PART 3 — WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THAT NIGHT
I ran.
I didn’t know where I was going.
I only knew I had to get away from Daniel.
I drove straight to the police station.
But before I entered, I listened to the voicemail again.
This time, I noticed something beneath Ethan’s crying.
A beeping sound.
Three short beeps.
Then one long beep.
I recognized it.
Ethan had an old security camera in his bedroom.
He used it because he was afraid someone was entering his room at night.
I drove to my house and connected the phone to my computer.
There were dozens of hidden recordings.
Most were ordinary.
Ethan doing homework.
Talking to friends.
Playing games.
But then I found a folder labeled:
DON’T OPEN UNLESS I’M GONE.
My hands shook.
Inside were photographs.
Messages.
And video files.
I opened the first video.
Ethan was sitting on his bed.
His eyes were red.
“My dad thinks I’m stupid.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“But I’m not.”
He held up a small envelope.
“Dad has been stealing money from Grandma.”
I stopped.
My heart pounded.
Daniel had convinced me for years that he was struggling financially.
I’d given him money.
Paid bills.
Even helped with the house.
Ethan had discovered something I hadn’t.
The next video was worse.
He showed a notebook filled with bank transfers.
Then he whispered:
“Mom knows.”
I covered my mouth.
Rebecca knew.
Another video began.
This time Ethan was crying.
“Grandma, if you’re watching this, Dad found out I know.”
The camera shook.
“I heard him talking to Uncle Michael.”
Then Ethan said something that changed everything.
“They’re planning to make it look like I killed myself.”
I stopped the video.
Ethan was twelve years old.
Why would anyone want to frame a child for his own death?
Then I noticed a document beside the notebook.
A life insurance policy.
With Daniel listed as the beneficiary.
My stomach turned.
Ethan hadn’t fallen.
He had been murdered.
And someone had planned it.
I immediately called the police.
But before I could finish explaining, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then Ethan’s voice came through.
“Grandma…”
I dropped the phone.
A recording.
It was another recording.
And this time Ethan whispered:
“There’s someone alive who saw everything.”
Then the line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Who could have witnessed Ethan’s murder?
Then someone knocked on my front door.
Three times.
I looked through the window.
And saw Rebecca standing outside.
Her face was covered in blood.
PART 4 — THE WITNESS
I opened the door.
Rebecca nearly collapsed into my arms.
“Where’s Daniel?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“I escaped.”
“What happened to you?”
She touched the blood on her forehead.
“He found out I helped you.”
I pulled her inside and locked the door.
“Tell me everything.”
She began crying.
“Daniel didn’t mean to kill Ethan.”
I stared at her.
“You already said that.”
“No. You don’t understand.”
She looked toward the windows.
“He was trying to scare Ethan into giving him the password to your financial accounts.”
My blood ran cold.
“What password?”
“Daniel believed Ethan had found evidence of the money he stole from you.”
I remembered the notebook.
Rebecca continued.
“Ethan refused.”
“So Daniel pushed him?”
She nodded.
“But Ethan didn’t die.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What?”
“He was unconscious. Daniel thought he was dead.”
I stared at her.
“Then why was he declared dead?”
Rebecca looked down.
“Because Daniel called his friend.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Marcus Bell.”
The same doctor who had signed Ethan’s death certificate.
I felt sick.
“They covered it up.”
Rebecca nodded.
“Daniel told everyone Ethan had died from a sudden medical complication.”
“Why put him in the coffin?”
Rebecca began sobbing.
“He wasn’t supposed to wake up.”
My entire body went numb.
“Then how did he leave that voicemail?”
Rebecca looked at me.
“Because he woke up before they sealed the coffin.”
I remembered the message.
They’re going to say I fell.
I didn’t.
I whispered:
“He was alive.”
Rebecca nodded.
“He was alive when they put him there.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“But someone heard him.”
“Who?”
Rebecca looked toward the basement.
“Ethan’s best friend.”
I frowned.
“What does a child have to do with this?”
“He saw Daniel carry Ethan downstairs that night.”
Before I could answer, a loud crash came from the basement.
Rebecca screamed.
We both turned.
The basement door slowly opened.
A small boy stepped into the hallway.
He was holding Ethan’s backpack.
And behind him stood Daniel.
He was holding a gun.
“Mom,” Daniel said quietly.
Then he looked at me.
“You should have gone home when I asked.”
The boy started crying.
Daniel raised the gun.
“Now you’re both going to tell me where Ethan’s phone is.”
I looked at Rebecca.
Then at the terrified boy.
And realized Daniel had made one mistake.
He had brought the witness directly to me.
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