Chapter 3 - Behind the Blue Paint
Dad had renovated Daniel’s bedroom himself.
At the time, Mom complained for weeks.
He had installed acoustic insulation because Daniel was extremely sensitive to noise.
He had painted one wall blue because Daniel said the color made the room feel quieter.
I never understood what he meant.
Dad did.
Now Daniel pointed toward that wall.
“Blue square.”
I searched the paint.
Everything looked identical.
Daniel walked to the corner, counted six floorboards, then tapped the wall.
“Hollow.”
A crime scene technician used a scanner.
Something was inside.
They cut carefully through the drywall.
Behind the insulation was a narrow plastic container.
Inside were three flash drives.
A notebook.
Copies of bank statements.
Hospital records.
And a handwritten letter addressed to me.
My name was on the envelope.
Emily.
I stopped breathing.
Detective Harper photographed it before allowing me to read it with gloves.
My hands shook as I unfolded the paper.
Dad had written it seven weeks before he died.
Emily,
If you are reading this, I probably waited too long.
I wanted to protect you and Daniel from something I still hoped I had misunderstood.
But I need you to trust your brother.
He is frightened because he notices more than people realize.
Rebecca has spent years teaching everyone that his fear makes him unreliable.
It does not.
His memory may save both of you.
I covered my mouth.
Daniel watched me.
I kept reading.
Do not confront your mother alone.
Do not confront Marcus.
Most importantly, do not let anyone separate Daniel from his communication device.
There are recordings on it that even Daniel may not understand are important.
Dad’s final line was underlined twice.
Marcus has done this before.
Detective Harper took the letter.
“What does that mean?”
Nobody answered.
The flash drives were examined.
The first contained medication logs.
Dad had photographed every pill bottle for months.
The second contained financial records.
Large transfers from Mom’s personal account to a company called Northbridge Care Solutions.
The company was registered to Marcus.
The third drive was encrypted.
The technician could not open it immediately.
Marcus watched from the living room as evidence bags continued passing through the house.
His confidence had disappeared.
Mom tried another strategy.
She cried.
She told police Dad had been controlling.
She claimed he monitored her spending.
She said Marcus had been helping her escape an abusive marriage.
I almost believed the performance.
Then Daniel walked into the room.
He placed his tablet on the table.
He opened another audio recording.
Mom’s voice played.
“Keep him away from Emily.”
Marcus answered.
“She’ll figure it out.”
“She lives three hours away.”
“What if she visits?”
Mom laughed softly.
“Then Daniel will have another episode.”
My entire body went cold.
The recording continued.
Marcus said, “You’re pushing him too hard.”
Mom replied, “That’s the point.”
Daniel stopped the file.
He looked at me.
“You visited in March.”
I remembered.
I had come home unexpectedly.
Daniel had been screaming in his room.
Mom told me he had attacked Marcus.
I stayed less than an hour because she insisted my presence was making him worse.
Now I understood.
They had manufactured the meltdown.
They had used my brother’s fear to send me away.
I turned toward Mom.
She refused to meet my eyes.
Detective Harper’s phone rang.
She stepped into the hallway.
When she returned, her expression had changed.
“We checked Marcus Reed’s employment history.”
Marcus looked up.
Harper continued.
“There are two other unexplained deaths connected to patients under his care.”
The room became silent.
May you like
Then she looked directly at Mom.
“And one of those patients left him money.”
