Chapter 12 - THE SECRET MY LITTLE SISTER HAD BEEN HIDING
Sadi Harper was only eight when our parents died.
I had always believed she was too young to remember anything important about that night.
Now Ravi's father's letter suggested otherwise.
I rushed home with questions pounding through my head.
Sadi was sitting on the living room floor, building a castle from colorful plastic blocks.
When she saw me, she smiled.
"Ellie!"
She still called me Ellie whenever she was happy.
I knelt beside her.
"Hey, sweetheart."
She studied my face.
"Are you crying again?"
I laughed weakly.
"Maybe a little."
She wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Did the bad people make you sad?"
I held her close.
"There's something I need to ask you."
She pulled back.
"What?"
"Do you remember the night Mom and Dad died?"
Her smile disappeared.
For several seconds, she stared at the floor.
Then she nodded.
"A little."
I sat beside her.
"What do you remember?"
She twisted a plastic block between her fingers.
"Dad was upset."
My heart tightened.
"Why?"
"He was talking on the phone."
"Do you remember what he said?"
Sadi closed her eyes.
"He said somebody needed to stop stealing from children."
I felt cold.
"What else?"
She looked toward the window.
"Mom was crying."
Tears filled my eyes.
Sadi continued.
"Dad told her everything would be okay."
I squeezed her hand.
"Did you hear a name?"
She nodded slowly.
"Gabriel."
My stomach dropped.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Then she looked at me.
"Ellie, there's something I never told you."
I held my breath.
"What?"
"The night Mom and Dad left, a man came to the house."
My heart hammered.
"What man?"
"He was old. He had white hair."
"Did he say his name?"
Sadi shook her head.
"But Dad knew him."
"What happened?"
"He gave Dad a small black bag."
I stared.
"Where did Dad put it?"
Sadi thought for a moment.
"Under the kitchen sink."
I stood.
Our apartment had been searched twice.
The police had examined Dad's old papers.
But nobody had looked beneath the false wooden panel at the back of the kitchen cabinet.
I hurried into the kitchen.
Sadi followed.
"Ellie?"
I opened the cabinet.
Cleaning supplies crowded the shelves.
Behind them sat a loose wooden board.
My hands trembled as I pulled it free.
Inside was a narrow black pouch.
I stared.
Sadi whispered, "That's it."
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a tiny recording device and a folded photograph.
The photograph showed Gabriel Greedy standing beside Catherine Voss.
Between them was a much younger Kiran.
My heart stopped.
Kiran was alive in the photograph.
The date was two months before my parents died.
Which meant Gabriel had known where Kiran was hiding.
I called Detective Mitchell.
Within an hour, she arrived to collect the evidence.
The recording device was examined and its contents recovered.
My father's voice filled the room.
"Gabriel, I know you've been using the ransom funds."
Then Gabriel answered.
"You have no idea what you're interfering with."
My father continued.
"I know Kiran is alive. And Ravi deserves to know where his brother is."
Gabriel's voice turned cold.
"If you tell Ravi, I'll make certain your daughters grow up without parents."
The recording ended.
I covered my mouth.
Then Detective Mitchell opened the second audio file.
This one was recorded on the night of the crash.
My mother's voice trembled.
"Michael, there's a car following us."
Dad answered.
"Stay calm, Elizabeth."
A loud engine sounded.
Then my mother shouted:
"That's Catherine's car!"
The recording cut off.
I began shaking.
Detective Mitchell carefully placed the device on the table.
But before she could speak, Sadi whispered something that made everyone turn toward her.
"Ellie, I remember something else."
I looked at her.
"What, sweetheart?"
She stared at the photograph.
"The man with white hair wasn't giving Dad evidence."
My heart tightened.
"Then what was he doing?"
May you like
Sadi whispered:
"He was warning Dad that Gabriel had already found our house."
