Nia grabbed my hand.
Immediately.
Like she was afraid I would disappear.
I squeezed hers.
“I’m here.””
Richard watched us.
“You still don’t understand.””
I stepped in front of my daughter.
“You don’t get to talk about her.””
He smiled.
“You think you’re protecting her.””
“Yes.””
“You’re protecting a lie.””
The police moved closer.
But Richard didn’t seem afraid.
That bothered me.
People who knew they were losing usually panicked.
He looked confident.
Like he still had one final card.
Rebecca arrived moments later.
She held up the memory card.
“We’ll find out what’s on this.””
Richard laughed.
“Go ahead.””
Everyone looked at him.
“Because it won’t matter.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
“Because the truth isn’t on that card.””
He looked at Nia.
“It’s inside her.””
My daughter moved closer to me.
I felt my anger rise.
“What did you do?””
Richard shook his head.
“I didn’t do anything.””
Then he looked at Tanya.
“She knows.””
Everyone turned.
Tanya went pale.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What does he mean?””
She was silent.
“Tanya.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t want her to remember.””
My heart sank.
“Remember what?””
She looked at Nia.
“Your father gave you something.””
Nia looked confused.
“My old daddy?””
She nodded.
“Before he disappeared.””
I knelt beside my daughter.
“What did he give you?””
Nia frowned.
“I don’t know.””
Tanya whispered:
“He hid information in her memory.””
I stared.
“She was five.””
“I know.””
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Tanya shook her head.
“He knew someone would come looking.””
Richard smiled.
“Finally.””
I looked at him.
“What did he hide?””
Richard answered:
“A recording.””
The room went silent.
“A recording of what?””
Richard looked at Nia.
“Of what happened the night he died.””
My stomach dropped.
Nia’s face changed.
A small memory.
A forgotten moment.
She whispered:
“I remember a car.””
Everyone became quiet.
“What car?””
She looked scared.
“A black car.””
I knelt.
“What else?””
“A man was yelling.””
Richard’s expression changed.
For the first time, he looked worried.
“What did the man say?””
Nia squeezed my hand.
“He said…”
Her voice trembled.
“He said, ‘You should have given me the evidence.’”
Richard stepped forward.
“No.””
The police immediately stopped him.
Nia looked at me.
“Daddy, I didn’t know it was important.””
I hugged her.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.””
Richard stared at Tanya.
“You knew.””
Tanya shook her head.
“I knew she remembered something.””
“And you hid it.””
“Yes.””
I looked at Tanya.
“Why?””
She cried.
“Because I saw what happened when people chased the truth.””
She looked at Nia.
“I thought if she forgot, she would be safe.””
I closed my eyes.
Another person making decisions for my daughter.
Another person believing they knew better.
The memory card was opened.
Rebecca watched the files appear.
“There’s one video.””
We all gathered around.
The screen showed Nia’s biological father.
Alive.
Sitting in a car.
Speaking directly to the camera.
“If you’re watching this, something happened to me.””
Everyone went silent.
The man continued:
“Richard Vale cannot be trusted.””
Richard’s face changed.
The video continued.
“He has been using my family for years.””
Then another person appeared beside him.
Someone none of us expected.
Someone who made Tanya gasp.
The video froze.
Rebecca looked at the screen.
“Who is that?””
Tanya whispered:
“That’s impossible.””
I looked at her.
“Who?””
She stared at the frozen image.
“My father.””
The room went silent.
“Your father?””
Tanya nodded.
“He died when I was a teenager.””
The video showed the man standing beside Nia’s biological father.
Alive.
And involved.
Then the final message appeared.
A date.
A location.
And a sentence.
*The person who started this is still alive.*
