Chapter 4 - THE CONFESSION NOBODY EXPECTED
For several seconds, I thought I had misunderstood him.
Senator Holloway stood beneath the chandeliers with his shoulders lowered.
His son stared at him.
His daughter covered her mouth.
My father didn't move.
I looked at Malcolm.
“What did you say?”
He swallowed.
“I killed Thomas Bennett.”
Grant shook his head.
“No.”
Malcolm closed his eyes.
“It wasn't supposed to happen.”
“No.”
Grant moved toward him.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Grant shoved his father.
“You're lying!”
Malcolm stumbled backward.
Security immediately moved forward.
I raised one hand.
“Don't.”
Grant stared at his father.
“You told us he drowned.”
“I know.”
“You gave a speech at his funeral.”
“I know.”
“You stood beside Richard.”
Malcolm's voice cracked.
“I know.”
My father finally spoke.
“Tell her everything.”
Malcolm looked at him.
“Richard.”
“Everything.”
The senator stared at me.
“Your grandfather discovered money was disappearing from a network of family trusts.”
“How much?”
“Originally?”
He hesitated.
“Eighty-six million.”
Several guests gasped.
“That was twenty-two years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Where did it go?”
Malcolm looked toward Grant.
“Into companies.”
Grant's face changed.
“What companies?”
“The companies that became Holloway Industries.”
Grant stepped backward.
His entire identity had just cracked.
Malcolm continued.
“I wasn't supposed to keep the money.”
“Who was?”
“A group of investors.”
Cross laughed.
“Investors?”
Malcolm glared at him.
“Don't.”
Cross stepped forward.
“Call them what they were.”
Silence.
I looked at Malcolm.
“What were they?”
He whispered.
“A network.”
“What kind?”
“Judges.”
The room became still.
“Politicians.”
More silence.
“Bankers.”
My father watched him.
“Keep going.”
“Federal contractors.”
Malcolm looked around the ballroom.
“And businessmen.”
Something horrible occurred to me.
Many of those categories were represented inside this room.
I slowly turned toward the guests.
Some looked confused.
Others looked terrified.
Cross noticed.
He smiled without humor.
“Now you're beginning to understand why these doors matter.”
Grant stared at the crowd.
“Are they here?”
Malcolm didn't answer.
Grant grabbed his father's jacket.
“Are they here?”
“Yes.”
Panic erupted.
People began shouting.
A congressman demanded the exits open.
A banker tried calling someone.
Two men moved toward a side corridor.
Blackridge officers blocked them.
I looked at Marcus.
“Nobody leaves.”
He nodded.
My father watched me.
“Claire.”
“You told me to lock the doors.”
“Yes.”
“I'm keeping them locked.”
A man near the stage shouted.
“You cannot detain us!”
Cross turned toward him.
“Judge Reynolds.”
The man froze.
Cross smiled.
“Interesting that you're nervous.”
“I am not nervous.”
“Then sit down.”
The judge didn't.
Cross reached into the case.
He removed a folder.
Judge Reynolds went pale.
Cross opened it.
“Wire transfer.”
He read the date.
Then the amount.
“Four million dollars.”
The judge shouted.
“This is absurd.”
Cross held up another page.
“Offshore account.”
Another.
“Shell corporation.”
Another.
“Property transfer.”
Judge Reynolds lunged for the papers.
Security stopped him.
Suddenly everyone understood.
The black case wasn't evidence against one man.
It contained a map.
A map of corruption stretching across decades.
My grandfather had discovered it.
And someone had killed him.
I looked at Malcolm.
“How did he die?”
The senator lowered his head.
“We met at the marina.”
“Who?”
“Thomas.”
“My father.”
“Daniel.”
Cross nodded.
“And me.”
“What happened?”
“Thomas confronted us.”
My father interrupted.
“He confronted you.”
Malcolm nodded.
“He wanted to go to federal investigators.”
Cross laughed bitterly.
“He already had.”
Malcolm looked at him.
“What?”
Cross reached deeper into the case.
He removed a sealed envelope.
“Thomas knew you would betray him.”
My father stared at it.
Cross handed the envelope to me.
My name was written across the front.
FOR CLAIRE.
My hands started shaking.
My grandfather had written it.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was one sheet of paper.
Only four sentences.
I read the first.
Claire, if you are reading this, the people I trusted failed me.
The second.
Never confuse wealth with power.
The third.
Real power is knowing what someone is willing to destroy to keep hidden.
Then the final sentence.
My breath stopped.
And never trust the man standing beside your father.
I looked up.
Everyone expected me to look at Malcolm.
I didn't.
The letter said beside my father.
May you like
And at that exact moment…
Daniel Cross was standing beside him.
