Chapter 6 - THE THING UNDER ELENA’S CAR
The renewed examination of Elena’s car began the next morning.
Julian wanted to be there.
Detective Laura Chen told him no.
He did not like being told no.
Marisol said, “You should practice.”
He stared at her.
She handed Gabriel a bowl of cereal.
“Practice what?”
“Not controlling rooms you don’t belong in.”
Julian almost argued.
Then did not.
He stayed home.
That decision unsettled everyone more than if he had stormed into the forensic garage with twelve lawyers.
Samuel called twice.
Julian declined both.
Adrian sent a message through counsel.
Julian did not respond.
Thomas Vale asked whether the boys needed additional security.
Julian answered only after discussing it with Marisol and the children’s therapist.
Everything now required a question he once never asked.
What does this feel like to the boys?
Additional guards could make them safer.
They could also make the estate feel like a prison.
So Julian moved security farther from the living areas.
Plain clothes.
No visible weapons near the children.
No conversations about threats within earshot.
Simple changes.
The boys noticed immediately.
Nico asked at lunch, “Where did the hallway men go?”
Julian sat across from him.
“They’re still helping keep us safe. They’re just working somewhere else.”
“Because Marisol said they were scary?”
Julian looked at her.
She kept eating soup.
“I agreed they were.”
Nico nodded.
“Good.”
Julian almost laughed.
A year earlier, nobody in his household would have called one of his security decisions scary to his face.
Now his seven-year-old graded him at lunch.
It was strangely freeing.
At two in the afternoon, Detective Chen arrived.
Julian met her in the study.
Dana joined by video.
Marisol remained with the boys.
Chen placed a photograph on the desk.
“Your son was right.”
Julian’s pulse changed.
“What did you find?”
“A mounting residue beneath the rear frame.”
“For a tracker?”
“Consistent with one.”
“Removed?”
“Yes.”
“Before or after the crash?”
“Cannot say.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Mateo saw Adrian place something under the car.
That did not make Adrian a killer.
It made him exactly what he admitted.
A man who tracked Elena.
Chen placed another photograph.
“More important, we found paint transfer on the rear quarter panel.”
Julian leaned forward.
“From another vehicle.”
“Likely.”
“Color?”
“Black.”
His chest tightened.
“Can you identify make?”
“Possibly after lab work.”
“Was it enough to cause the crash?”
“Unknown.”
Julian hated that word.
Unknown used to feel like failure.
Now he forced himself to hear it as accuracy.
Chen continued.
“The original report noted the damage but attributed it to secondary contact. The new reconstruction expert disagrees with that conclusion.”
“So somebody hit her.”
“I did not say that.”
“But—”
“I said the damage may have occurred before the guardrail impact.”
Julian sat back.
Facts.
He repeated the lesson silently.
Facts first.
“What else?”
“There was something in the vehicle data.”
Julian’s hands went still.
“The brakes?”
“No mechanical failure.”
“What then?”
“Elena received a phone call four minutes before the crash.”
“From who?”
“Unknown prepaid number.”
“Duration?”
“Thirty-eight seconds.”
Julian frowned.
“She had left the hotel route.”
“Yes.”
“She was coming home.”
“Yes.”
“Then someone called.”
“Yes.”
“And four minutes later she crashed.”
“Yes.”
“Can you recover audio?”
“No.”
“Location?”
“The call came through a tower near the river.”
Julian thought.
Adrian’s investigator followed her.
Samuel tracked her phone.
Thomas knew she was afraid.
Somebody else called.
“Who had the number?”
Chen looked at him.
“Her phone number?”
“Yes.”
“A lot of people.”
“That’s helpful.”
“It is the truth.”
He almost smiled.
Apparently every woman in his life had joined a conspiracy to teach him patience.
Chen then asked, “Who is Rosa Mercer?”
Julian froze.
“My aunt.”
“The woman with the boys?”
“Yes.”
“Was she close to Elena?”
“Very.”
“Did Elena ever stay with her?”
“Sometimes.”
Chen slid a printout.
“The prepaid number made three previous calls to a landline registered at Rosa’s cottage.”
Julian stared.
“No.”
“We’re interviewing her.”
He stood.
“She’s with my children.”
“Mr. Mercer—”
Julian was already moving.
Then stopped.
Ask questions before punishment.
He took a breath.
“Is she a suspect?”
“Not at this point.”
“Do you believe the boys are in danger with her?”
“No evidence of that.”
“Then why the calls?”
“That’s what we want to know.”
Julian forced himself to sit.
It was one of the hardest things he had ever done.
Marisol entered ten minutes later.
One look at his face.
“What?”
Julian explained.
She listened.
Then said, “Rosa loved Elena.”
“Yes.”
“So ask Rosa.”
“That is literally what detectives are doing.”
Marisol smiled faintly.
“Look at you.”
“This is not funny.”
“No.”
She sat.
“But six weeks ago you would have had three men searching her cottage before Detective Chen finished the sentence.”
Julian knew she was right.
He did not enjoy knowing.
Rosa arrived voluntarily that evening.
She was sixty-two, elegant, sharp, and had been the only Mercer who regularly told Julian when he was being an idiot.
She walked into the study.
“Is this where you accuse me?”
Julian stood.
“No.”
Rosa looked suspicious.
“Who are you?”
Marisol coughed.
Julian ignored her.
Detective Chen joined by video.
Rosa looked at the call log.
Her expression changed.
“I know the number.”
Julian’s pulse jumped.
“Who?”
“Elena.”
Silence.
“What?”
Rosa sat.
“She kept a prepaid phone.”
Julian stared.
“Why?”
“Because she didn’t trust Mercer phones.”
His mouth tightened.
“Why did she call you from it?”
“Because she was scared.”
Everyone in his life had apparently known that except him.
Rosa saw his face.
“Do not make this about betrayal.”
Julian almost laughed.
“How should I make it?”
“About the fact that your wife believed your systems watched her more than they protected her.”
The words hurt.
Rosa continued.
“She started using the phone after she discovered Samuel could access family location data.”
Julian looked away.
“Did she have it the night she died?”
“Yes.”
“Then the last call—”
“Could have been someone calling that phone.”
“Who knew the number?”
“Me.”
“Anyone else?”
Rosa hesitated.
Julian saw it.
“Who?”
“Elena’s therapist.”
Julian frowned.
“She had a therapist?”
“Yes.”
Another thing he did not know.
“Name.”
“Dr. Miriam Hale.”
Marisol looked at Julian.
He was staring at the floor.
Rosa softened.
“Elena loved you.”
“Everyone says that right before telling me she hid another part of her life.”
“She hid places where she was allowed not to be Julian Mercer’s wife.”
That silenced him.
He had never asked whether being married to him was exhausting.
Maybe because he feared the answer.
Rosa continued.
“Elena said you loved deeply but occupied every room completely.”
Marisol looked away.
Julian noticed.
“You agree.”
She met his eyes.
“Sometimes.”
He almost smiled.
Rosa gave them both a look.
“Interesting.”
“Not now, Aunt Rosa.”
“Very interesting.”
Detective Chen cleared her throat.
“Dr. Hale died six months ago.”
Julian frowned.
“How?”
“Natural causes. Stroke.”
“Any family?”
“A son.”
“What does he do?”
Chen checked notes.
“Derek Hale.”
Julian froze.
Adrian’s investigator was named Derek Sloan.
Not Hale.
Still, something felt wrong.
“Age?”
“Thirty-nine.”
“Employment?”
“Private investigations.”
The room went quiet.
Rosa whispered, “Oh.”
Julian’s chest tightened.
“Photograph.”
Chen sent one.
Julian stared.
He had seen the man.
At Elena’s funeral.
Standing near Adrian.
He showed the image to Rosa.
She covered her mouth.
“That’s him.”
“Who?”
“The man Elena said followed her.”
Julian went cold.
Adrian had named his investigator Derek Sloan.
But the man’s real name was Derek Hale.
Son of Elena’s therapist.
A man who knew the prepaid phone number.
Julian called Adrian.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Samuel answered immediately.
“Boss.”
“Derek Sloan.”
Silence.
Julian’s face hardened.
“What?”
“That wasn’t his real name.”
Samuel went quiet.
“You knew.”
“I knew he used aliases.”
“Did Adrian?”
“Probably.”
“Where did Derek die?”
“Apartment in Queens.”
“Overdose?”
“Yes.”
“Who identified him?”
A pause.
“Adrian.”
Julian’s blood went cold.
Detective Chen said, “Do not contact Adrian again.”
Too late.
A text arrived.
From Adrian.
YOU’RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION.
Julian showed Chen.
She said, “Do not respond.”
Another text.
ASK WHY ELENA CALLED DEREK FIRST.
Julian stared.
Marisol spoke softly.
“Maybe Adrian isn’t saying Derek called her.”
Julian understood.
“What if Elena called him?”
Rosa looked horrified.
“Why would she call the man following her?”
Julian stared at the phone.
Then replied against Chen’s instruction with one word.
WHY?
Adrian answered.
BECAUSE HE WAS HELPING HER.
Detective Chen swore.
A final message appeared.
AND BECAUSE SAMUEL KNEW.
Julian slowly looked toward the phone still connected to Samuel.
Samuel had gone silent.
Julian lifted it.
“Sam.”
Nothing.
“Tell me now.”
Samuel exhaled.
“Derek stopped working for Adrian three weeks before Elena died.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“And?”
“Elena turned him.”
“What does that mean?”
“She convinced him to give her records.”
“About North Star?”
“Yes.”
“About Lucas?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he keep following her?”
“For protection.”
Julian shut his eyes.
The black car may not have been hunting Elena.
It may have been guarding her.
Mateo’s fear had been real.
Their interpretation might have been wrong.
Again, facts changed stories.
“Why didn’t you say this before?”
Samuel’s voice broke.
“Because Derek died after he told me he had proof of who hit Elena’s car.”
Julian stopped breathing.
“Who?”
“He never gave me the name.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“He said he’d bring the file.”
“And then he overdosed.”
“Yes.”
“Did he use drugs?”
“No.”
The room became silent.
Detective Chen’s expression sharpened.
“What was in his toxicology?”
Samuel said, “Fentanyl.”
“History of opioid use?”
“No.”
Julian felt cold spread through him.
Another death.
Another secret.
Another man silenced.
“Why didn’t you go to police?”
Samuel whispered, “Because the file he promised involved Mercer accounts.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Of course.
Again.
Protect the name.
Lose the truth.
He looked at Marisol.
She said nothing.
She did not need to.
Julian spoke into the phone.
“Samuel.”
“Yes.”
“You are done deciding what I can survive.”
A pause.
“I know.”
“No. I mean completely.”
“I understand.”
“Send Detective Chen everything you have.”
“I will.”
“And if you hide one thing—”
Julian stopped.
Threats were easy.
He chose something harder.
“If you hide one thing, you will never be around my sons again.”
Samuel was silent.
Then:
“I understand.”
That consequence mattered more.
Because Samuel loved the boys.
Julian ended the call.
Later, he found Mateo sitting on the stairs.
“Can’t sleep?”
The boy shook his head.
Julian sat beside him.
“The black car.”
Mateo stiffened.
Julian continued.
“We learned the man inside might have been trying to help Mom.”
Mateo looked confused.
“But he followed her.”
“Yes.”
“Following is bad.”
“Sometimes.”
“Was he good?”
“I don’t know.”
“You say that a lot now.”
Julian smiled faintly.
“I’m learning.”
Mateo thought.
“Did I tell you wrong?”
Julian’s chest tightened.
“No.”
“But if he was helping—”
“You told me what you saw.”
“I thought he was bad.”
“That was your best understanding.”
Mateo looked down.
“So I didn’t make trouble?”
“No.”
Julian put an arm around him.
“Truth doesn’t become bad because we understand it differently later.”
Mateo leaned into him.
For the first time, Julian realized this investigation was teaching his sons something too.
Memories could be incomplete.
Adults could be wrong.
Fear could be real even when the feared story changed.
That did not make the child a liar.
It made them human.
At midnight, Detective Chen called.
They had recovered data from Derek Hale’s old cloud account.
One folder.
Encrypted.
Titled:
E.M. — IF I DON’T MAKE IT.
And inside was a photograph of the black vehicle that struck Elena’s car.
May you like
The license plate belonged to Silver Harbor Consulting.
Samuel Price’s company.
