he noticed something written on the bottom of the flash drive.
A single word.
Pia.
Marcus's blood ran cold.
He ran upstairs.
Pia was sitting beside Ben's bed.
She looked up.
“What happened?”
Marcus held up the flash drive.
“Why is your name on this?”
Pia went completely pale.
She stood slowly.
Then whispered:
“Because Victoria gave it to my mother.”
Marcus stared at her.
“You knew?”
Pia shook her head.
“No.”
“Then why is your name on it?”
Pia's eyes filled with tears.
“Because Victoria asked my mother to protect Ben.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“From whom?”
Pia looked toward the bedroom door.
Then she whispered:
“From your mother.”
May you like
Suddenly, the lights went out.
And from downstairs came the sound of glass shattering.
