Five Sons, One Murder

Chapter5

THE ANONYMOUS CALLER

"One of his sons."

The words repeated in Detective Chris's mind long after the call ended.

He stared at his phone.

The caller had sounded frightened.

Not angry.

Not excited.

Frightened.

Whoever it was knew something.

And more importantly, they knew enough to accuse one of Richard Williams' sons.

Chris immediately called the number back.

The line was dead.

He tried again.

Nothing.

"Of course," he muttered.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked out of the study.

Maya was waiting in the hallway.

"Who was that?"

"Anonymous caller."

"What did they say?"

"They know who killed Richard."

Maya's eyes widened.

"Who?"

"One of the sons."

She stared at him.

"Which one?"

"They didn't say."

Maya sighed.

"So we're back to square one."

"No."

Chris looked toward the staircase.

"We're closer than we've ever been."

"How?"

"The caller said one of the sons did it."

"And you believe them?"

Chris shook his head.

"I believe they know something."

He started walking.

"That's enough for me."

---

Downstairs, the brothers were gathered in the living room again.

The atmosphere was tense.

Nobody spoke.

Then Chris entered.

"I need all five of you to stay here."

Prince looked up.

"Why?"

"Because I'm investigating your father's murder."

"We know."

"Then cooperate."

Michael crossed his arms.

"Did you find something?"

Chris looked at him.

"Someone called me."

The room went silent.

"Who?" Chad asked.

"An anonymous caller."

"What did they say?" Stephen asked.

Chris didn't answer immediately.

He watched their faces.

Then he said:

"They claimed one of you killed your father."

The room exploded.

"What?" Matthew stood.

"That's ridiculous," Stephen said.

Michael looked at his brothers.

Prince remained completely still.

Chad's face had gone pale.

Chris noticed.

"Interesting."

Chad looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Chris walked toward the center of the room.

"I want each of you to understand something."

He looked from one brother to another.

"Someone is lying."

Nobody spoke.

"And I'm going to find out who."

---

Prince was the first to leave the room.

He walked outside and stood beneath the large oak tree near the driveway.

His phone rang.

He answered.

"What?"

A man's voice came through.

"You need to leave."

Prince's expression hardened.

"Who is this?"

"You know who."

"Don't play games with me."

"The police are getting too close."

Prince looked toward the house.

"Nobody tells me what to do."

"You should listen this time."

The call ended.

Prince stared at the phone.

Then another message appeared.

Your father knew everything.

Prince's jaw tightened.

He deleted the message.

But this time, his hands were shaking.

---

Michael was sitting in his room when someone knocked.

"Come in."

The door opened.

It was Stephen.

Michael looked at him.

"What?"

Stephen closed the door.

"I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Did you tell Detective Chris about the woman?"

Michael stared at him.

"What woman?"

"The woman you saw near the gate."

Michael's eyes narrowed.

"How do you know about her?"

Stephen hesitated.

"I overheard you."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

Michael stood.

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie?"

"Because everyone in this family is lying."

Stephen looked away.

"Did you recognize her?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Michael stared at him.

"Why are you so interested?"

Stephen didn't answer.

Michael stepped closer.

"Stephen."

Stephen sighed.

"I think I've seen her before."

Michael's eyes widened.

"Where?"

"At Dad's office."

"When?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Who was she?"

"I don't know."

Michael frowned.

"What did she want?"

"She was arguing with Dad."

"About what?"

Stephen shook his head.

"I couldn't hear."

"Did Dad know her?"

"Yes."

Michael sat back down.

"Then we need to find her."

Stephen looked at him.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if she's connected to Dad, she's probably dangerous."

Michael laughed.

"More dangerous than Prince?"

Stephen didn't smile.

"Maybe."

---

In another part of the house, Chad stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

He splashed water onto his face.

His hands were trembling.

He looked at himself.

Then at the phone lying beside the sink.

The anonymous messages had stopped.

For now.

He picked up the phone and called a number.

The person answered after three rings.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

Silence.

Chad lowered his voice.

"We have a problem."

"What happened?"

"The police know about Amara."

The person on the other end didn't respond.

Chad continued.

"Someone gave them information."

"How much do they know?"

"Enough."

Another silence.

Then:

"Does Chris know about Daniel?"

Chad closed his eyes.

"I don't know."

"Find out."

"And if he does?"

"Then we have to stop him."

Chad's eyes opened.

"What do you mean?"

The call ended.

Chad stared at the phone.

For the first time, he wondered whether he had already become part of something he could never escape.

---

Detective Chris was sitting in his car when Maya returned.

"We found something."

Chris looked up.

"What?"

"Security footage."

"From the mansion?"

"Yes."

Maya handed him a tablet.

"We recovered a few seconds from one of the cameras."

Chris watched.

The footage showed the rear entrance of the mansion.

11:32 p.m.

Nothing.

11:34 p.m.

Nothing.

Then a figure appeared.

A woman.

She walked toward the house.

She was wearing a long coat.

And around her neck was a red scarf.

Chris paused the footage.

"The woman Michael saw."

Maya nodded.

"Probably."

"Can we identify her?"

"We're working on it."

Chris watched the footage again.

The woman stopped at the door.

She looked around.

Then she entered.

Chris looked at the time.

11:36 p.m.

Twenty-nine minutes before the cameras were shut down.

"Who was she?"

Maya shook her head.

"That's what we're trying to find out."

Chris zoomed in.

The woman turned slightly.

Her face was partially visible.

Chris froze.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Go back."

Maya rewound.

Chris leaned closer.

The woman turned toward the camera.

For less than a second, her face was visible.

Chris recognized her.

His eyes widened.

"I've seen her before."

"Where?"

He didn't answer.

He grabbed his jacket.

"Let's go."

---

They drove to a small neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.

Chris had been there once before.

Years ago.

He remembered the case.

A missing child.

A little girl.

Twenty-two years ago.

The case had never been solved.

The child's name had been Amara.

Chris stepped out of the car.

Maya stared at him.

"You think she's connected?"

"I think everything is connected."

They stopped outside a small house.

Chris knocked.

An elderly woman answered.

"Yes?"

Chris showed his badge.

"Ma'am, we're investigating a murder."

The woman's expression changed.

"Who?"

"Richard Williams."

The woman went completely still.

Chris noticed.

"You know him."

She looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You knew him twenty-two years ago."

Her hands began shaking.

"Please leave."

"Ma'am."

"I said leave."

Chris lowered his voice.

"We know about Amara."

The woman's eyes widened.

For a moment, she looked terrified.

Then she opened the door wider.

"Come inside."

---

The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Clara.

She sat across from Chris and Maya.

"You should not be asking about that girl."

"Why?"

"Because people died because of her."

Chris leaned forward.

"Who?"

Clara looked toward the window.

"Daniel."

Chris's heart jumped.

"Daniel Carter?"

She nodded.

"He was a good man."

"What happened to him?"

"He disappeared."

"When?"

"Twenty-two years ago."

"Did Richard Williams have anything to do with it?"

Clara didn't answer.

Chris waited.

Finally, she whispered:

"Richard wanted Daniel gone."

"Why?"

"Because Daniel was Amara's father."

Chris glanced at Maya.

"And Margaret?"

Clara's eyes filled with tears.

"Margaret loved Daniel."

"Then why did she marry Richard?"

"Because she had no choice."

Chris frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Clara looked at him.

"Richard threatened her."

"With what?"

"The baby."

Chris leaned forward.

"What baby?"

"Amara."

Silence.

Clara continued.

"Richard told Margaret that if she didn't marry him, he would make sure she never saw her daughter again."

Maya shook her head.

"That's horrible."

Clara nodded.

"Richard raised Amara for a while."

"For a while?"

"Then one day, she disappeared."

"Who took her?"

Clara looked at Chris.

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

Clara's voice cracked.

"No."

"Then what happened?"

She whispered:

"Margaret took her."

Chris froze.

"Margaret?"

"She couldn't live without her daughter."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know."

Chris stood.

"Mrs. Clara, if you know where Amara is—"

"I don't."

"But you know something."

Clara looked down.

"I know she's alive."

Chris stared at her.

"How?"

Clara hesitated.

Then she reached for a small box beside her.

She opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

Chris took it.

It showed a young woman in her twenties.

She was standing beside a little girl.

Chris recognized the child immediately.

Amara.

But the young woman wasn't Margaret.

Chris looked at Clara.

"Who is this?"

Clara whispered:

"Her sister."

Chris frowned.

"Amara had a sister?"

"No."

"Then who?"

Clara looked frightened.

"That's what I've been trying to tell people."

Chris looked back at the photograph.

The young woman looked strangely familiar.

He couldn't explain why.

Then he noticed something around her neck.

A red scarf.

The same red scarf from the security footage.

Chris's heart raced.

"Where is she now?"

Clara looked toward the door.

"I don't know."

"Mrs. Clara."

"I swear."

Chris stared at the photograph.

The mystery had just become bigger.

There wasn't only one missing person.

There were two.

---

That night, Michael received another message.

Stop looking for Amara.

He stared at the screen.

Then another message arrived.

Or your family will lose another son.

Michael's heart pounded.

He immediately called Chad.

No answer.

He called Stephen.

No answer.

Then Matthew.

No answer.

Finally, he called Prince.

Prince answered.

"What?"

"Someone threatened me."

Silence.

"What did they say?"

Michael told him.

Prince's voice became serious.

"Where are you?"

"My room."

"Lock your door."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Michael locked the door.

"Prince, what's going on?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

Prince didn't answer.

Then Michael heard something.

A sound outside his window.

He slowly turned.

The curtains moved.

Michael walked toward them.

His phone was still against his ear.

"Prince?"

"I'm here."

Michael reached for the curtain.

Pulled it aside.

Nobody.

Only the darkness of the garden.

Then something fell onto the floor.

A photograph.

Michael picked it up.

His blood ran cold.

It was a picture of all five brothers as children.

But someone had written across their faces in black ink.

ONE OF YOU IS NEXT.

Michael dropped the photograph.

And somewhere outside the mansion, a car drove away into the night.

TO BE CONTINUED...