Chapter 5 - A Dead Man's Voice

The number on the screen belonged to a prepaid phone. Reed took it for examination, but not before it rang again. He held it between two fingers and told Claire she could answer on speaker while they recorded the call.

A man inhaled on the other end.

"Hello, little bird," he said.

Claire gripped my wrist so hard it hurt. "Daniel?"

"You've grown up," the voice said. "I always hoped you'd have a good life."

"You were buried in Maryland. I attended your funeral."

"You attended a funeral. That's not the same thing."

I leaned toward the phone. "You came to our fence. You frightened my daughter."

"I didn't touch the child."

"You gave her a secret phone. That's worse than touching a fence."

He ignored me. "Claire, the bird belongs to your mother. Don't give it to the police. Some of them were paid back then."

Reed made a small gesture for us to keep talking.

"Why now?" Claire asked.

"Because somebody is reopening the old case, and they need your mother's ledger before the hearing on Friday. The bird is only an index."

"What hearing?"

"Ask your husband about the Riverside redevelopment contract."

My stomach dropped. Riverside was my biggest project: the county had selected a demolition contractor to clear an abandoned medical complex. I'd approved preliminary site access the previous week.

"What does my job have to do with this?" I demanded.

"Everything," Daniel said. "The clinic basement has a sealed storage room. Behind it is the evidence everybody thought burned."

Reed leaned closer. "Where are you?"

Daniel laughed without humor. "No, Detective. Not with you listening."

"I'm Investigator Reed."

A pause. The man's voice changed. "Reed? Thomas Reed?"

"Yes."

"Claire, hang up," Daniel snapped. "He's the wrong man to trust."

The line died.

Reed's expression didn't move, but the silence around him did. He reached for the phone. "We'll run the call."

Claire stepped between them. "How did he know your name?"

May you like

Billionaire’s Wife Kicked a Waitress in Front of 300 Elites—One Slap Exp...

The billionaire’s wife tried to kick a waitress in the face in front of 300 wealthy guests. But seconds later, she whispered three...

My Mother Grabbed My Wife by the Hair Over Cold Soup—But What My Father...

My mother grabbed my wife by the hair over a bowl of cold soup. And the most shameful part? For one terrible second, I almost defe...

My Parents Kicked My 6-Year-Old Daughter and Me Out on Christmas—Then I...

My mother kicked my six-year-old daughter out of Christmas dinner, never realizing I was the only reason she still had a house to...

Reed looked toward the closed motel door.

Then he said, "Because I was at the fire."