CHAPTER 10 The Third Passenger
The police did not like surprises.
Apparently, neither did detectives.
By six that evening, Noah’s townhouse no longer felt like a home.
It felt like an evidence room.
Two detectives stood near the kitchen island. Another officer had taken the anonymous photographs, Lily’s letter, the black envelope, and the USB drive. Derek was giving a statement in the dining room while Noah paced hard enough to wear a permanent line into the floor.
Mason sat beside me on the couch.
His knee touched mine.
That small contact was the only thing keeping me grounded.
Detective Sarah Kim returned from the kitchen holding Lily’s letter inside a clear evidence sleeve.
She was somewhere in her forties, sharp-eyed and calm in a way that made everyone else in the room seem even more chaotic.
“You’re certain this handwriting belongs to Lily Cole?”
Mason nodded.
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No emotion in his voice either.
That worried me.
Detective Kim looked toward Noah.
“And you received this box from Lily six days before her death?”
“Yes.”
“She specifically instructed you not to open it?”
“Yes.”
“And you never did?”
“No.”
“Not once in four years?”
“No.”
Kim studied him.
Noah stared back.
She seemed to believe him.
Then her attention moved to Derek.
“You said your mother knew Evan Mercer was alive?”
Derek nodded.
“According to her.”
“Where is your mother now?”
“Calgary.”
“Can we contact her?”
“Yes.”
Mason’s jaw tightened.
He had barely spoken since Derek revealed their mother had known something about Evan.
I understood why.
Another secret.
Another person trying to protect him by hiding the truth.
Exactly the thing Mason hated.
Exactly the thing he had done to me.
Detective Kim looked toward the USB.
“Our digital forensics team will examine this.”
“How long?” Mason asked.
Kim gave him a look.
“I can’t promise a timeline.”
“Can someone at least tell us tonight whether it contains anything?”
“If it’s accessible safely.”
Mason stood.
“Accessible safely?”
“There’s always a possibility of malicious software, corrupted files, hidden encryption.”
Derek spoke from across the room.
“It’s probably just photographs and messages.”
Kim turned.
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
“Then don’t assume.”
For once, Derek didn’t argue.
I almost liked her.
Noah stopped pacing.
“What about the hospital photo?”
“Already being checked.”
“And Evan?”
“If he’s alive, we’ll find him.”
Mason laughed bitterly.
“You’re assuming he wants to be found.”
Detective Kim looked at him.
“Mr. Cole, if this has anything to do with your sister’s death, we will investigate it.”
“You had four years.”
The room went quiet.
“Mason,” I said softly.
He looked away.
Kim didn’t react defensively.
“That investigation was based on the evidence available at the time.”
“And apparently the evidence was wrong.”
“Maybe.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“No,” she said calmly. “It isn’t.”
That shut him up.
She stepped closer.
“But anger won’t make this faster.”
Mason’s face hardened.
“I’ve spent four years being told to move on.”
Kim held his gaze.
“I’m not telling you to move on.”
Something changed.
Small.
But enough.
Mason sat again.
Kim continued.
“I’m telling all of you not to take this into your own hands.”
Her gaze landed on Derek specifically.
Derek smiled faintly.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Because your statement includes threatening a man who later disappeared.”
“Fair.”
Noah muttered, “That might be the first self-aware thing you’ve ever said.”
Derek looked at him.
“I’ve missed you too.”
Mason groaned.
“This family reunion is going extremely well.”
Despite everything, I smiled.
Then Detective Kim looked at me.
“Ms. Bennett.”
I straightened.
“You’re the only person here who has been directly watched in the last twenty-four hours.”
My smile vanished.
“Yes.”
“I want you staying somewhere secure tonight.”
Mason spoke instantly.
“She’ll stay with me.”
Noah answered at the same time.
“She’ll stay with me.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Detective Kim looked between them.
Then at me.
“Where do you want to stay?”
Thank you.
A competent adult.
“With Claire.”
Mason frowned.
Noah frowned harder.
Kim nodded.
“Your friend?”
“Yes.”
“Does whoever is sending these messages know her address?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then that may be preferable to either of these residences.”
I looked at both men.
“See?”
Neither looked pleased.
Derek leaned back in his chair.
“I vote Claire too.”
“No one asked you,” three of us said simultaneously.
Derek smiled.
“Good chemistry.”
Detective Kim almost sighed.
Her phone vibrated.
She checked it.
Then her expression sharpened.
“What?”
Mason stood again.
Kim lifted a hand.
“Sit.”
He didn’t.
She ignored him and answered.
“Kim.”
She listened.
Her face changed.
Not dramatically.
But enough that my stomach tightened.
“Send it securely.”
She ended the call.
“What happened?” Noah asked.
Kim looked toward us.
“They identified the hospital.”
Mason’s jaw tightened.
“Where?”
“Spokane.”
“Washington?”
“Yes.”
“And Evan?”
“The patient was registered under a different name.”
Cold moved through me.
“What name?” I asked.
Kim checked her phone.
“Daniel Mercer.”
Derek frowned.
“That was his father’s name.”
Mason looked at him.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Detective Kim continued.
“The patient was admitted three weeks ago after a vehicle collision.”
Noah went still.
“Another accident?”
“Yes.”
“Is he alive?”
Kim hesitated.
Then: “He was discharged six days ago.”
Mason stared at her.
“Where?”
“Unknown.”
The room changed.
Someone knew Evan had been hospitalized.
Someone took a photograph.
Someone sent it to us.
And Evan had disappeared again.
Kim looked at Derek.
“Who knew he was there?”
“I didn’t.”
“Your mother?”
“Maybe.”
Mason’s voice became cold.
“Call her.”
Derek didn’t move.
“Now.”
“Mason—”
“Call Mom.”
Derek looked at him.
For once, the older brother dropped the sarcasm.
“She’s not going to tell us anything if you’re angry.”
“I’m past angry.”
“Mason.”
“I said call her.”
I touched his hand.
He looked at me.
“Let Derek do it.”
His jaw tightened.
Then he nodded once.
Derek stepped toward the kitchen.
Noah looked at Mason.
“I’ll go with him.”
Mason’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because if your mother lies, Derek will let her.”
Derek turned.
“Very supportive.”
“I know you.”
Something passed between them.
History.
Complicated history.
Derek gestured.
“Come on.”
They disappeared into the kitchen.
For the first time all day, Mason and I were almost alone.
Detective Kim stood at the far side of the room making another call.
Mason stared at the floor.
I moved closer.
“You okay?”
“No.”
Honest.
Good.
“I feel like every person in my life knew something I didn’t.”
I understood.
“Your mother probably thought she was protecting you.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not defending her.”
“I don’t know enough to.”
“That has never stopped anyone else.”
I smiled faintly.
Then his expression softened.
“You should go to Claire’s.”
“I will.”
“Tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Now.”
I frowned.
“Mason.”
“Emma.”
“I’m not leaving until we know what’s on the USB.”
“You heard the detective.”
“They’re examining it.”
“That could take hours.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
His eyes hardened.
“This is exactly what I meant at the house.”
“What?”
“I can’t think when you’re in the middle of this.”
“And we already solved that argument.”
“No. You won that argument.”
“Same thing.”
“Not remotely.”
I crossed my arms.
“You don’t get to become controlling just because you’re scared.”
“I’m not controlling.”
“You just ordered me out of the building.”
“For your safety.”
“Still an order.”
Mason rubbed his face.
“I don’t know how to do this.”
My anger softened.
“Do what?”
“Care about someone without trying to control every possible way I could lose them.”
There it was.
Lily.
Again.
Not as a ghost.
As a pattern.
I stepped closer.
“Then practice.”
His eyes met mine.
“Practice what?”
“Trusting me.”
His jaw tightened.
“I do trust you.”
“Then trust my judgment too.”
Silence.
“I’m staying until we know what’s on that drive.”
Mason stared at me.
Then finally:
“Fine.”
I smiled.
“Growth.”
“Don’t.”
I kissed his cheek.
He looked surprised.
Then his hand caught my wrist.
“Careful.”
“What?”
“You do things like that and I forget I’m supposed to be angry.”
“Useful information.”
He pulled me closer.
Just enough.
Not a kiss.
Not with detectives fifteen feet away.
His forehead touched mine.
“Stay beside me.”
“That I can do.”
So I did.
Forty minutes later, Noah and Derek returned.
Neither looked good.
Mason stood.
“Well?”
Derek sat heavily.
“She knew.”
Mason went very still.
“What?”
“She knew Evan was alive.”
“How long?”
“Two years.”
Silence.
Mason’s face emptied.
“Why?”
Derek looked at him.
“He contacted her.”
“What did he want?”
“Money.”
Noah answered.
“Apparently he’d been trying to stay off the grid.”
Mason laughed bitterly.
“Because of gambling debts?”
“Partly,” Derek said.
“And partly?”
Derek hesitated.
“Because he was afraid of someone.”
My skin prickled.
“Who?” I asked.
“He never told her.”
Mason stared at Derek.
“And Mom paid him?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Enough to help him disappear again.”
Mason looked physically ill.
“Why would she do that?”
Derek’s expression hardened.
“Because he told her he knew what really happened the night Lily died.”
Everything stopped.
Noah stepped forward.
“He blackmailed her.”
“Basically.”
Mason’s voice was almost inaudible.
“And she never told me.”
“No.”
He turned away.
I wanted to touch him.
I didn’t.
Not yet.
He needed space.
Noah looked at Derek.
“What exactly did Evan say?”
“That Lily’s death wasn’t an accident.”
My stomach dropped.
Mason turned back.
“What?”
“He said someone forced them off the road.”
Silence.
Noah looked pale.
“That wasn’t in the report.”
“No.”
“Did your mother believe him?”
“She didn’t know.”
“Then why pay him?”
Derek laughed bitterly.
“Because she was terrified there was even a chance he was telling the truth.”
Mason looked at Detective Kim.
She had heard everything.
Her expression was controlled.
“Do you have any record of these payments?”
Derek nodded.
“My mother kept copies.”
“Get them.”
“She’s sending them.”