Their daughter vanished in 1990 at her graduation…

He propped the shovel against the cabin wall, got into his car, and drove away. John waited, slowly counting to a hundred to ensure Steven wouldn’t return. When all remained quiet, he cautiously emerged from his hiding spot.

His legs trembled, but determination drove him to the freshly dug earth. He needed to know what was in that box. He needed to know why Steven had spoken his daughter’s name over what disturbingly resembled a grave.

John grabbed the shovel Steven had left by the cabin and returned to the burial site. He began digging, his movements frantic but careful. The soil was still damp and gave way easily.

Within minutes, he uncovered the bouquet of white hyacinths, their scent filling the air as he gently set them aside. As John’s shovel struck the wooden box, a voice behind him froze his blood. “I knew someone was out there. I was right.” John turned to see Steven standing a few yards away. His face was a mix of rage and triumph.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Steven said, advancing slowly. “I saw your car, old man, parked up on the hill, and doubled back through the woods.” “What are you doing?” John gripped the shovel tightly, both as a tool and a potential weapon if needed.

“I heard you say my daughter’s name,” he said, his voice steadier than he felt. “What did you bury here, Steven? What does it have to do with Mary?” Steven’s face twisted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t belong here.” John turned toward the partially uncovered hole, determined to open the box. “I’m going to find out.”

“Stop!” Steven shouted, pulling a gun. “Drop the shovel.” John immediately raised his hands, and Steven lunged forward, trying to yank the shovel from John’s grip.

John swiftly pulled his phone from his pocket with his free hand. “I’m calling the police. They need to see this. Go ahead, shoot if you want. I’ll be with my daughter again, but I’m one tap away from alerting them.” With surprising speed, Steven knocked the phone from John’s hand, and it skidded dangerously close to the cliff’s edge.

“No!” John yelled. He lunged forward, knocking the gun from Steven’s hand, sending it tumbling over the edge. Then he dove for his phone, his fingers closing around it just before it slid off.

Without hesitation, he pressed the SOS button, knowing it would alert emergency services and transmit his location. “Stop it, Steven!” John pleaded, backing away from the increasingly erratic man. “The police are on their way. Just tell the truth. Mary’s gone. Nothing can change that. Hiding the truth won’t help anyone.” “You don’t understand!” Steven shouted, his face red with emotion. “I have a life ahead of me, my business, my reputation. I can’t let this ruin everything.” “Did you kill my daughter?” John asked directly, his voice trembling. “If you loved her, why did you hurt her? She was my only child.”

Steven’s expression contorted. “I never knew how I felt about her,” he admitted, his voice strained. “She should’ve taken better care of herself, stayed away from me. And if you loved your daughter, you’d have protected her better.” “What are you talking about?” John asked, horrified. “You don’t get it. You never knew her like I did,” Steven said, his words spilling faster now. He gripped the shovel tightly, his knuckles white. “You didn’t see how she looked at me. She kept coming back.” “Then why didn’t you say anything when she disappeared?” John demanded. “Why bury all this out here like a grave? She betrayed me in the end,” Steven spat, his eyes flashing with an unclear emotion.

Suddenly, Steven lunged again, this time tackling John to the ground with the shovel and grabbing his throat. John, older and physically weaker, couldn’t break free from Steven’s grip. He gasped for air as the younger man’s fingers tightened around his neck.

As spots danced before John’s eyes, the distant wail of police sirens cut through the air. Steven’s grip loosened slightly as he glanced toward the sound in panic. Several police cars sped up the private driveway, their sirens shattering the silence.

John gulped air as Steven’s hold on his throat slackened in surprise. Within moments, they were surrounded by officers, weapons drawn. “Let him go and step back with your hands up,” an officer commanded.

Steven released John and slowly raised his hands, the shovel clattering to the ground. Two officers moved in, cuffing Steven’s wrists and reading him his rights. John collapsed onto the ground, coughing and rubbing his throat…