Chapter 8 - My Brother’s Name
Nathan answered on the first ring.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Home. Why?”
“Stay there.”
“That sounds dramatic.”
“Police found your name on a flight plan with my son.”
Silence.
Then he laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because Nathan had always laughed when he got nervous.
“Ethan, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Someone planned to move Henry through Montreal using your identity.”
“That makes no sense.”
“You become trustee if I die.”
His voice hardened.
“Careful.”
“I’m stating a fact.”
“And I’m telling you I would never touch Henry.”
“I want to believe you.”
“Then believe me.”
“I’ll believe evidence.”
He swore under his breath.
“You sound like Dad.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“No, it’s a warning. Dad trusted paper more than people, and it destroyed half this family.”
The jet began its descent.
My phone buzzed again.
Detective Torres had sent another image.
A copy of Nathan’s passport.
Not a scan.
A color photocopy taken from our family office.
“Who has access to the family records room?” I asked Nathan.
“You. Me. Martin. Caleb used to.”
“Used to?”
“I removed him six months ago.”
I looked up.
“You did what?”
“He was downloading estate documents after midnight. I confronted him.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“You were in Singapore buying another company and ignoring every family call that didn’t involve a fire.”
The words landed because they were true enough to hurt.
“What did Caleb say?”
“That you authorized it.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know that now.”
“Why now?”
“Because three weeks ago I found a copy of Sarah’s death certificate in his desk.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What would Caleb need that for?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
Then Nathan said something that made every sound in the cabin disappear.
“Ethan, Sarah called me the week before she died.”
I forgot to breathe.
“She said she was scared of someone inside the house.”
My voice came out rough.
“Who?”
“She never said.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because two days later she called back and told me to forget it.”
The runway lights appeared below us.
May you like
Nathan lowered his voice.
“But I kept the voicemail.”
