Author: Top One

PART 7 I dropped the letter. The director bent down and picked it up. She read it. Her face turned white. “What?” I grabbed the paper from her. “Who?” She …

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PART 8 Mia held my hand so tightly that her fingers hurt. The footsteps stopped outside the room. Nobody breathed. A key turned in the lock. The door opened. A …

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PART 9 “The financial records.” I didn’t understand. Susan explained. “My father had used my identity to create accounts. Accounts connected to the stolen money.” I stared at her. “And …

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PART 10 I opened it. Names. Dates. Amounts. And beside several payments was one repeated notation. D.S. I looked at Susan. “Who is D.S.?” Susan went pale. “Daniel’s father.” The …

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PART 11 I started the engine. We drove. I didn’t stop until we were miles away. My hands were shaking. Mia was crying silently. Susan stared out the window. Finally, …

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PART 4 We hurried downstairs. The basement smelled of concrete and old paint. Behind a shelf of Christmas decorations was a narrow wooden hatch. I shoved the shelf aside. It …

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PART 5 I pressed my hand over Lily’s mouth as tears rolled silently down her cheeks. The flashlight trembled in her tiny fingers, sending shaky beams across the damp stone …

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PART 6 An elderly woman was hanging laundry outside. The moment she saw Lily’s muddy face, she dropped the basket. “Oh Lord…” I didn’t even make it to the porch …

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PART 7 It showed Derek… Standing beside a smiling blonde woman… Holding the hand of a little girl who looked almost exactly Lily’s age. The detective spoke quietly. “Emma… we …

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