I Was Dared to Dance With the Quiet Girl—Then She Whispered Something Unforgettable

Chapter 6

We ran.

Not toward the front door.

Toward the garage.

We heard footsteps behind us.

Emily slipped.

I caught her hand and pulled her up.

We burst into the garage, climbed into my car, and sped away.

The SUV followed.

For ten minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then Emily said:

“Turn left.”

“Why?”

“My father had a cabin.”

I followed her directions.

We left town and drove into the hills.

The cabin stood beside a lake.

It was old but intact.

Emily unlocked the door.

Inside, everything smelled of dust and cedar.

“My mother hasn’t been here since my father died.”

She moved toward a bookshelf.

She pulled out a book.

A hidden compartment opened behind it.

Inside was a cassette tape.

And another photograph.

This time, I recognized the woman immediately.

My mother.

She was standing beside Emily’s father.

But they weren’t alone.

My father stood behind them.

And beside him was a younger version of Richard Morgan.

Emily looked at me.

“They knew each other.”

I nodded slowly.

“Before any of us knew.”

The cassette player still worked.

We inserted the tape.

Static.

Then my father’s voice.

“If this recording is found, it means the documents were not enough.”

My heart hammered.

“I trusted Daniel. I trusted Susan. And I trusted Richard.”

A pause.

“One of them betrayed us.”

Emily looked at me.

The recording continued.

“Daniel discovered the accounts. I discovered where the money was going. Susan agreed to testify.”

My mother’s name.

I stopped breathing.

“Richard knows about the witness.”

Static filled the room.

Then my father’s voice returned.

“If anything happens to me, Ethan must never be told the truth until he is old enough to protect himself.”

The tape clicked.

Silence.

Emily stared at me.

“Your mother knew.”

I couldn’t answer.

The cabin door suddenly shook.

Someone was outside.

Then a man’s voice called through the wood.

“Ethan.”

I recognized it.

Jake.