Chapter 6 - The Father Who Sold My Name
My father had lied about his debts, my mother's past, and the night Julian's sister disappeared.
Now he was missing.
And I was beginning to believe he'd betrayed more than just me.
Detective Brooks arranged to meet Julian and me at a secure office.
I showed her the photograph.
She examined it carefully.
"This could establish that May survived the reported date of her death, assuming the photograph is authentic."
Julian stared at his sister's face.
He hadn't spoken for several minutes.
Then he whispered, "She was alive."
His voice broke.
"All those years..."
I reached toward him, then hesitated.
He looked up.
For the first time, his carefully controlled expression completely collapsed.
"I buried an empty coffin, didn't I?"
Detective Brooks answered gently.
"We don't know that yet."
Julian nodded, struggling to regain control.
I wanted to comfort him.
But I knew what it felt like to lose someone and have the truth twisted afterward.
There were no easy words.
We examined Walter's records.
His debts had increased sharply during the past year.
But something didn't make sense.
Several payments had been made on his behalf by a shell company connected to Lorenzo Dresco.
Walter hadn't simply borrowed money.
He'd been receiving it.
"Why?" I whispered.
Detective Brooks opened another document.
"Your father had access to a bank account used to fund May's disappearance."
Julian looked up sharply.
"He was paid to keep quiet?"
"Possibly. We need to investigate further."
My stomach tightened.
I remembered all the evenings I'd paid Walter's gambling debts.
The birthdays he'd forgotten.
The way he'd cried while promising to change.
And now I wondered whether his helplessness had sometimes been an act.
Then Julian's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Lorenzo."
A slow laugh came through the speaker.
"Still trying to find your little sister, Undertaker?"
Julian's jaw tightened.
"Where's Walter?"
"Safe enough."
"Let him go."
Lorenzo chuckled.
"I'll exchange him for something."
"What?"
"The locket."
Julian glanced at me.
I shook my head.
He didn't look away.
"Why is it important?"
"Ask your nurse."
My stomach twisted.
"I don't know what it opens," I said loudly.
Lorenzo laughed.
"Of course you don't, sweetheart. Evelyn was much too clever to tell a child."
I gripped the table.
"What did you do to my mother?"
The laughter stopped.
Then Lorenzo spoke quietly.
"Your mother was supposed to work for me."
My breath caught.
"But she chose May Voss instead."
A long silence followed.
Then he said something that chilled the room.
"Julian, your sister isn't the only person you should be searching for."
Julian's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
Lorenzo answered.
"Ask Tomas why he never told you who ordered the attack at the auction."
The line disconnected.
Julian turned slowly toward his security chief.
Tomas had been standing near the door.
For the first time, he looked frightened.
May you like
And then he whispered:
"Boss, there's something about your father's death you need to know."
