The Photograph That Should Not Exist
Chapter 04 - The Photograph That Should Not Exist
Ethan held the photograph under the fluorescent light.
It had been taken at the county fair fourteen years earlier.
He remembered that day.
His father had bought him a funnel cake and laughed when powdered sugar covered the front of Ethan’s shirt. Ethan had competed in a youth mechanics contest and won second place.
He also remembered his father disappearing for almost an hour.
At the time, Edward said he had gone to meet an old friend.
In the photograph, Nathan looked about twenty-six.
Edward stood between the two young men.
Ethan was on one side, holding his trophy.
Nathan was on the other, wearing a motorcycle-shop shirt.
The picture had clearly been taken from a distance. Ethan had been looking away.
Nathan said, “Your father asked me to come that day.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to introduce us.”
“But he didn’t.”
“No.”
Nathan looked down.
“He lost his nerve.”
Ethan felt an old anger rising toward a dead man who could no longer answer for himself.
Lauren opened the second letter.
It was addressed only to Richard.
Richard, if anything happens to me before I finish fixing this, the trust must be divided equally. The garage property belongs to the boys. Do not sell it. Do not change the beneficiary documents. I have delayed the truth long enough.
Ethan’s eyes stopped on the final sentence.
He read it again.
Do not change the beneficiary documents.
Lauren whispered, “That’s why I didn’t tell you right away.”
Ethan looked at her.
She continued.
“I took copies to a lawyer in Denver. She checked the county records.”
Ethan already knew he was not going to like what came next.
“The garage property your father owned wasn’t sold to pay debts,” Lauren said. “It was transferred.”
“To who?”
She hesitated.
“Richard.”
Ethan laughed again, harder this time.
“My uncle owns an accounting firm. He doesn’t own a garage.”
“He does on paper.”
Nathan added, “And last month he filed to sell it to a development company.”
Ethan felt his stomach drop.
The old Cole Auto & Machine building had sat mostly unused for years. Ethan believed the bank held a claim against it.
But if the property had belonged to him and Nathan all along, Richard had stolen more than money.
He had stolen time.
Ethan looked at his wife.
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“How far did this go?”
Lauren’s eyes filled, but she did not cry.
“Far enough that Richard came here three nights ago.”
Ethan went still.
“What did he want?”
May you like
Lauren looked toward the black motorcycle.
“He wanted the box before we found it.”
