Then she nodded slowly.
Emily: "I think he mentioned a storage facility."
Richard suddenly interrupted.
Richard: "That's enough!"
Everyone turned toward him.
Richard: "This is becoming a circus. I am leaving."
Officer Harris: "Mr. Bennett, we still need to complete your statement."
Richard: "My lawyer will handle everything."
He turned toward the entrance.
Sergeant Reynolds: "You are free to seek legal advice. However, we need your current contact details before you leave."
Richard stopped.
For a few seconds, he stood with his back to the officers.
Then he slowly turned around.
Richard: "You have no idea what you're getting involved in."
Sergeant Reynolds: "Perhaps you should explain."
Richard looked at Evelyn.
His eyes were filled with anger.
Richard: "You think you've won something today?"
Evelyn did not answer.
Richard: "You think these officers can give you back what your father lost?"
Evelyn: "No. But they can help establish the truth."
Richard: "The truth can be a very dangerous thing."
Evelyn: "Only for people who have something to hide."
Richard stared at her for several seconds.
Then his phone vibrated again.
This time, he did not answer.
He simply read the message.
His face turned pale.
Because the message contained a photograph.
It showed an old metal cabinet inside a storage room.
The cabinet was open.
Inside were several thick folders.
And on the top folder was a handwritten label.
ROBERT CARTER — ORIGINAL FINANCIAL RECORDS.
Below the photograph was another message.
"WE HAVE EVERYTHING. YOU NEED TO CALL ME NOW."
Richard's hand began to tremble.
He quickly put the phone away.
But Evelyn had already noticed something.
For the first time, she realized that Richard was not simply afraid of the documents she had brought.
He was afraid of something that had not yet been shown.
Something that could finally explain what had happened to her father.
Something that might connect every person involved in the original investigation.
And somewhere outside the building, the person holding the original records was waiting.
Evelyn looked toward Sergeant Reynolds.
Evelyn: "I think someone has found the original files."
The sergeant studied her face.
Sergeant Reynolds: "Why do you think that?"
Evelyn: "Because Mr. Bennett just received a message, and whatever he saw has frightened him more than anything else today."
Sergeant Reynolds turned toward Richard.
Sergeant Reynolds: "Mr. Bennett, I would like to know what was in that message."
Richard remained silent.
Then, from somewhere near the main entrance, a man's voice suddenly called out.
Unknown Man: "Sergeant Reynolds?"
Everyone turned.
A tall man in a dark coat was standing just inside the doorway.
He held a thick brown envelope in one hand.
His expression was serious.
He looked directly at Evelyn.
Then he looked toward Richard.
Unknown Man: "I believe I have something that belongs to Ms. Carter."
Evelyn stood completely still.
She recognized the envelope.
It was the same type of envelope her father had used to store important financial records.
The stranger took another step forward.
Unknown Man: "And I think it's time everyone learned what really happened to Robert Carter."
Richard's face had lost almost all its color.
Because he recognized the man.
He had believed that man had disappeared years ago.
But now he was standing in the hallway.
Carrying the evidence that Richard had spent years trying to destroy.
And before anyone could ask another question, the stranger looked at the two officers and delivered a final warning.
Unknown Man: "Before you open this envelope, there is something you need to understand. The person responsible for closing the original investigation is not the person you think."
Sergeant Reynolds slowly straightened.
Sergeant Reynolds: "Who are you?"
The stranger looked at Richard one last time.
Unknown Man: "My name is James Walker. I worked with Robert Carter. And I have been waiting seven years for the opportunity to tell you the truth."
He placed the envelope on the table.
Evelyn stared at it.
Her father's name was written across the front.
But beneath the name was another line.
A line that made her heart stop.
"DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ALL THREE PEOPLE ARE PRESENT."
Evelyn looked at James.
Evelyn: "What does that mean?"
James did not answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward Richard.
Then toward Sergeant Reynolds.
Finally, he looked back at Evelyn.
James: "It means your father knew that one day you would find these documents. And he wanted the three people who had the power to change his life to hear the truth together."
Evelyn swallowed.
Evelyn: "Who are the three people?"
James slowly raised his eyes.
James: "You, Richard Bennett, and the person who ordered the original investigation to be closed."
Richard suddenly stepped toward the table.
Richard: "You cannot open that."
James moved the envelope away from him.
James: "You have already had seven years to stop this."
Richard: "You don't understand what is inside."
James: "Actually, Richard, I understand better than anyone."
Sergeant Reynolds placed a hand between them.
Sergeant Reynolds: "Nobody touches the envelope until we have properly documented it."
James nodded.
James: "That's fine. But you should know that the contents are only part of the story."