Chapter Sixty Four

The man who had vanished before Emily's parents died was standing outside Sophia's office, holding something that could demolish the last memory of her childhood she still had faith in. Thomas Reed was approached carefully by Emily. His hair had silver streaks, and his mouth had deep wrinkles, making him look older than she remembered from the few photographs she had seen. The tired face of someone who had spent too many years attempting to escape a recollection was evident in his eyes.

Thomas offered her the document and said, "I think this is yours, Emily."

Even though she could see her name on the envelope, she didn't take it right away.

"Where have you been all these years?" Emily inquired.

Thomas dropped his gaze. "I wish I could convince myself somehow that staying away was the same thing as keeping you secure."

"That doesn't answer my question," she stated.

Thomas said, "No," in acknowledgement. "It doesn't."

"Before you give her anything, we need to know why you vanished and why you chose to return now," Sophia said, moving closer.

Thomas looked at her, then turned his attention to Emily.

"I came back because Margaret has finally started speaking the truth," Thomas said. He added, "And Victor Knight is aware that I am back."

The envelope was received by Emily. She shivered as her fingers touched the paper.

"Did Victor hurt my parents?" Emily asked.

Thomas did not give any response right away. The quietness was scarier than any statement.

Thomas said at last, "I can only tell you what I saw and not what I didn't.”

Emily opened the letter.

A typed statement bearing Thomas's signature and the week her parents passed away were found within. A meeting at the Carter residence, a argument over financial records, and an order for Thomas to depart the premises by midnight were all recorded.

The order was given by Ryan's father.

Emily reread the page, expecting she had misread it.

"Why did he tell you to leave?" Emily asked Thomas.

"Your parents had found financial arrangements involving firms that were overseen by Victor Knight," Thomas responded. Before the information was made public, your father's encounter with Ryan's father was intended to settle the problem. They intended to present the evidence to the police.

"How should it have been resolved?" Emily asked.

Thomas said, "I was never informed." "But when I saw your dad last, he was scared to death. He told me that if something happens, I need to make sure the paperwork went to someone who wouldn't sell it."

Emily's throat tightened. "And you abandoned him there?"

Thomas flinched.

"I obeyed the directive. It was too late when I understood what might happen."

Between them, his confession landed like a rock.

Emily was desperate to hate him. It would have been less challenging than confronting a person who may have mourned the decision that prevented him from being with her parents on their last night for decades.

"Did you witness the accident?" Emily inquired.

Thomas responded, "No." "I had already departed."

"Then how can you help me?" she asked.

"Because that wasn't the only event that occurred that evening," Thomas replied.

Sophia continued. "What do you mean?"

Thomas looked toward the closed office door before answering.

"I returned to the house after your parents passed away. Their study had been broken into. The safe was open, and the documents they had gathered were gone."

"Who opened this?" Emily questioned.

Thomas Reed stated, "I'm not sure. But I noticed something under the desk that had gone undetected."

He took out a small, sealed envelope from his coat.

Emily's gaze was fixed on it.

"Why didn't you give me this sooner?" she asked.

"I was concerned about what it may imply for you," Thomas said. "And because the name within connected your parents' probe to someone I had put my faith in."

Sophia received the envelope from Emily after she took it from him.

"Regardless of what it contains, we must store it carefully," said Sophia. "We can't risk losing another piece of evidence."

Thomas nodded. "You're correct."

"You keep saying you wanted to keep me safe. However, you abandoned me with folks who were hiding the truth," Emily said as she carefully examined Thomas Reed.

Thomas's face collapsed for a second before he recovered control.

Thomas stated, "I understand." "There's nothing I can say that will make this better."

Emily finally understood the harm his quietness had done.

Sophia promised to make a formal statement through the appropriate legal channels after placing both documents in a folder. Although Thomas agreed to stay available, he refused to discuss the missing papers until he knew who else was aware of his reappearance.

He eventually drove away as Emily watched the street below.

"Do you trust him?" Emily asked Sophia.

"I believe he's withholding more information than he's shared," Sophia replied. "We need to determine if he's being held back by guilt or fear from providing us with the complete information."

Emily's phone rang. Damian was on the phone.

She responded right away because she wanted to hear his voice more than she was willing to admit.

 "Thomas Reed has returned," "He supplied documents that described the evening my parents died," Emily said.

Damian did not respond immediately.

"What else did he tell you?" Damian said eventually.

"He said that before my parents passed away, my they were investigating Victor Knight. Somebody advised him to leave the house, and the information they had gathered vanished."

Damian's breathing altered.

Please pay attention, Emily. Do not engage Victor. Give everything Thomas has given you to Sophia.

"Why?" Emily wondered. "What do you know?" She asked.

He stated, "Victor is dangerous; you already know that."

As Damian paused, Emily experienced the familiar space that was growing between them.

Damian said, "I'm trying to protect you."

"And I'm trying to have faith in you," Emily continued. "But you can't keep demanding that I trust you while all you do is choose which truths I can hear."

He was quiet for a while.

Damian finally spoke again, this time with a quieter voice.

"Emily, the files from my father's office contained a name that I never expected to see there."

"Whose name is it?"

Damian took a deep breath.

"Your father's."