Chapter 5 - Dark Secrets Rising From Beneath the Suburban Family Estate
Mark drove fast down Route 15, heading north toward a secluded cabin his family owned near the Berkshire Mountains.
Lily had finally fallen asleep in her car seat, holding her small plush bear tightly against her chest.
Mark kept one hand on the steering wheel while using the other to tap the hands-free phone system on the dash.
He dialed a private number he hadn't called in over four years.
The line rang three times before a raspy, tired voice answered on the fourth ring.
“I told you never to call this line again, Mark,” the voice grunted through the car speakers.
“Detective Reynolds, I need help,” Mark said urgently, keeping his eyes fixed on the dark highway ahead. “It’s about Julian.”
There was a long, heavy silence on the other end of the line.
The sound of rustling papers could be heard over the crackle of the phone speaker.
“Julian is dead, Mark. His case was closed four years ago by the state police,” Reynolds replied coldly.
“I’m holding a DNA test right now that says otherwise,” Mark countered, his voice steady and resolute. “And someone just tried to hurt his daughter.”
Reynolds gasped softly on the other end of the connection.
“Where are you right now, kid?” Reynolds asked, his tone suddenly sharp and alert.
“Heading toward Massachusetts,” Mark answered. “Tell me what really happened the night my brother’s boat went down.”
Reynolds paused, taking a deep breath before speaking the words that changed everything.
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“Julian’s boat didn't sink because of a storm, Mark,” Reynolds whispered. “It was blown up from the inside.”
***
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