What Happened That Night
1365 Words
“What happened that night?” The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
Adrian didn’t answer, his hands remained fixed on the steering wheel, but I could see the tension in his fingers. His knuckles had turned white.
I looked at him, “You know what happened.”
“Evelyn, don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Ask questions you aren’t ready to hear the answers to.”
A nervous laugh escaped me.
“I’m being accused of murdering my husband. Someone is following me. You somehow know me from eight years ago, even though I don’t remember you, and an unknown person just told me you’re lying.”
I held up my phone.
“I think I’ve earned the right to ask a few questions.”
His eyes flickered toward the screen, For the first time since I’d met him, Adrian looked genuinely afraid.
Not for himself.
For me.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Evelyn.”
“Tell me the truth first.”
He exhaled slowly.
“You really don’t remember.”
“Remember what?”
“The fire.”
My stomach tightened.
“What fire?”
Adrian’s eyes remained on the road.
“Eight years ago, there was a fire at an abandoned property outside the city. Three people were found inside.”
I swallowed.
“And?”
“One body was identified.”
“Who?”
He didn’t answer immediately.“Corbin.”
My heart stopped.
I stared at him.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“Corbin was alive eight years ago. I met him later.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you telling me his name?”
“Because that’s what the police report says.”
I shook my head.
“No. You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“Then explain it.”
Adrian slowed the car as we approached a traffic light.
He looked at me.
“The body was burned beyond recognition. The police believed it was a young man named Corbin Carter.”
My mouth went dry.
“But if it wasn’t him…”
“Then someone wanted the police to believe it was.”
The light turned green.
Adrian continued driving.
I stared ahead, trying to make sense of everything.
“Who were the other two people?”
“One was never identified.”
“And the third?”
His silence answered me.
“Adrian.”
“The third person was you.”
The world seemed to tilt.
I laughed because the alternative was screaming.
“That isn’t funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
“I was seventeen.”
“Yes.”
“I wasn’t at any fire.”
“You were.”
“I would remember.”
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“You wouldn’t.”
I looked down at my hands.
There was a strange pressure building behind my eyes.
Then suddenly, something flashed through my mind.
Fire.
A dark hallway.
Someone screaming my name.
I gasped.
Adrian immediately pulled the car to the side of the road.
“What did you see?”
I pressed both hands against my temples.
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me.”
“I saw fire.”
His face tightened.
“What else?”
“A door.”
“What door?”
“I don’t know.”
“Evelyn, try.”
I closed my eyes.
Another image came.
A man’s hand.
Blood dripping from his fingers.
A silver ring.
Then a voice.
My voice.
“Please don’t leave me.”
I opened my eyes.
“I heard myself.”
Adrian stared at me.
“What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Please don’t leave me.’”
He looked away.
His jaw clenched.
“Who were you talking to?”
“I don’t know.”
A tear rolled down my cheek.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian reached toward me but stopped before touching my shoulder.
“You need to rest.”
“No.”
“Evelyn.”
“No.”
I wiped my face angrily.
“You know everything. You knew my name. You knew about the fire. You knew Corbin’s name before I told you anything.”
“I’ve been trying to find you.”
“Why?”
His eyes met mine.
“Because I promised someone I would.”
“Who?”
He hesitated.
“Your father.”
I froze.
“My father is dead.”
“I know.”
“How did you know him?”
Adrian didn’t respond.
I felt a horrible realization slowly taking shape.
“You weren’t following me because of Corbin.”
“No.”
“You were looking for me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at me with an expression I couldn’t understand.
“Because your father left something for you.”
“What?”
“A key.”
My heartbeat quickened.
“To what?”
“I don’t know.”
I stared at him.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small black envelope.
He handed it to me.
My name was written across the front.
Not Evelyn.
Not Mrs. Carter.
Eve.
My fingers trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a small brass key.
There was also a photograph.
I nearly dropped it.
It was the same photograph from my phone.
Me at seventeen.
My mother beside me.
The unidentified man standing behind us.
But this time, the man’s face wasn’t scratched out.
I stared at it.
I knew him.
I didn’t know how.
But I knew him.
“Who is that?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
I looked closer.
The man was standing with one hand on my shoulder.
A silver ring was visible on his finger.
The same ring from my memory.
My breathing became shallow.
“Adrian.”
He looked at me.
“Who is he?”
His eyes filled with something that looked like guilt.
“He’s the reason your memory was taken from you.”
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
The caller ID was blocked.
He answered.
“Hello?”
No one spoke.
Then a distorted voice came through the speaker.
“She’s remembering.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
The voice continued.
“You were warned, Adrian.”
He tightened his grip on the phone.
“Who is this?”
A soft laugh came from the other end.
Then the voice said something that made the blood drain from my face.
“Ask Eve what she did to her mother.”
The call ended.
Silence filled the car.
I slowly turned toward Adrian.
“What did I do to my mother?”
He didn’t answer.
“Adrian.”
Still nothing.
“What did I do?”
His eyes met mine.
And for the first time, I saw real fear in them.
“You didn’t do anything to your mother.”
I let out a shaky breath.
“Then why would he say that?”
Adrian looked at the key in my hand.
“Because he knows what happened.”
“What happened?”
He swallowed.
“Your mother wasn’t killed in the fire.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“She survived.”
I stared at him.
“My mother died eight years ago.”
“No.”
His voice was barely a whisper.
“She disappeared.”
I couldn’t move.
Adrian started the car again.
“We’re going to the estate.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s something you need to see.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“The room your mother has been living in for the last eight years.”
My entire body went numb.
“That’s impossible.”
Adrian stepped on the accelerator.
“It would be.”
He looked into the rearview mirror.
A black SUV had appeared several cars behind us.
The same SUV from the cafe.
Then Adrian said something that made my blood turn cold.
“Unless she isn’t your mother anymore.”
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