Chapter 8 - THE HOLLOWAY PLAN
Victoria's confession changed everything.
“Malcolm ordered Grant to attack me?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
“To make you leave.”
“Leave the gala?”
“The country.”
I stared at her.
“That makes no sense.”
“He knew someone was coming for you.”
“Then why didn't he warn me?”
“Because warning you meant admitting why.”
Gunfire echoed beyond the curtain.
Victoria flinched.
I grabbed her wrist.
“What did your father know?”
“He knew about the archive.”
“How?”
“Someone contacted him six weeks ago.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
She shook her head.
“They told him Thomas Bennett's archive had resurfaced.”
“And?”
“They said the key belonged to you.”
I looked at the bracelet in my hand.
Victoria continued.
“My father panicked.”
“He wanted Grant to frighten you into leaving New York.”
“So Grant attacking me was protection?”
“No.”
She looked ashamed.
“Grant didn't know the real reason.”
“What did Malcolm tell him?”
“That you were threatening our family.”
I almost laughed.
Of course.
Give an arrogant violent man an enemy.
Let his ego do the rest.
Victoria grabbed my hand.
“But Grant went too far.”
“He always goes too far.”
A scream came from the ballroom.
Then Marcus's voice.
“Clear!”
We emerged.
One masked attacker lay unconscious.
Another was dead.
Two had escaped upstairs.
Marcus approached us.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He looked at Victoria.
She raised her hands.
“She helped me.”
Marcus nodded.
Then his radio crackled.
“Mr. Vale.”
“Go.”
“We found the tunnel access.”
“Location?”
“Wine cellar.”
“Seal it.”
“Can't.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“Why?”
A pause.
Then the officer answered.
“Because there's someone standing inside.”
“Who?”
The answer stunned us.
“Senator Holloway.”
Victoria whispered.
“Dad?”
Marcus stared toward the cellar corridor.
Malcolm had supposedly left in the ambulance with Grant.
He hadn't.
He had returned through the tunnels.
Or perhaps…
He had never left the estate at all.
We moved downstairs.
The wine cellar door stood open.
Malcolm waited inside.
Blood covered one sleeve.
My father raised his weapon.
Malcolm lifted his hands.
“Richard.”
“Don't move.”
“I came back to help.”
Dad laughed bitterly.
“You ordered your son to attack my daughter.”
Malcolm looked at Victoria.
“You told her.”
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes.
“Good.”
That surprised everyone.
He looked at me.
“I couldn't tell you the truth.”
“You could have tried.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because they were listening.”
“Who?”
Malcolm looked into the darkness of the tunnel.
“The people who killed Thomas.”
My father stared at him.
“You said Daniel killed him.”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Malcolm shook his head.
“I never saw their faces.”
Cross appeared behind us.
“But Thomas did.”
Malcolm turned.
Cross smiled.
“And that's why they need Claire's key.”
I looked at the tunnel.
“Where does it lead?”
My father answered.
“To the original Bennett vault.”
I stared at him.
“You knew?”
“I knew there was a vault.”
“But not the archive?”
“No.”
Cross smiled.
“Thomas trusted Claire more than any of us.”
I tightened my fist around the key.
“Then we're going to the vault.”
Dad immediately said no.
“So did Marcus.”
“So did Malcolm.”
I looked at all three men.
“For twenty-two years, every one of you has lied to me.”
Silence.
“My grandfather died because of whatever is inside that vault.”
Nobody answered.
“Tonight I was attacked.”
“Grant was poisoned.”
“Armed men entered my home.”
“And all of you still think you're going to decide what I should know?”
I stepped into the tunnel.
“No.”
May you like
I looked back.
“This time, I'm going first.”
