Chapter 9 - THE WAREHOUSE
We escaped through a tunnel beneath the church.
Mom knew it was there because Arthur had chosen the location.
We reached a car hidden behind the cemetery.
James drove.
Mom called an investigator named Agent Brooks.
No answer.
“That’s bad,” she said.
The warehouse was across town.
We should have waited for police.
We didn’t.
Arthur was inside.
Mom found him tied to a chair.
His face was bruised.
“Ma’am,” he whispered.
She cut him loose.
“I’m sorry.”
“You came.”
Then Arthur looked at me.
“Miss Clara.”
I hugged him.
He winced.
“Dad did this?”
Arthur nodded.
“But your father is no longer the most dangerous one.”
“Vanessa?”
Arthur’s expression darkened.
“She has been planning to leave Daniel.”
Mom froze.
“With the money?”
“With everything.”
Arthur had overheard Vanessa arranging fake passports.
She intended to frame Dad for the entire conspiracy.
Dad didn’t know.
Then we heard engines outside.
Arthur grabbed Mom’s arm.
“You need to leave.”
Too late.
Daniel walked into the warehouse.
Alone.
He saw Mom.
The color disappeared from his face.
“Evelyn.”
Mom stood straight.
“Surprised?”
Dad looked like he had seen a ghost.
“You’re dead.”
“You tried.”
His eyes moved to me.
“Clara.”
I stepped behind Mom.
Something in him broke.
“I did this for us.”
Mom laughed bitterly.
“You tried to kill me for money.”
Dad shook his head.
“Vanessa manipulated everything.”
Mom raised her phone.
“Keep talking.”
Dad realized she was recording.
Then gunfire erupted outside.
Vanessa entered with two armed men.
She looked at Mom.
And smiled.
“I knew you’d eventually crawl out of whatever hole you were hiding in.”
May you like
Then she pointed the gun at me.
“Now we can finally finish this properly.”
