Chapter 5: My Brother's Secret
Ethan arrived at the station forty minutes later.
He walked into the interview room wearing a navy blazer and the same silver watch I'd bought him for his fortieth birthday.
He looked composed.
Too composed.
When he saw me, he opened his arms.
“Marcus. God, man.””
I didn't move.
He lowered his arms.
“I've been trying to reach you.””
“You sent me two messages.””
“I didn't know what to say.””
“You knew the police were questioning Vanessa.””
His eyes flickered toward Officer Brooks.
“I heard something from a friend.””
“Which friend?””
“Does that matter?””
Officer Brooks pulled out a chair.
“It matters if the information is relevant to an active investigation. Please sit down, Mr. Reed.””
Ethan sat.
He placed his phone on the table, screen down, then folded his hands.
“What is this about?””
Officer Brooks opened a notebook.
“You left your brother a voicemail referring to an incident six months ago. You said Danielle wasn't the first person who wanted Vanessa gone. What did you mean?””
Ethan glanced at me.
“I was talking about work.””
“What work?””
“Vanessa had a disagreement with a client. There were some threats. Nothing serious.””
“Who made the threats?””
“I don't remember.””
Officer Brooks didn't blink.
“You don't remember the name of someone who threatened a woman you introduced to your brother?””
Ethan shifted in his chair.
“It was a long time ago.””
“Six months,” I said.
“And you remembered it well enough to warn me about it today.””
He turned toward me.
“Marcus, I was trying to help you.””
“Then help me.””
I leaned forward.
“Did you ever send messages to Lily from my phone?””
Ethan stared at me.
“What?””
“Did you tell her I had a new family? Did you tell her to stop calling me?””
His face changed.
For one fleeting second, I saw something that looked like genuine fear.
Then he laughed.
“Are you serious?””
“I need an answer.””
“No, Marcus. I didn't send messages to your daughter.””
“Did you ever use my phone?””
“Everybody has used your phone.””
“Did you know my passcode?””
Ethan leaned back.
“Of course I knew it. You gave it to me.””
Officer Brooks made a note.
“When?””
“I don't know. A while ago.””
“Did you know Mr. Reed was having an affair with Ms. Cole?””
Ethan looked at me.
The silence lasted too long.
“Yes,” he admitted.
My stomach twisted.
“How long?””
“Since the summer.””
“You knew?””
“I introduced you two. I wasn't blind.””
“You knew I was cheating on my wife, and you said nothing?””
Ethan's expression hardened.
“Don't act like you're the victim here. You made your choices.””
“I did. But we're talking about Lily.””
His jaw tightened.
“Then stop dragging me into your mess.””
Officer Brooks closed her notebook.
“Mr. Reed, did you ever communicate with Lily about her father's relationship with Ms. Cole?””
“No.””
“Did you ever tell Lily that her father might leave the family?””
“No.””
“Did you ever ask Lily to keep secrets from her mother?””
Ethan's eyes darted toward me.
“No.””
The answers came quickly now.
Too quickly.
Officer Brooks stood.
“We'll need to verify some of these details. For now, we would appreciate it if you would preserve any communications you have with Ms. Cole or the Reed family.””
“Am I free to go?””
“For the moment.””
Ethan stood and straightened his blazer.
At the door, he turned to me.
“Marcus, can we talk privately?””
“No.””
His expression hardened.
“Fine. But when you find out what's really going on, don't come crying to me.””
He walked out.
I watched through the glass as he crossed the lobby and disappeared into the afternoon crowd.
Officer Brooks returned to the table.
“Your brother is hiding something.””
“What makes you say that?””
“He knew about the affair, knew your passcode, and sent you a warning about Vanessa before you told him the police were investigating her. That doesn't prove he sent the messages, but it gives us reasons to investigate his communications.””
I rubbed my face.
“Ethan and I grew up together. He was the person I called when our father died. He helped me start my business.””
“People can be close and still keep secrets.””
I looked at the empty chair.
“Why would he do this to Lily?””
“We don't know that he did.””
I hated that answer because it was reasonable.
I wanted someone to blame. I wanted a name, a motive, a confession.
I wanted to rewind time to the moment Lily first asked me to read her a story and choose differently.
But none of those things were available to me.
Officer Brooks walked me back to the lobby.
“Go home, Mr. Reed. Speak to your wife if she is willing. And please remember that your daughter deserves the truth, even if that truth is uncomfortable.””
I drove straight to Danielle's house.
She opened the door but didn't invite me inside.
“I told you not to come over without calling.””
“I know. I'm sorry.””
“What happened?””
I told her about Ethan's voicemail and the interview.
At the mention of his name, her face tightened.
“Why would Ethan know about the threats?””
“You tell me.””
She stared at me.
“I don't know.””
“Did he ever spend time alone with Lily?””
“Of course. He's her uncle.””
“Did he ever take her to school?””
“Several times. Why?””
I looked away.
Danielle stepped closer.
“Marcus, what are you thinking?””
“I don't know what to think anymore.””
She crossed her arms.
“Then stop thinking about what everyone else might have done and start telling me what you know.””
I took a breath.
“Ethan knew about the affair. He knew my passcode. He may have known when I was in Savannah.””
“Did he know you were going with Vanessa?””
“I don't think so.””
Danielle gave me a look that made my stomach drop.
“You don't think so? You don't know?””
“I told him I had a conference.””
“And did he know Vanessa was going?””
I couldn't answer.
Danielle stepped back.
“That's what I thought.””
She turned toward the hallway.
“Wait,” I said.
“Did you ever receive a threatening message from Vanessa?””
Danielle stopped.
“Yes.””
My heart began pounding.
“When?””
“About six months ago.””
I stared at her.
“What did it say?””
She turned around slowly.
“It said that if I tried to expose the affair, I would lose more than my husband.””
The room seemed to tilt.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because the message came from an unknown number, and I thought it might be someone trying to scare me. I didn't know it was Vanessa.””
“Did you save it?””
“I did.””
“Where?””
Danielle walked to a small cabinet beside the stairs and took out an old phone.
“This was Lily's previous phone. I used it for a while after mine broke. The message was sent here.””
She unlocked it and opened a conversation.
The number was unfamiliar.
The message was brief.
You should stop asking questions about your husband. You have no idea what you're risking.
Below it was another message.
Your daughter is the one who will suffer if you keep pushing.
My hands went cold.
“Why didn't you report this?””
“I was scared.””
“Of Vanessa?””
“Of what she might do. Of what might happen to Lily. Of losing everything.””
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“And I was ashamed. I knew our marriage was falling apart, and I didn't want anyone to know how much I had failed to protect it.””
I stepped closer.
“Danielle, you didn't fail Lily.””
She recoiled.
“Don't.””
“I mean it.””
“You don't get to tell me that. You weren't there when she woke from nightmares. You weren't there when she asked if you were leaving us. You weren't there when she begged me not to let you go.””
Her voice broke.
“I was there, Marcus. I was there every single time.””
I lowered my head.
“I know.””
“No, you don't.””
She held up the old phone.
“Look at this.””
Another message appeared beneath the threat.
It had been sent three days later.
If you want your family to survive, keep your mouth shut.
I stared at the words.
“Was this the number Vanessa used?””
“I don't know.””
“Can the police trace it?””
“They're trying.””
Danielle put the phone on the table.
“There's something else.””
My pulse quickened.
“What?””
“About two months ago, Lily told me someone had been asking her questions about our family.””
“What kind of questions?””
“She said a grown-up wanted to know whether you were happy at home. Whether you and I fought. Whether you ever talked about leaving.””
I felt sick.
“Who was it?””
“She wouldn't say.””
“Why?””
“Because she promised not to tell.””
I pressed my fingers against my forehead.
“Another secret.””
“Yes,” Danielle whispered.
“Another secret.””
We stood in silence.
Then Danielle said, “I think I know why Lily was so afraid.””
I looked up.
“What do you mean?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Last month, I found a little notebook under her mattress. She'd written things in it about you.””
“Do you still have it?””
“Yes.””
“Can I see it?””
Danielle hesitated.
Then she walked upstairs.
I waited in the living room, staring at the family photographs on the wall.
In every picture, Lily was smiling.
At the beach.
On her birthday.
At Christmas, wearing a red dress and holding a present almost as big as she was.
In each photograph, I stood beside her.
I had mistaken proximity for presence.
When Danielle returned, she held a small pink notebook.
She opened it to a page marked with a purple star.
The handwriting was Lily's.
Things I can do so Daddy doesn't leave.
Underneath were five numbered items.
1. Don't call him when he is working.
2. Don't ask him to play.
3. Don't cry when he goes away.
4. Don't tell Mommy about Aunt Vanessa.
5. Be good.
I couldn't look at Danielle.
She turned the page.
There was one final sentence.
If I do all these things, maybe Daddy will choose me.
I sank into the chair.
Danielle covered her mouth.
We cried together, but there was no comfort in it.
Only the knowledge that our daughter had spent months trying to solve a problem created by adults who should have protected her.
When Danielle finally closed the notebook, she looked at me.
“I want the police to have this.””
“I'll take it to them.””
“No. I'll take it myself.””
I nodded.
She held the notebook against her chest.
“And Marcus?””
“Yes?””
“If your brother or Vanessa hurt Lily, I want you to tell the police everything. Even if it means losing your business. Even if it means losing your reputation.””
“I will.””
“Because I won't let anyone turn our daughter into a secret we bury to protect ourselves.””
She walked me to the door.
For a moment, I thought she might reach for my hand.
Instead, she stepped aside.
I left without asking her to forgive me.
That evening, Officer Brooks called.
“We've made progress on the phone records,” she said.
“The unknown number that sent the threats to your wife and the number that contacted Lily may be linked to the same prepaid account.””
“Who bought it?””
“We're checking the purchase records. But there's something else.””
I held my breath.
“We found a message exchange between your brother and Ms. Cole from the week before your trip to Savannah.””
“What did it say?””
“Your brother asked Ms. Cole whether she had taken care of the problem.””
My blood ran cold.
“What problem?””
“We don't know yet. Ms. Cole replied that she had handled it and that you wouldn't find out until it was too late.””
I gripped the phone.
“Too late for what?””
Officer Brooks paused.
“That's what we're trying to establish.””
I stared at the wall.
My brother had known Vanessa before I did.
He'd helped bring her into my life.
He'd known about the affair.
And now the police had found messages suggesting that the two of them had discussed a problem involving my family.
“What happens now?”” I asked.
“We're arranging follow-up interviews. We also need to speak with your brother again.””
I looked at Lily's letter on the table.
I don't want you to be tired of me.
“Officer Brooks,” I said, “there's something else you should know.””
“What is it?””
“Ethan used to pick Lily up from school. Sometimes he took her to lunch. He was the person she called when I didn't answer.””
The silence on the other end changed.
“Did you know that before today?””
“No.””
“Then we need to establish whether your brother had any contact with Lily on Friday.””
I closed my eyes.
Because if Ethan had been the person Lily trusted when I failed her, he might have had more influence over her than I had ever realized.
And if he had used that trust against her, the betrayal would be almost impossible to comprehend.
Before Officer Brooks could continue, my phone vibrated.
A message from Ethan.
I need to tell you the truth about Vanessa.
A second message followed.
But if I do, you'll understand why Lily was never supposed to find out.
I stared at the words.
Then I called him.
He answered immediately.
“Marcus?””
“What did you do?””
He exhaled shakily.
“I didn't hurt Lily.””
“Then tell me what happened.””
“Not over the phone.””
“Where are you?””
“Come to Dad's old house. Alone.””
My father's house had been empty for years, waiting to be sold. Ethan still had a key.
“Why there?””
“Because Vanessa doesn't know I kept the files.””
“What files?””
He lowered his voice.
“The ones that prove she didn't come into your life by accident.””
The call ended.
I stood in the kitchen, my heart pounding.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
And Marcus? Don't bring Danielle. She'll know what I did.
