Chapter 3 - Her Father’s Last Secret
“Who are you?” Camille demanded.
The caller laughed softly.
“Ask Gabriel’s mother.”
Gabriel looked at Teresa.
“Mother?”
Teresa’s hands tightened.
The voice continued.
“She knows exactly what Thomas Carter died protecting.”
Gabriel said, “Voss?”
The line went silent.
Then disconnected.
Marco immediately took the phone.
“I’ll trace it.”
Teresa stood.
“You won’t.”
Gabriel turned toward her.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel Voss always planned three moves ahead.”
Camille stepped closer.
“You knew him.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my father.”
“Yes.”
“Then stop protecting secrets and start protecting people.”
Teresa stared at her.
Something about the words seemed to affect her.
“You sound like Thomas.”
“Good. Then tell me what he knew.”
Teresa looked at Gabriel.
“Your father and Thomas discovered Voss was building a private archive.”
“Of what?”
“Everyone.”
She looked around.
“Politicians. Judges. Businessmen. Criminal organizations. Police officers. Families.”
Marco said, “Blackmail.”
“Insurance,” Teresa corrected bitterly. “That’s what Daniel called it.”
Camille touched her pendant.
“And my father?”
“Thomas created the encryption.”
“Then tried to destroy it?”
“Yes.”
Teresa looked toward Camille.
“He divided the final access key into two physical components.”
Gabriel slowly pulled out his silver crescent.
Camille looked down at hers.
“No.”
Teresa nodded.
“The pendants.”
Camille gave a disbelieving laugh.
“My grandmother told me this was jewelry.”
“That’s what Thomas wanted you to believe.”
Gabriel examined his piece.
“Why give half to me?”
Teresa’s eyes softened.
“Because Thomas trusted you.”
“I was seventeen.”
“You saved Camille.”
Camille looked at Gabriel.
He looked away.
Teresa continued.
“Thomas knew nobody would expect a frightened child to split the key and give half to another child.”
Gabriel said, “Where is the archive?”
“I don’t know.”
Camille’s phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Her grandmother’s old Brookline house.
Below it:
MIDNIGHT. COME ALONE IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
Gabriel read it.
“No.”
Camille looked at him.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You’re thinking loudly.”
Marco almost smiled.
Camille shoved the phone toward Gabriel.
“He wants me there.”
“Which is why you’re not going.”
“You don’t own me.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then stop giving orders.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“And I’m trying to find out why somebody has been hunting my family for fifteen years.”
Gabriel stepped closer.
“You think I don’t understand that?”
“I think you’re accustomed to everyone obeying you.”
“Yes.”
“Well, congratulations. Your streak ended tonight.”
Marco muttered, “I like her.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Outside.”
“I’ll be outside.”
Camille folded her arms.
“At midnight, I’m going to Brookline.”
Gabriel studied her.
“Fine.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“Fine?”
“I’m coming.”
“It says alone.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’ll scare him away.”
“Good.”
“That defeats the purpose.”
Gabriel leaned closer.
“I spent fifteen years wondering whether the twelve-year-old girl I put into Eleanor Carter’s car survived. I found you once by accident three years ago and didn’t recognize you. Tonight, someone tried to kill you.”
His voice remained controlled.
“I’m not losing you because a text message told me to stay home.”
Camille’s anger weakened.
“You really looked for me?”
“Every year.”
“Why?”
Gabriel touched the silver crescent.
“Because I promised.”
At 11:58 p.m., Camille entered her grandmother’s abandoned Brookline house.
Gabriel was nowhere visible.
That did not mean he wasn’t there.
Camille knew better now.
She walked into the dusty living room.
“Hello?”
A laptop screen suddenly illuminated.
A prerecorded video appeared.
Camille stopped breathing.
Thomas Carter was sitting in front of the camera.
Her father.
Alive in a moment captured fifteen years ago.
“Camille,” the recording began. “If you’re watching this, then I failed.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she remained standing.
“I’m sorry.”
Thomas continued.
“Daniel Voss discovered that I planned to destroy the archive. If he survived tonight, he will eventually search for the key.”
Camille whispered, “Dad.”
“The two silver pieces must be joined. But they are not the archive key.”
Camille frowned.
“They reveal where I hid it.”
A floorboard creaked behind her.
Camille turned.
A man stood in the doorway.
Older now.
Gray-haired.
Thin.
But she recognized the scratched-out face from the photograph.
Daniel Voss.
“Hello, Camille.”
She backed toward the desk.
“You killed my father.”
Voss smiled faintly.
“Your father made unfortunate choices.”
A voice came from the darkness behind him.
“And you just made yours.”
Gabriel stepped into view.
Voss’s smile disappeared.
Gabriel’s men emerged from both sides of the hallway.
Camille looked at Gabriel.
“You followed me.”
“I promised not to let you come alone.”
“You never promised that.”
“I implied it.”
Despite everything, Camille nearly laughed.
Voss looked between them.
“You think this is over?”
Gabriel’s expression remained cold.
“No.”
Voss smiled again.
“Good.”
May you like
He looked at Camille.
“Because your father is still alive.”
