Chapter 6: The Stranger Who Knew My Name
Nobody moved.
Not Mom.
Not Marcus.
Not even Vincent.
The words from the other side of the door stayed in the air.
“Your daughter knows the truth.””
I didn’t understand why everyone looked so scared.
I knew some things.
I knew Mom liked strawberry cereal.
I knew the blue blanket was warmer than the gray one.
I knew the sound our old refrigerator made before it stopped working.
But I didn’t know what truth I knew.
I was only Rory.
I was four and a half.
The half still mattered.
Vincent slowly turned his head toward Mom.
“Do you know that person?””
Mom shook her head.
“No.””
But her voice sounded different.
Like she was trying to convince herself.
Another knock came.
This time harder.
“Emily.””
The stranger knew her name.
Marcus moved closer to the door.
“Mr. Kane.””
Vincent nodded once.
Marcus looked through the small window beside the door.
A few seconds passed.
Then he stepped back.
“It’s a man.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
The stranger knocked again.
“Emily, I know you’re inside.””
Mom grabbed my shoulders.
“Rory, go to the bedroom.””
“No.””
She looked surprised.
“Sweetheart.””
“I want to stay.””
Her eyes filled with worry.
“You don’t know what’s happening.””
I looked at Vincent.
“Yes, I do.””
Everyone looked at me.
I pointed at the envelope.
“They want that.””
Nobody spoke.
Because I was right.
I didn’t know how.
But I knew.
The purple circle.
The papers.
The missing records.
Everyone wanted the same thing.
Vincent looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
“Marcus.””
“Yes?””
“Stay with Emily and Rory.””
He walked toward the door.
Mom immediately grabbed his arm.
“Wait.””
Vincent looked at her.
“What?””
“Don’t open it.””
His expression softened.
“Why?””
“Because whoever is outside came here knowing about the envelope.””
A pause.
“He came here knowing about Rory.””
Vincent looked toward the door.
“You’re right.””
Then he stepped closer.
“Which means we don’t let him decide when this conversation starts.””
He opened the door.
Only a few inches.
The chain lock stayed attached.
A man stood outside.
He looked about fifty.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
Tired eyes.
He didn’t look like David Sterling.
He didn’t look like a bodyguard.
He looked like someone who had spent a long time running from something.
His eyes moved past Vincent.
Straight to me.
“Rory.””
Mom stepped in front of me.
“How do you know my daughter’s name?””
The man looked at her.
“Because I know what happened.””
Vincent’s voice became colder.
“That’s not an answer.””
The man looked at him.
And for the first time, he seemed nervous.
“You’re Vincent Kane.””
“Yes.””
The man swallowed.
“Then you’re already involved.””
Vincent stared.
“Who are you?””
The man looked at the floor.
“My name is Thomas Reed.””
Nobody reacted.
But Vincent did.
A tiny change.
A slight narrowing of his eyes.
Like the name meant something.
“Thomas Reed?””
The man nodded.
“I used to work for Sterling.””
Mom looked confused.
“David?””
“Yes.””
Vincent kept the door open slightly.
“What was your position?””
Thomas hesitated.
“Financial manager.””
The room went quiet.
David’s financial manager.
The person who would know where the money went.
The person who would know why employees weren’t paid.
Vincent studied him.
“You were in charge of payroll.””
Thomas looked away.
“Yes.””
Mom’s face changed.
“You knew?””
Thomas closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
The answer hurt more than a lie.
Mom stepped back.
“You knew we weren’t getting paid?””
“Yes.””
“And you did nothing?””
Thomas looked at her.
“I tried.””
Vincent interrupted.
“Explain.””
Thomas looked at the papers on the table.
Then at the envelope.
“Can I come inside?””
“No,” Vincent said.
Thomas nodded.
“I understand.””
He looked at me again.
“Rory, your mother has something that can prove everything.””
Mom’s voice shook.
“How do you know about the envelope?””
Thomas looked down.
“Because I put it there.””
The room froze.
Mom stared.
“You?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Thomas looked at her.
“Because I knew David would destroy the records.””
Vincent opened the door slightly wider.
“Talk.””
Thomas stepped inside slowly.
Marcus watched every movement.
Thomas looked exhausted.
Like he had been carrying something heavy for a long time.
“I was David’s financial manager for six years.””
He looked at Mom.
“When he first opened Sterling’s Bistro, he was different.””
Mom said nothing.
“He cared about the business. He cared about the employees.””
Vincent leaned against the wall.
“And then?””
Thomas looked at the floor.
“Money changed him.””
He continued.
“At first, the delays were small.””
Mom listened.
“A few days late.””
“Then a week.””
“Then longer.””
His voice became quieter.
“Eventually, David realized nobody stopped him.””
Mom looked angry.
“Because everyone was afraid.””
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.””
Vincent asked:
“Why did you stay?””
Thomas looked ashamed.
“Because I thought I could fix it.””
“And could you?””
“No.””
Silence.
“I should have left sooner.””
Mom looked at him.
“That doesn’t explain why you helped him.””
Thomas looked at the envelope.
“I didn’t.””
“You worked for him.””
“Yes.””
“You signed documents.””
“Yes.””
“You watched people suffer.””
Thomas looked like he wanted to argue.
But he didn’t.
Because he knew she was right.
“I was a coward.””
Nobody answered.
Then he reached into his coat.
Marcus immediately reacted.
“Slowly.””
Thomas raised his hands.
“I’m not armed.””
He pulled out a small flash drive.
“This is why I came.””
Vincent looked at it.
“What is it?””
“Backup files.””
“From where?””
“David’s private computer.””
Mom’s eyes widened.
“How did you get them?””
Thomas hesitated.
“I copied them before I left.””
“When did you leave?””
Thomas looked at the ground.
“The night David found out someone was keeping records.””
Vincent took the flash drive.
“Why come now?””
Thomas looked at Rory.
“Because I saw her.””
Everyone looked confused.
“Where?””
“At the restaurant.””
Mom frowned.
“You were there?””
Thomas nodded.
“I saw her walk past those guards.””
He looked at me.
“A little girl carrying the same kind of evidence I was too afraid to reveal.””
I didn’t know what to say.
Vincent looked at him.
“What happened after you saw her?””
Thomas’s face became serious.
“I knew David would panic.””
“And?””
“He did.””
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“What did he do?””
Thomas looked at Mom.
“He sent someone to find the missing pages.””
Mom froze.
“The missing pages?””
Thomas nodded.
“The original ledger.””
Vincent looked at the documents from the envelope.
“Is this the original ledger?””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
Mom looked confused.
“But these are records.””
“Yes.””
“Then what is missing?””
Thomas took a deep breath.
“The names.””
Vincent stared.
“What names?””
Thomas looked at the purple circle.
“The people who helped David hide the money.””
Nobody spoke.
The apartment felt smaller.
Mom whispered:
“There were others?””
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.””
“How many?””
Thomas looked at the floor.
“More than you think.””
Vincent held the flash drive.
“And this proves it?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you go to the police?””
Thomas laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was painful.
“Because David wasn’t the only powerful person involved.””
That sentence changed everything.
Vincent became completely still.
“What do you mean?””
Thomas looked toward the window.
“David had protection.””
“From who?””
Thomas didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
I frowned.
“Why are you sorry?””
“Because your mother got dragged into something bigger than unpaid wages.””
Mom stepped forward.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
She was holding the envelope.
Her hands were still shaking.
But her voice wasn’t.
“No.””
Thomas looked surprised.
Mom continued.
“My daughter didn’t get dragged into anything.””
She looked at me.
“She saw someone hurting people.””
Then she looked at Vincent.
“And she did something.””
Vincent watched her.
Then he looked at me.
For a moment, nobody said anything.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Marcus?””
Marcus picked up.
“Mr. Kane.””
Vincent listened.
His face changed.
“What?””
A pause.
“Are you sure?””
Another pause.
Then he looked at the flash drive in his hand.
“Lock the building down.””
Mom looked worried.
“What happened?””
Vincent ended the call.
Then he looked at Thomas.
“Your backup files.””
Thomas swallowed.
“What about them?””
Vincent’s voice became quiet.
“They’re not the only copies.””
Thomas froze.
“What?””
Vincent stared at him.
“Someone accessed David Sterling’s private computer ten minutes ago.””
Thomas went pale.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because only two people knew the password.””
Vincent looked at him.
“Who?””
Thomas didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Because the fear on his face already did.
Vincent stepped closer.
“Thomas.””
The man slowly looked up.
“Who else knew?””
Thomas whispered:
“David…”
A pause.
“And the person who taught him how to hide everything.””
The room went silent.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“Name.””
Thomas looked toward the door.
Like he was afraid someone was listening.
Then he said:
“Sarah Whitmore.””
Mom gasped.
“No.””
But Thomas shook his head.
“She wasn’t helping him.””
Vincent waited.
“Then what was she doing?””
Thomas looked at the purple circle on the papers.
“She was protecting someone else.””
The lights suddenly flickered.
Everyone looked up.
Then Vincent’s phone buzzed.
One message.
One picture.
Vincent opened it.
His expression changed instantly.
He turned the screen toward Marcus.
Then toward Mom.
The picture showed the entrance of their apartment building.
A person standing outside.
Watching.
Waiting.
And underneath the photo was a message.
*“The little girl found the first piece. She won’t find the second.””*
Vincent looked at me.
May you like
And for the first time since I met him…
He looked afraid.
