She Found a Forgotten Case File at Work — Then Realized the Recent Murders Were Following Its 20-Year-Old List
Chapter 2
Mara barely slept.
By sunrise, she was sitting across from Detective Daniel Reed.
He was thirty-eight, broad-shouldered, exhausted-looking, and visibly annoyed that someone from the records department had called him at six in the morning.
“You said you found an old file.”
“I did.”
“About what?”
“Three murders.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Which murders?”
Mara slid the file across the table.
He opened it.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked at her.
“Where did you find this?”
“In storage.”
“Who gave it to you?”
“No one.”
Daniel closed the folder.
“You shouldn’t have this.”
“Why?”
“Because this case disappeared.”
Mara stared at him.
“Cases don’t disappear.”
“This one did.”
Daniel stood and locked the office door.
“Twenty years ago, three people were murdered. Everyone believed they were unrelated. My captain at the time believed otherwise.”
“Your captain?”
Daniel nodded.
“His name was Frank Reed.”
Mara’s heart skipped.
“Your father?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked down.
“He was investigating the murders when he suddenly retired.”
Mara swallowed.
“My father disappeared around the same time.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Jonathan Bennett?”
She nodded.
“Your father worked with mine.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know who you were.”
Mara stared at him.
“You’ve known my last name for six years.”
“I’ve known the name. I never knew you were his daughter.”
She opened the file again.
“Richard Cole was murdered last night.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“His name is here.”
Daniel looked at the page.
His face hardened.
“That’s impossible.”
“It happened.”
He leaned closer.
The name had been written twenty years ago.
Daniel looked at the date beside it.
Tomorrow.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Where?”
A pause.
“Send everyone.”
He hung up.
“What’s wrong?”
“Another body.”
Mara’s stomach dropped.
“Who?”
Daniel looked directly at her.
“William Harper.”
Mara opened the file.
The second name.
Still uncrossed.
For the first time, Daniel seemed afraid.
“Someone isn’t reopening this case,” he said.
“They’re finishing it.”
