Chapter 6: The Man Who Kept Lily’s Secret
My father was sitting in the hospital hallway when I arrived.
His shirt was torn.
There was dried blood on his collar.
But he was awake.
Alive.
That was the only thing I could focus on.
“Dad.””
He looked up.
For a moment, his face softened.
Then he looked away.
And that hurt more.
Because my father had never looked away from me.
Not when I scraped my knee as a child.
Not when I cried over my first heartbreak.
Not even when Lily moved away for college and I was the one who fell apart.
“Dad,” I repeated.
He swallowed.
“Emily.””
I sat beside him.
“What happened?””
His hands tightened.
“I should have told you.””
Those words frightened me.
“Tell me what?””
He looked at Daniel.
Then at Rachel.
Then back at me.
“Your sister came to me before she died.””
Everything stopped.
“You knew?””
My father closed his eyes.
“I knew something was wrong.””
“Something?””
My voice rose.
“Dad, Lily is dead.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t understand.””
My tears came suddenly.
“She was scared. She was trying to tell people. And everyone kept letting her carry it alone.””
My father looked like I had hit him.
Because he knew I was right.
“I thought I was protecting her.””
“From what?””
He looked down.
“From the truth.””
The hallway felt silent.
“What truth?””
My father stared at the floor.
“Jason wasn’t the first person who betrayed Lily.””
I looked at Rachel.
She looked away.
My heart sank.
“Rachel?””
My father nodded.
“But not only Rachel.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
He took a shaky breath.
“Lily found out something about her own family.””
The words made my skin crawl.
“Our family?””
“Yes.””
I stood.
“No.””
My father looked at me.
“Emily—”
“No. Lily would have told me.””
“She tried.””
The sentence broke me.
“What?””
My father’s eyes filled.
“She called me the night before she died.””
I stared.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because she made me promise.””
“Promise what?””
He whispered:
“Promise I wouldn’t tell you unless something happened.””
My heart shattered.
Because something had happened.
The worst thing.
My father reached into his coat pocket.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“She left this in my truck.””
I unfolded it.
Lily’s handwriting.
Dad,
If I’m wrong, burn this.
If I’m right, Emily needs to know.
I looked at the next line.
Jason isn’t the only person hiding something.
The room spun.
My father continued.
“She said someone close to us had been watching her.””
“Watching?””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
He looked at me.
“I don’t know.””
I hated that answer.
Everyone knew pieces.
No one knew the whole truth.
Daniel took the paper.
“Did Lily mention a name?””
My father hesitated.
Then nodded.
“She said one word.””
“What word?””
My father looked at Rachel.
“Whitmore.””
Rachel went completely still.
“Why would she say my last name?””
My father didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know.
But Rachel did.
“I need to tell you something.””
Everyone turned.
Rachel’s voice was barely audible.
“My father.””
Daniel frowned.
“What about your father?””
Rachel looked at the floor.
“He worked with Jason’s father.””
A chill moved through me.
Jason’s father had died years ago.
But his name was still respected around Willow Creek.
A businessman.
A community leader.
A man everyone trusted.
“What did they do?””
Rachel shook her head.
“I don’t know everything.””
“You know something.””
She closed her eyes.
“My father was involved in illegal insurance schemes.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“And Jason knew?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Because Jason helped cover it up.””
I felt sick.
The picture was becoming clearer.
Money.
Insurance.
Lies.
Lily discovering the truth.
Jason trying to stop her.
But there was still one question.
“Why kill Lily?””
No one answered.
Then my father spoke.
“Because Lily found the documents.””
I looked at him.
“What documents?””
“The ones that could destroy everyone involved.””
Daniel stood.
“Where are they?””
My father looked at me.
“She hid them.””
“Where?””
He shook his head.
“She said only one person would know.””
“Who?””
My father’s face changed.
“She said…”
He stopped.
“Dad?””
His eyes filled with regret.
“She said the person who knew where she hid the documents was the person she trusted most.””
I thought of Lily.
Her final message.
Her warnings.
Her fear.
Then I remembered the photograph.
Three girls.
A broken friendship.
A secret.
I looked at Rachel.
“You.””
Rachel’s face collapsed.
“No.””
“You knew where she hid them.””
“No, I didn’t.””
“Then why did Lily mention you?””
Rachel stepped back.
“I don’t know.””
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
And all the color disappeared from his face.
“What?””
I stood.
“What is it?””
Daniel looked at me.
“It’s a message from Lily’s old email account.””
My heart stopped.
“That’s impossible.””
“The account was scheduled to send it.””
“When?””
Daniel looked at the timestamp.
“Tonight.””
He opened it.
One sentence appeared.
May you like
I found the person who betrayed me.
And it wasn’t Jason.
