The man who had once been his father's closest friend.
But there was something even more disturbing.
Richard Coleman was still alive.
And according to public business records, he was now one of the most influential investors in the country.
Daniel stood abruptly.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I promised your grandmother I would wait until you were old enough to understand."
Daniel shook his head.
"She knew?"
Thomas nodded.
"She knew that your father had been investigating the company. She also knew that the official explanation of his death was incomplete."
Daniel felt his throat tighten.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because she was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Thomas looked down at his walking stick.
"That the people responsible would come after you."
Daniel walked toward the window.
Outside, the garden was peaceful.
The same garden where Margaret had once sat with him, teaching him that the world was not always fair but that he should never allow injustice to change his heart.
Now he wondered how much pain she had carried alone.
Thomas reached into his coat again.
This time, he produced a small envelope.
"She gave me this five years ago."
Daniel turned.
"What's inside?"
"An address. And a key."
Daniel opened the envelope.
Inside was a small brass key and a handwritten note.
The handwriting was unmistakably Margaret's.
Daniel read the words.
"My dear Daniel,
There are things I could not tell you while you were growing up. I wanted you to have a childhood filled with hope rather than fear.
If the day comes when you discover the truth about your parents, please remember that not every person who hurts you deserves your hatred.
But every person who hides the truth must eventually answer for it.
The key belongs to a room beneath the old factory.
Your father left something there.
I pray you never need it.
With all my love,
Grandma."
Daniel read the letter twice.
Then he looked at Thomas.
"Take me there."
Thomas nodded.
"But there's something you should know."
Daniel waited.
"Richard Coleman has been looking for that key for more than twenty years."
The Old Factory
The following morning, Daniel drove to the abandoned Harrison factory.
The building stood on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by rusted fences and overgrown weeds.
It had once employed hundreds of people.
Now its windows were broken, its walls were covered in faded advertisements, and its enormous metal doors were locked.
Thomas was waiting near the entrance.
Daniel stepped out of the car.
"How do we get inside?"
Thomas pointed toward a narrow side entrance.
"Your grandfather kept a maintenance key there."
They walked through a dark corridor.
Dust covered the floor.
The smell of rust and old machinery filled the air.
Daniel recognized some of the rooms from the photographs in his grandfather's library.
They passed the old production floor and reached a staircase leading underground.
At the bottom was a steel door.
Daniel took the brass key from his pocket.
His hands trembled slightly.
He inserted it into the lock.
It turned.
The door opened with a long metallic groan.
Inside was a small room containing an old desk, several filing cabinets, and a wooden chest.
Daniel walked toward the chest.
A faded label had been attached to the lid.
For Daniel.
He opened it.
Inside were dozens of documents, photographs, and several audio recordings.
There was also a small notebook with his father's name written on the cover.
Daniel picked it up.
The first page contained a handwritten message.
"If anything happens to me, make sure my son knows that I never abandoned him."
Daniel stopped breathing for a moment.
He sat down.
His father had written those words.
He turned the page.
There were financial records, copies of bank transfers, and handwritten notes describing suspicious transactions.
Several signatures appeared repeatedly.
One belonged to Richard Coleman.
Another belonged to a man Daniel recognized immediately.
Arthur Bennett.
His grandfather's attorney.
Daniel stared at the page.
"Arthur?"
Thomas approached.
"What is it?"
Daniel showed him the document.
Thomas looked at it.
His expression changed.
"I didn't know about this."
Daniel continued searching.
At the bottom of the chest was a cassette tape.
A small label had been attached.
October 17, 1990.
The Night Everything Changed.
Daniel looked toward Thomas.
"Do you know what's on this?"
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
They found an old tape recorder in the cabinet.
Daniel inserted the cassette.
For a moment, there was only static.
Then a familiar voice filled the room.
His father's voice.
"If anyone is listening to this, I need you to understand that I did everything I could to protect my family."
Daniel covered his mouth.
He had not heard his father's voice since he was a child.
The recording continued.
"Richard knows about the documents. He has threatened me. He says that if I continue investigating, my wife and son will suffer."
There was a pause.
Then his father spoke again.
"Margaret, if you ever hear this, please take Daniel somewhere safe. Do not trust anyone who comes asking about the factory."
Daniel closed his eyes.
A second voice appeared.