CHAPTER 3 — THE MAN EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS A HERO
The next morning, the entire Carter family drove to the abandoned steel plant.
It had been closed for eight years.
Rust covered the gates.
Broken windows stared back like empty eyes.
Frank still had his old employee key.
To his surprise...
It worked.
Inside, dust covered everything.
But Hannah wasn't looking at the machines.
She walked straight toward Locker 214.
Daniel's locker.
She pulled out a tiny brass key taped underneath.
Frank stared.
"How did you know?"
"He left me a letter."
She unlocked a forgotten storage room.
Inside sat dozens of dusty boxes.
Payroll files.
Hidden accounting books.
Photographs.
One photograph froze everyone.
Richard Coleman shaking hands...
with a federal safety inspector.
Both smiling.
Both holding envelopes filled with cash.
Then Owen noticed something strange.
"Mom..."
"Who's that?"
In the corner of another photo stood someone unexpected.
Frank.
His younger self.
Standing only a few feet away.
Frank's face turned white.
"I..."
"I never knew they were paying him."
But Hannah wasn't looking at Frank.
She was staring at another face.
Someone still alive.
Someone who visited the Carter house every Christmas.
Family lawyer...
Harold Mills.
He had handled Daniel's death.
He had handled Hannah's eviction papers.
He had handled every legal document since.
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And suddenly...
Everything connected.
