Episode 14 — The Empty Back Seat
970 Words
Daniel turned toward the back seat.
Empty.
Rain slid down the windows.
The car was silent except for the sound of both their breathing.
“Elena,” Daniel said slowly.
“What?”
“Who else has been in this car?”
Her eyes remained fixed on the road ahead.
“No one.”
Daniel looked at his phone again.
The photograph was clear.
It showed him in the passenger seat.
Elena behind the wheel.
And a dark shape sitting directly behind Daniel.
“That picture was taken seconds ago.”
“I know.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can't.”
Daniel twisted around again, searching the back seat.
Nothing.
No person.
No bag.
Nothing that could explain the shape in the photograph.
Outside, the man in the black coat remained standing in the rain.
He hadn't moved closer.
That bothered Daniel more than if he had.
His phone buzzed.
DON'T OPEN THE DOOR FOR HIM.
Daniel showed Elena.
She stared at the message.
“Who keeps sending those?”
“I thought you knew.”
“I don't.”
Daniel studied her face.
For once, she looked genuinely frightened.
Her phone began ringing again.
Daniel immediately grabbed her wrist.
“Don't answer.”
“I wasn't going to.”
The screen lit up between them.
Unknown Number.
The same number.
Daniel's phone buzzed.
ASK HER WHY SHE HAS TWO PHONES.
Daniel slowly looked at Elena.
Her expression changed.
Only slightly.
But he saw it.
“What does that mean?”
Elena pulled her hand away.
“It means nothing.”
“Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“The other one.”
“I don't have another phone.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“That's becoming a familiar answer.”
“Daniel—”
“Give it to me.”
The man outside suddenly raised both hands.
Daniel looked toward him.
He was no longer standing alone.
A second figure had appeared beside the blocked car.
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“Who is that?”
Elena looked through the windshield.
Her face lost its color.
“No.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“You know them.”
“I said no.”
“You just recognized them.”
Elena reached for the gearshift.
“We're leaving.”
“The road is blocked.”
“I'll find another way.”
Before Daniel could respond, the man in the black coat stepped closer to the car.
Daniel's phone buzzed.
HE IS NOT HERE FOR YOU.
Daniel read the message twice.
Then he looked at Elena.
Her hands were shaking.
Another message appeared.
HE CAME FOR ELENA.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
“Elena.”
She didn't answer.
“What did you do?”
Her eyes filled with anger.
“You think I'm the only one hiding something?”
“Then tell me the truth.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Seven years ago.”
Daniel went still.
Outside, the man knocked once on the driver's window.
Elena flinched.
Daniel looked at him.
The man's face remained partly hidden by the rain and darkness.
But Daniel noticed something.
He wasn't looking at Daniel.
He was looking directly at Elena.
Daniel whispered, “Who is he?”
Elena's voice broke.
“He was there that night.”
Daniel's heart pounded.
“At the lake?”
She nodded.
“What happened?”
Before Elena could answer, her phone stopped ringing.
The silence lasted only a second.
Then something vibrated.
Daniel looked down.
Not Elena's phone.
The sound was coming from somewhere inside the car.
Elena froze.
Daniel heard it again.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
He looked beneath his seat.
Nothing.
Then—
Bzzzt.
The sound came from behind him.
Daniel slowly turned.
The back seat was still empty.
But something was wedged between the cushions.
A phone.
Daniel stared at Elena.
Her face had gone completely still.
“No,” she whispered.
Daniel reached toward it.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
“You said you didn't have another phone.”
“I don't know how that got there.”
The phone vibrated again.
Daniel pulled it from the seat.
It was old.
Scratched.
And switched off except for one notification glowing on the screen.
1 NEW VOICEMAIL
There was no name attached.
Only a date.
Daniel's fingers tightened.
The voicemail was dated seven years ago.
The night Maya disappeared.
“Elena.”
“Don't play it.”
“Why?”
“Because you don't understand.”
“Then help me understand.”
Daniel pressed the screen.
The voicemail began.
At first, there was only static.
Then a woman's voice.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Maya.
“Daniel...”
His hand began to shake.
Elena covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
“If you hear this, something happened.”
Daniel couldn't move.
Maya's voice became quieter.
“I found out who has been watching us.”
Daniel leaned closer to the phone.
A sound came from the recording.
A door opening.
Then Maya suddenly whispered something.
Daniel's blood turned cold.
“Elena knows.”
The recording ended.
Daniel slowly turned toward Elena.
She was crying now.
But Daniel didn't care.
“You knew.”
“Daniel—”
“You knew.”
“I didn't know everything.”
“What did Maya mean?”
Elena looked past him.
Her expression suddenly changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
Daniel followed her eyes toward the rear-view mirror.
The man outside was gone.
The street ahead was empty.
But the blocked car remained.
Daniel frowned.
“Where did he go?”
Elena didn't answer.
Daniel's phone buzzed.
He looked down.
A new message.
HE'S IN THE CAR.
Daniel felt every muscle in his body tense.
Slowly—
very slowly—
He looked toward the back seat.
This time, it wasn't empty.
A figure was sitting behind him.
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