Chapter 25: Don't Answer

The phone kept ringing.

Mum.

The name flashed across the screen again.

I looked at Michael.

He was standing outside the car, his gun pointed towards the men surrounding us.

"Don't answer it!" he shouted again.

"But it's Mum!"

"I know!"

Another ring.

My fingers hovered over the screen.

Why would my mother call now?

She knew where we were.

Unless...

She wasn't the one calling.

I declined the call.

The ringing stopped.

For a second, everything was silent.

Then my phone received a message.

You should have answered.

My blood ran cold.

I showed Daniel.

His face changed.

"That's not your mother."

Another message appeared.

Ask Michael what happened to your father the night he died.

I looked up.

Michael was still outside.

"Michael!"

He turned.

"What?"

"Did you kill Dad?"

His face went completely still.

The woman in black smiled.

Michael lowered his gun.

"No."

"Then tell me what happened!"

"I don't have time."

"You never have time!"

My voice cracked.

"I'm tired of everyone hiding things from me!"

The woman laughed.

"She's finally asking the right questions."

Michael looked at her.

"Stay out of this."

She raised her phone.

"Your mother is listening."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

The woman pressed a button.

A voice came through her phone.

My mother's voice.

Terrified.

"Maya... don't trust Michael."

I stared at my brother.

He looked devastated.

"Mum?"

The recording continued.

"Whatever he tells you, don't believe him."

Then it ended.

I looked at Michael.

"Is that real?"

He didn't answer.

"Michael!"

He finally looked at me.

"Yes."

My stomach dropped.

"You really did something."

"I didn't kill Dad."

"Then what did you do?"

He closed his eyes.

"I was there."

The words barely left his mouth.

"I was there the night Dad died."

I couldn't breathe.

"What happened?"

Michael looked towards the woman in black.

Then towards the men surrounding us.

Finally, he looked at me.

"I watched him die."

A gunshot suddenly rang out.

Michael fell to the ground.

"MICHAEL!"

I threw open the car door.

Daniel grabbed my arm.

"Maya, wait!"

But I was already running towards my brother.

And from somewhere behind us, the woman in black whispered:

"Now she knows."