Chapter 10 - THE FATHER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD
Curtis Miller nearly dropped his phone when Emily called.
“My father is dead.”
“Are you sure?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“The kind I’m asking because apparently nobody in this story stays dead.”
There was a long silence.
Then Curtis whispered, “Where are you?”
Daniel arranged for Curtis to meet them at a private office downtown.
He arrived thirty minutes later, pale and furious.
Emily showed him the note.
Curtis stared at the symbol.
“I’ve seen that.”
“Where?”
“My father used it on files he wanted hidden.”
Susan stepped forward.
“Anthony learned it from Robert.”
Curtis looked at her.
“You’re Susan.”
“Yes.”
“My father said you disappeared.”
“He helped me disappear.”
Curtis blinked.
“What?”
Susan explained that Anthony Miller had not been entirely loyal to Marcus Halpern.
After Robert died, Anthony became terrified.
He helped Susan create new documents and escape Cincinnati.
“So my father was trying to help you?”
“At the end.”
Curtis sat down.
“Then why fake his own death?”
Nobody had said he did.
But Curtis had.
Daniel noticed.
“Fake?”
Curtis went still.
Emily leaned forward.
“You knew?”
Curtis rubbed both hands over his face.
“Not until last year.”
Emily stared.
“Your father is alive.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Curtis.”
“I swear.”
He stood and paced.
“Last Christmas, I received a postcard from Santa Fe.”
“From him?”
“No signature.”
“Then how did you know?”
“He used that symbol.”
Susan stepped closer.
“Did he write anything?”
Curtis nodded.
“One sentence.”
“What?”
“Marcus is coming back for Walnut Street.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
Emily understood suddenly.
Richard.
The Golden Spoon.
The trust.
Marcus’s return had been planned.
“Why does he care about one block?” she asked.
Daniel walked toward a map on the wall.
“Because Walnut Street is no longer just one block.”
He pointed toward downtown.
“My company owns redevelopment rights across six adjacent parcels.”
“So?”
“If the Carter trust is validated, ownership of the central block transfers to your family.”
Emily frowned.
“And?”
“Without that block, the entire $1.4 billion riverfront redevelopment can be challenged.”
Curtis stared.
“Richard wants the project.”
“No,” Daniel said.
“He wants leverage.”
Susan went pale.
“Marcus always wanted Reeves Holdings.”
Daniel nodded.
“If they control the Carter claim, they can freeze development and force my board to remove me.”
Emily laughed bitterly.
“So my family is still being used to steal something.”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at her.
“But this time we know.”
Emily turned to Curtis.
“Call your father.”
“I can’t.”
“You can try.”
Curtis hesitated.
Then removed his phone.
He opened an old contact.
DAD - DO NOT CALL.
Emily stared.
“You have his number.”
“He told me emergencies only.”
“This qualifies.”
Curtis dialed.
The call connected.
No greeting.
Just breathing.
Curtis whispered, “Dad?”
A man answered.
“You shouldn’t have called.”
Susan covered her mouth.
Anthony.
Alive.
Curtis looked at Emily.
“We need to meet.”
“No.”
“Dad, Marcus is back.”
“I know.”
“Emily Carter found the files.”
Silence.
Then Anthony spoke.
“Get her out of Cincinnati.”
Emily took the phone.
“No.”
Curtis tried to stop her.
She raised it to her ear.
“Mr. Miller?”
Anthony went silent.
“This is Emily Carter.”
A long pause.
Then the older man whispered, “Robert’s girl.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
“Then help me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus didn’t kill your father.”
Emily froze.
“Who did?”
Anthony began crying.
May you like
Then he said:
“I did.”
