Caleb's Dangerous Questions
Chapter 06 - Caleb's Dangerous Questions
After the memorial, Caleb tried to return to college, but Ava's death followed him everywhere. Strangers blamed him for living comfortably while his sister had sacrificed everything. At foundation events, his parents coached him to repeat one sentence: Ava died serving others, and we will honor her by moving forward.
Caleb could not move forward.
He found inconsistencies in the accident reports and noticed that Grant refused to discuss the search. Celeste had cleared Ava's apartment before the Navy released her belongings. Even Ava's personal journals were missing.
Then Thomas Bell's widow called. She said Thomas had been frightened during his final week and had mentioned a package meant for Caleb. Two days later, she withdrew her statement and moved out of state.
Caleb began searching Reed Maritime's records at night. He discovered that Harbor Shield Logistics used the same mailing address as a law firm controlled by Grant's oldest friend. He also found invoices signed with Ava's digital authorization after the date of her disappearance.
When he confronted Celeste, she slapped him and immediately apologized. Grant was colder. He told Caleb that grief had made him unstable and threatened to place him under financial guardianship.
The parking garage attack happened the following week.
On the yacht, Caleb touched the cut on his cheek. “They kept asking where Thomas's card was. I thought they meant a key card.”
Grant looked toward the security team stationed near the stairs. None of them moved. Ava had arranged for federal agents in plain clothes to join the guest list, and the yacht's private guards had quietly been informed that interfering would bring criminal charges.
Celeste stood at last, smoothing her dress as though dignity could be restored by removing a wrinkle. “Caleb, your father and I made difficult choices to protect thousands of employees. Reed Maritime supports entire communities.”
“You protected the company by destroying Ava?”
“We believed she was already lost.”
Ava's voice cut through the silence. “You believed I was inconvenient.”
Caleb looked down at the folded dollar. The memory card was smaller than his thumbnail, yet it had turned the balance of power on the yacht.
“Why hide it in this?” he asked Ava.
“Because Thomas knew our parents searched anything that looked important. They would never understand something sentimental.”
May you like
Grant's mouth tightened. He had spent his life valuing assets, leverage, and appearances. A childhood promise had defeated him because he had never considered it valuable.
Caleb closed his hand around the card. “Then let's see what Thomas thought was worth dying to protect.”
