The police arrived twenty minutes later.
Detective Ryan Miller entered Victoria's house with two officers.
He examined the shattered window and the bullet embedded in the wall.
"Who was the target?"
Liam answered.
"My aunt."
Ryan looked at Victoria.
"Do you know who did this?"
Victoria hesitated.
Then she said, "Adrian Black."
Ryan's expression changed.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
Ryan wrote something in his notebook.
"I've been investigating him for three years."
Liam frowned.
"Why?"
"Money laundering. Fraud. Extortion."
Amelia looked at him.
"And my father?"
Ryan paused.
"Thomas Rose appears in several of the old financial records."
Amelia's stomach tightened.
"Was my father involved?"
"I don't know yet."
She looked disappointed.
Ryan continued.
"But there is something you should know."
"What?"
"Your father's death wasn't accidental."
Amelia froze.
"What?"
Ryan lowered his voice.
"We reopened the case six months ago."
"Why?"
"Because someone anonymously sent us evidence."
"Who?"
"We don't know."
Liam stepped closer.
"What evidence?"
Ryan looked at him.
"Photos. Bank records. A recording."
"Where is it?"
"Missing."
Liam frowned.
"How does evidence disappear from a police investigation?"
Ryan gave him a tired look.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to find out."
Victoria suddenly spoke.
"The recording."
Everyone turned toward her.
"What recording?" Ryan asked.
Victoria looked nervous.
"The recording contains your father's voice."
Liam stared at her.
"My father's?"
"Yes."
"What does he say?"
Victoria swallowed.
"He admits what happened to Thomas."
Amelia stood.
"Where is it?"
Victoria looked toward the hallway.
"Hidden."
"Where?"
"In a place no one would think to look."
Liam followed her gaze.
"Your necklace?"
Victoria touched the blue necklace around her neck.
"No."
She removed it.
Inside the pendant was a tiny memory card.
Liam stared.
"You've had that all these years?"
Victoria nodded.
"I was too afraid to listen to it again."
Ethan took the card.
They placed it into a laptop.
A recording began.
Arthur Carter's voice filled the room.
"Thomas knows too much."
Another man's voice answered.
Adrian Black.
"He won't stay quiet."
Arthur continued.
"Then make sure he does."
Amelia covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
Arthur said something that made everyone freeze.
"And if Marcus returns, we eliminate him too."
Liam stood completely still.
His father's voice continued.
"Victoria must never know the money was transferred through her accounts."
Victoria gasped.
The recording stopped.
No one spoke.
Then Victoria whispered:
"He used my accounts."
Ryan looked at her.
"Your accounts?"
"I didn't know."
Ethan stood.
"That means someone could have framed you."
Victoria looked terrified.
"Why?"
"Because if the money passed through your accounts, investigators would assume you were involved."
Liam looked at his aunt.
"Who knew?"
Victoria shook her head.
"Arthur. Damian. Marcus."
Amelia looked at Liam.
"And my father."
Liam nodded.
The mystery was getting darker.
Suddenly, Ethan's phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?"
His face changed.
"What?"
He listened.
Then he looked at Liam.
"It's Sophia."
Amelia immediately recognized the name.
"Sophia? My employee?"
Ethan nodded.
"She says someone broke into the flower shop."
Amelia stood.
"My shop?"
They rushed outside.
The flower shop looked destroyed.
Flowers were scattered across the floor.
Shelves were broken.
The cash register had been smashed.
But nothing appeared to have been stolen.
Sophia stood near the counter, crying.
Amelia rushed toward her.
"Are you okay?"
Sophia nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you see who did this?"
Sophia hesitated.
"There was a man."
"What did he look like?"
"Tall. Black jacket."
"Did you recognize him?"
Sophia shook her head.
"But he said something."
"What?"
Sophia looked at Amelia.
"He said, 'Tell Amelia her mother is waiting.'"
Amelia felt cold.
"Where?"
Sophia pointed toward the back room.
There was a note pinned to the wall.
COME TO THE OLD CHURCH AT MIDNIGHT. COME ALONE.
Liam immediately tore it down.
"No."
Amelia looked at him.
"I have to go."
"You're not going alone."
The note had been written in blue ink.
Amelia stared at it.
There was something familiar about the handwriting.
She remembered seeing it before.
On birthday cards.
Old letters.
Notes from childhood.
Her heart stopped.
"This handwriting…"
Liam looked at her.
"What?"
"My mother."
Everyone became silent.
That night, Amelia sat in Liam's living room.
She couldn't sleep.
Liam entered carrying two cups of tea.
He handed one to her.
"Try to rest."
"How can I?"
He sat beside her.
For several seconds, they remained silent.
Then Amelia whispered:
"I used to imagine what it would be like if you came back."
Liam looked at her.
"What did you imagine?"
"That I would hate you."
He smiled sadly.
"And?"
"I do."
He looked down.
"But sometimes…"
She stopped.
"Sometimes what?"
"I remember us."
Liam's eyes softened.
"I remember everything."
Their hands touched.
Neither pulled away.
Liam leaned closer.
Amelia's heart raced.
Their faces were inches apart.
Then Liam stopped.
"If I kiss you now, I won't know how to stop."
Amelia looked into his eyes.
"Maybe I don't want you to stop."
He leaned toward her.
Their lips were almost touching.
Suddenly, the alarm sounded.
They jumped apart.
Ethan's voice came from the hallway.
"Liam!"
They rushed outside.
A car had stopped at the gate.
A man stepped out.
It was Adrian Black.
He looked directly at Amelia.
Then he smiled.
"You look exactly like your mother."
Before Liam could reach him, Adrian raised both hands.
"I didn't come to fight."
"Then why are you here?" Liam demanded.
Adrian looked at Amelia.
"Because your mother asked me to bring you a message."
Amelia stepped forward.
"What message?"
Adrian's smile disappeared.
"She wants you to stop looking for her."
Amelia's eyes widened.
"Why?"
"Because she's afraid."
"Afraid of whom?"
Adrian looked toward Liam.
"Him."
Liam's face hardened.
"Me?"
Adrian nodded.
"Your father wasn't the only Carter hiding something."
Then he walked away.
Amelia watched him disappear.
She turned to Liam.
"What does that mean?"
Liam didn't answer.
Because for the first time, he was afraid the secret wasn't about his family.
It was about him.