Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Woman in the Photograph

For a moment, nobody moved.

Nora stared at Daniel, trying to understand what he had just said.

“Someone broke into the house?” she asked.

Daniel nodded slowly.

“They came through the back door.”

“Was Mum there?”

“She was supposed to be.”

Nora's stomach tightened.

“What do you mean she was supposed to be?”

Daniel was already reaching for his keys.

“She went to the pharmacy.”

Nora looked at Lucas.

“Where is she now?”

Lucas had taken out his phone.

“I am calling her.”

He pressed the number and lifted the phone to his ear.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

No answer.

Lucas lowered the phone.

“Again,” Nora said.

He called again.

This time, the call went straight to voicemail.

Nora stood up.

“I am going home.”

Daniel immediately shook his head.

“No.”

“My mother is there.”

“She may not be.”

“That is exactly why I am going.”

Daniel moved toward the door.

“I will go first.”

Nora followed him.

Lucas caught up with them.

“I am coming.”

Daniel stopped and looked at him.

“You have done enough.”

Lucas's expression hardened.

“I am not leaving her alone.”

Nora looked between them.

“Both of you can argue later. Right now, I want to find my mother.”

They left the office together.

The drive home was painfully quiet.

Daniel drove.

Nora sat in the passenger seat, watching the streets pass by without really seeing them.

Lucas followed behind in his car.

She kept thinking about the photograph.

The dark road.

The car.

The hooded figure.

The ring.

Her mother's ring.

It could have been a coincidence.

It had to be.

There were thousands of silver rings in the world.

But Nora had seen that particular ring countless times.

Her father had given it to Evelyn on their twentieth wedding anniversary.

At least, that was what her mother had always told her.

Nora closed her eyes.

A memory surfaced.

Her mother standing in the kitchen.

The ring on her finger.

Her father saying something.

Lucas standing by the doorway.

Nora opened her eyes.

She turned toward Daniel.

“Was Lucas at our house before Dad died?”

Daniel tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Yes.”

“How often?”

“I do not know.”

“You do.”

Daniel sighed.

“He came several times.”

“Why?”

“To speak with Dad.”

“About the investigation?”

“Yes.”

Nora looked out the window again.

“Did Mum know?”

Daniel did not answer.

Nora turned back toward him.

“Daniel.”

“Yes,” he said quietly.

“My mother knew Lucas.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did she act as though she had barely heard his name when I asked about him?”

“I do not know.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I do not know what happened between them.”

Nora frowned.

“Between Mum and Lucas?”

Daniel glanced at her.

“I did not say that.”

“You did not have to.”

He remained silent.

Nora felt another uncomfortable thought taking shape.

If her mother had been the person wearing the ring in the photograph, then she might have been at the scene of her father's death.

But why?

And why had Lucas never mentioned it?

The car turned onto their street.

Daniel slowed.

Nora immediately noticed that something was wrong.

Their front gate stood open.

One of the flower pots beside the entrance had been knocked over.

Daniel stopped the car.

“Stay here,” he said.

Nora reached for the door.

“No.”

“Nora, wait.”

“My mother could be inside.”

“I will check first.”

Lucas pulled his car to a stop behind them.

He stepped out and approached.

“What happened?” Lucas asked.

Daniel pointed toward the house.

“Someone broke in.”

Lucas looked at Nora.

“Stay in the car.”

“No.”

“Nora.”

“I am not sitting here while my mother could be inside.”

Lucas looked at Daniel.

Daniel shook his head.

“She will not listen.”

Lucas sighed.

“Then stay between us.”

Nora nodded.

They walked toward the house.

The front door was locked.

Daniel unlocked it.

The moment he opened it, Nora knew something was wrong.

The living room had been turned upside down.

Cushions were scattered across the floor.

Drawers had been pulled open.

Several framed photographs were lying broken.

Nora stopped.

“My God.”

Lucas stepped inside.

“Stay close.”

Nora looked at the walls.

Their family photographs had been disturbed.

But whoever had searched the house had not taken the television.

They had not taken the laptop.

They had not touched the jewelry box.

They had been looking for something specific.

“The photograph,” Nora whispered.

Daniel nodded.

“They knew about it.”

Nora looked at him.

“How?”

Daniel did not answer.

A sound came from upstairs.

Nora froze.

“What was that?”

Lucas immediately moved in front of her.

“Stay here.”

He and Daniel went upstairs.

Nora waited.

She could hear footsteps above her.

Then a door opened.

“Nora!”

It was Daniel.

She ran upstairs.

He was standing outside her mother's bedroom.

“What happened?”

Daniel pointed toward the bed.

Evelyn was sitting against the headboard.

She was alive.

But her face was pale.

“Mum!”

Nora rushed toward her.

Evelyn grabbed her hand.

“Are you hurt?” Nora asked.

Her mother shook her head.

“No.”

“Who did this?”

“I do not know.”

“Where were you?”

“The pharmacy.”

“Did you see anyone?”

Evelyn looked away.

“No.”

Nora studied her.

Something was wrong.

“You are lying.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Evelyn looked at her daughter.

“I am frightened, Nora.”

“I know.”

“Then please listen to me. You need to leave this alone.”

Nora's patience finally broke.

“Everyone keeps telling me to leave it alone!”

Evelyn flinched.

“I lost a year, Mum. I lost a year of my life, and now I am finding out that my father did not die the way I thought he did. I have photographs I cannot remember taking. I have a man I apparently loved standing in front of me and telling me that I asked him to hide the truth. Someone just broke into our house looking for that truth, and you still expect me to sit quietly and pretend everything is fine.”

Tears filled Evelyn's eyes.

“You do not understand what you are asking for.”

“Then explain it.”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because your father made me promise.”

Nora stared at her.

“What did Dad make you promise?”

Evelyn's lips trembled.

“That I would never tell you who was responsible.”

The room became silent.

Nora's heart pounded.

“Responsible for what?”

Evelyn looked at her.

“Your father's death.”

Nora stepped backward.

“You know who killed him?”

“I know who was responsible.”

“Who?”

Evelyn closed her eyes.

“I cannot.”

Nora turned away.

She needed air.

She walked toward the window.

That was when she noticed something on her mother's dressing table.

A silver ring.

The same ring from the photograph.

Nora slowly walked toward it.

“Mum.”

Evelyn looked at her.

Nora picked up the ring.

“Why is this here?”

Her mother's face changed.

“Put it down.”

“Is this the ring in the photograph?”

Evelyn stood.

“Nora, please.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

The answer was barely audible.

Nora's fingers tightened around the ring.

“Were you there that night?”

Evelyn did not respond.

“Mum, were you in Dad's car?”

“No.”

Nora stared at her.

“You just admitted the ring is yours.”

“I lost it years ago.”

“But it was there.”

“I do not know.”

“You do know.”

Evelyn began crying.

Daniel stepped toward them.

“Nora, stop.”

“No.”

She looked at her mother.

“You were there.”

“I did not kill your father.”

Nora went completely still.

“I did not ask if you killed him.”

Evelyn covered her mouth.

She realized what she had just said.

Nora's heart sank.

Daniel closed his eyes.

Lucas appeared in the doorway.

He had heard everything.

Nora looked at him.

“You knew.”

Lucas did not deny it.

“How long?”

Lucas remained silent.

“How long did you know my mother was at the scene?”

“I found out later.”

“Later when?”

“After your accident.”

Nora shook her head.

“You are all lying to me.”

“No,” Lucas said quietly. “We are trying to tell you what we know.”

“You knew enough to hide it.”

Lucas stepped closer.

“I knew enough to understand why your mother was afraid.”

“Why?”

He looked at Evelyn.

“She was not the person who killed your father.”

Nora looked at her mother.

“Then what happened?”

Evelyn wiped her tears.

“Your father called me that night.”

“Why?”

“He told me he had found the person who had been stealing from his company.”

Nora listened.

“He told me to meet him at the old warehouse.”

“Did you go?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Evelyn looked at Lucas.

“He was already there.”

Nora's heart sank.

“Lucas?”

Evelyn nodded.

“He was arguing with your father.”

Lucas looked down.

“What were they arguing about?” Nora asked.

Lucas answered this time.

“Your father wanted to expose someone.”

“Who?”

“I do not know.”

Evelyn shook her head.

“You did know.”

Lucas looked at her.

“You knew more than I did.”

Nora stared between them.

“Stop.”

Both of them became silent.

“You are talking around each other like I am not standing here.”

Nora's voice shook.

“I want the truth.”

Evelyn looked at her daughter.

“The truth is that your father was going to give the evidence to the police.”

“What evidence?”

“Financial records.”

Nora remembered the conversation in the office.

Payments.

Companies.

Missing money.

“Then someone wanted to stop him.”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

Evelyn shook her head.

“I never saw the person's face.”

“But you saw the car.”

“Yes.”

“The photograph.”

Evelyn nodded.

Nora looked at Lucas.

“Where is the original?”

Lucas took a breath.

“I have it.”

“Give it to me.”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because there is something on the back.”

“What?”

Lucas looked at Evelyn.

Then at Nora.

“Your father wrote a name.”

Nora's pulse quickened.

“Whose name?”

Lucas did not answer.

Nora stepped closer.

“Whose name?”

Lucas finally spoke.

“Yours.”

Nora stared at him.

“My name?”

“Yes.”

“Why would my father write my name on the photograph?”

“I do not know.”

Evelyn suddenly gasped.

Everyone turned toward her.

She had gone pale.

“What is it?” Nora asked.

Evelyn looked at Lucas.

“You still have it?”

“Yes.”

“The original photograph?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to destroy it.”

Nora stared at her mother.

“Why?”

Evelyn's eyes filled with fear.

“Because if someone finds that photograph, they will know that Nora was there too.”

The room fell silent.

Nora's breathing stopped.

“I was there?”

Evelyn nodded.

“The night your father died.”

Nora felt the world tilt beneath her.

She looked at Lucas.

“You said I was not there.”

Lucas's face tightened.

“I said I did not know where you were when it happened.”

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you lie?”

Lucas stepped toward her.

“Because you asked me to.”

“I would never ask you to hide something like this.”

“You did.”

Nora shook her head.

“No.”

Lucas reached into his pocket.

He pulled out his phone.

His hands were trembling slightly.

“I have never shown you this before.”

He opened a video.

Nora watched the screen.

The recording was dark.

Rain could be heard in the background.

Then her own voice came through the speakers.

It was unmistakably hers.

“If I forget, Lucas, do not tell me.”

Nora's blood ran cold.

Her recorded voice continued.

“Promise me.”

Lucas's voice answered from behind the camera.

“I promise.”

Nora stared at the screen.

Then her own voice spoke again.

“If I ever ask you what happened that night, tell me I was never there.”

The video ended.

Nobody spoke.

Nora looked at Lucas.

“Why would I ask you to lie about myself?”

Lucas looked at her with tears in his eyes.

“Because you were the one who pulled the trigger.”

Nora stared at him.

For several seconds, she could not breathe.

Then the bedroom door behind them slowly opened.

Everyone turned.

A man stood in the hallway.

He was holding a photograph.

He looked directly at Nora.

Then he smiled.

“You finally remembered,” he said.