BENEATH THE PERFECT SMILE

7 THE DRIVER

Amara couldn't breathe.

The photograph lay on the bed between her and Daniel.

It showed them standing inside Room 214 only moments earlier.

The angle was impossible.

Whoever had taken it had been inside the room with them.

Watching.

Waiting.

And the message on the back was even worse.

YOU REMEMBERED TOO LATE.

Daniel picked up the photograph.

His jaw tightened.

"Someone was here."

Amara nodded.

"I know."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

Daniel looked around the room.

The door was still locked.

The window was closed.

There was nowhere obvious for anyone to hide.

Yet someone had been there.

Someone had watched them.

Someone had left the photograph.

And someone had heard Amara say that she remembered the driver.

Daniel turned toward her.

"You said you remembered who was driving."

Amara stared at the floor.

"Yes."

"Who?"

She didn't answer.

"Amara."

Her hands were shaking.

"I need to be sure."

"Sure of what?"

"That my memory is real."

Daniel stepped closer.

"What do you remember?"

Amara closed her eyes.

The room disappeared.

Seven years ago.

Rain poured against the windshield of the blue car.

She was sitting in the passenger seat.

Jason was beside her.

But he wasn't driving.

Someone else was behind the wheel.

A man.

His hands were tight around the steering wheel.

Amara could see the outline of his face in the rearview mirror.

She could hear Jason shouting.

"Slow down!"

The man didn't respond.

The road was wet.

The headlights of another vehicle appeared ahead.

Jason turned toward Amara.

"Get out!"

She screamed.

Then the crash.

Everything went black.

Amara opened her eyes.

Daniel was holding her shoulders.

"Amara!"

She looked at him.

"I remember."

"What?"

"The driver."

"Who was it?"

Amara stared at him.

"It was..."

Her voice failed.

Daniel waited.

Then she whispered:

"It was someone I know."

"Who?"

Before Amara could answer, the hotel room door suddenly opened.

Both of them turned.

A security guard stood outside.

"Miss?"

Daniel stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

"I'm hotel security."

"Why are you here?"

"We received an alert from this room."

Daniel looked around.

"What kind of alert?"

The guard hesitated.

"Someone triggered the emergency system."

"When?"

"About five minutes ago."

Amara's eyes narrowed.

"Five minutes ago?"

The guard nodded.

"Yes."

Daniel looked at the photograph.

"Did you see anyone?"

"No."

"Are there cameras on this floor?"

"Of course."

"Show us."

The guard hesitated.

"Sir, I can't—"

Daniel's voice hardened.

"My fiancée's safety is involved."

The guard looked at Amara.

Then back at Daniel.

"Follow me."

They left the room.

As they walked down the corridor, Amara kept looking behind her.

She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following them.

They reached the security office.

The guard opened the door.

Several monitors covered the walls.

Daniel stepped inside.

"Show me Room 214."

The guard pulled up the camera feed.

The hallway appeared on the screen.

Daniel checked the timestamp.

"Go back."

The footage began playing.

Amara and Daniel appeared on screen.

They walked toward Room 214.

Then entered.

The corridor remained empty.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Nothing.

Then the screen flickered.

The footage jumped.

The guard frowned.

"What happened?"

"Power interruption."

"How long?"

"Only twelve seconds."

Daniel looked at the timestamp.

"Go back."

The guard rewound it.

The screen showed the hallway.

Amara and Daniel entered the room.

The hallway was empty.

Then—

A shadow appeared.

It moved across the camera's field of view.

Amara leaned closer.

"Stop."

The guard paused the footage.

A figure stood at the far end of the hallway.

Tall.

Wearing dark clothes.

His face wasn't visible.

Daniel stared.

"Can you zoom in?"

The guard tried.

The image became blurry.

But Amara noticed something.

The man's hand.

There was a small scar across one finger.

Her heart stopped.

She had seen that scar before.

Recently.

"Daniel."

"What?"

"I know him."

Daniel looked at her.

"Who?"

Amara couldn't speak.

The security guard looked between them.

"Do you want me to call the police?"

Daniel didn't answer immediately.

Then he said:

"Yes."

Amara grabbed his arm.

"No."

Daniel looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because we don't know who we can trust."

The guard frowned.

"Miss, if someone entered this room—"

"Call them," Amara said suddenly.

Daniel looked surprised.

"Amara?"

"Call the police."

She stared at the screen.

"But don't tell them everything."

"Why?"

"Because if someone inside the system is involved..."

She stopped.

Daniel understood.

"...they could be warned."

The guard slowly nodded.

"I'll make the call."

He left.

Daniel turned toward Amara.

"You really think someone in the police is involved?"

"I don't know."

"But you're afraid."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Amara looked at him.

"Because Jason's case was closed too quickly."

Daniel frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The police said there wasn't enough evidence."

"And?"

"They stopped searching."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Daniel stared at the monitor.

"Then maybe we find out."

---

Seven Years Earlier

Rain.

That was the first thing Amara remembered.

Not the accident.

Not the screaming.

The rain.

It had been pouring so heavily that the windshield wipers could barely keep up.

She was sitting in the passenger seat.

Jason was beside her.

But the driver...

The driver was someone else.

Amara could finally see his face.

Her heart began pounding.

She knew him.

She had known him for years.

He had been part of her life long before that night.

Someone she trusted.

Someone she never imagined could hurt her.

The memory shifted.

Jason was arguing with him.

"You promised!"

The driver shouted back.

"She was never supposed to come!"

Amara remembered asking:

"What's happening?"

Nobody answered.

Then Jason grabbed her hand.

"Amara, listen to me."

She looked at him.

"If anything happens, don't trust him."

The driver suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The blue car spun.

A vehicle approached from the opposite direction.

Jason shouted.

Then—

Impact.

The memory vanished.

Amara opened her eyes.

She was back inside the hotel security room.

Daniel was staring at her.

"Amara?"

She looked at him.

"I remember."

"Who was driving?"

Amara swallowed.

"It was..."

A sound came from the hallway.

Footsteps.

The security guard returned.

But he wasn't alone.

A police officer stood beside him.

Daniel immediately stepped forward.

"Officer."

The policeman nodded.

"Good evening."

He looked at Amara.

"Are you Miss Okafor?"

"Yes."

"I understand there was an incident."

Daniel looked suspicious.

"What incident?"

The officer glanced at the security guard.

"Someone reported suspicious activity."

Amara studied him.

Something about his face bothered her.

Then she saw the badge.

She froze.

The name.

Inspector Marcus Adeyemi.

She knew that name.

Seven years ago, he had been one of the officers assigned to Jason's disappearance.

Amara's heart dropped.

The inspector looked at her.

Recognition appeared in his eyes.

"You remember me."

Amara didn't answer.

Daniel noticed.

"You know him?"

Amara nodded.

"He worked on Jason's case."

Marcus's expression changed slightly.

"That's correct."

Daniel stepped closer.

"Then maybe you can explain something."

"What?"

"Why was Jason's case closed?"

Marcus sighed.

"Mr. Williams, that case was investigated thoroughly."

"Was it?"

"Yes."

"Then why was there no body?"

Silence.

Marcus looked at Amara.

"Because there was no evidence that he survived."

Amara's voice shook.

"You told me he was dead."

"I told you the evidence suggested that."

"You told me his car was destroyed."

"It was."

"But Jason was alive."

Marcus stared at her.

"Apparently."

Daniel watched them carefully.

"Did you know Jason was alive?"

"No."

Amara studied his face.

She wasn't convinced.

Marcus continued.

"If you're asking whether I had anything to do with his disappearance, the answer is no."

Amara's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't ask that."

The officer paused.

Daniel looked at her.

"Then what aren't you telling us?"

Amara didn't answer.

Marcus noticed the key in her hand.

His expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

Amara immediately closed her fingers around it.

"Why?"

"That key."

He pointed toward her hand.

"Where did you get it?"

"Why does it matter?"

Marcus's face became serious.

"Because I've seen it before."

Daniel stepped closer.

"Where?"

Marcus looked at Amara.

"At the scene."

Amara's heart stopped.

"What scene?"

"The night Jason disappeared."

Silence.

Marcus continued.

"That key was found inside the blue car."

Amara looked down at it.

"Then why is it here?"

"I don't know."

Daniel asked:

"Was it logged as evidence?"

Marcus hesitated.

"It should have been."

"Should have?"

The inspector looked uncomfortable.

"There were several pieces of evidence."

"Where are they now?"

Marcus didn't answer.

Amara's voice became quiet.

"Missing?"

He looked at her.

"Some evidence from the case was never properly recorded."

Daniel shook his head.

"How convenient."

Marcus ignored him.

"Miss Okafor, you need to understand something."

"What?"

"Someone has been trying to reopen this case for years."

Amara's eyes widened.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Jason?"

"No."

Marcus looked toward the security monitors.

"Someone else."

Amara felt a chill.

"Who?"

Before Marcus could answer, every monitor in the room suddenly went black.

The lights flickered.

The security guard jumped.

"What happened?"

Marcus immediately reached for his radio.

"Stay where you are."

A loud crackle came through the speakers.

Then a voice.

Distorted.

Male.

"Inspector Adeyemi."

Everyone froze.

Marcus looked at the radio.

"Who is this?"

The voice laughed.

"You should have left the past alone."

Marcus's face went pale.

Daniel stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

The voice ignored him.

"Amara."

She froze.

"You finally remembered the driver."

Amara's heart pounded.

The room fell silent.

Then the voice said:

"Now remember who gave him the order."

The transmission ended.

The lights returned.

Nobody moved.

Daniel slowly turned toward Amara.

"Who gave the order?"

Amara stared at the floor.

A final piece of memory surfaced.

The blue car.

Jason.

The driver.

And a phone call.

Someone had called the driver before they left.

Amara remembered the voice.

She remembered the words.

She remembered the name.

Her face went pale.

Daniel noticed.

"Amara."

She looked at him.

"The driver wasn't acting alone."

"Who was giving him orders?"

Amara swallowed.

"I know."

"Who?"

She looked toward Inspector Marcus.

Then toward Daniel.

Her voice trembled.

"The person who ordered him..."

She paused.

"...was someone from my family."

Daniel's expression changed.

"What?"

Amara's phone suddenly vibrated.

One new message.

She looked down.

Ask your mother what happened at 11:47 p.m.

Amara stared at the screen.

She had never told anyone about the time.

But suddenly she remembered it.

11:47 p.m.

That was when the blue car had stopped.

That was when Jason had disappeared.

And that was when Amara's mother had called her.

Seven years ago.

At exactly 11:47 p.m.

Amara slowly looked at Daniel.

"There's something I never told anyone."

"What?"

"My mother called me that night."

Daniel stared.

"What did she say?"

Amara's lips trembled.

"I don't remember the whole conversation."

"What do you remember?"

She closed her eyes.

One sentence returned.

Clear as day.

Her mother's voice.

"Amara, whatever happens tonight, don't let Jason reach the house."

Daniel's eyes widened.

"Your mother knew Jason?"

Amara nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"And she knew something was going to happen?"

"I think so."

Inspector Marcus suddenly spoke.

"Then we need to find your mother."

Amara turned toward him.

"Why?"

Marcus looked at her seriously.

"Because if your mother was involved that night..."

He paused.

"...she may be the only person who knows who ordered the driver."

Amara's phone vibrated again.

Another message.

You're looking in the wrong direction.

Then another.

Your mother isn't the secret.

A final message appeared.

Your father is.

Amara's blood ran cold.

Her father had been dead for eight years.

And yet the message continued.

Ask him why he was at the Grand Meridian that night.

Amara stared at the screen.

Daniel whispered:

"Your father?"

Amara slowly looked up.

For the first time in seven years, she realized something terrifying.

Maybe the secret she had been hiding...

Wasn't hers alone.

To be continued...