Chapter 11 - THE DRIVER
Raymond’s face lost all color.
Ethan saw it.
Grace saw it.
Even Logan saw it.
“What?” Ethan asked.
Raymond said nothing.
Logan smiled.
“Come on, Dad.”
“Shut up.”
“No. You’ve been protecting her for eleven years.”
Ethan stared at Raymond.
“Protecting who?”
The elevator descended.
Forty floors.
Thirty-nine.
Thirty-eight.
Raymond finally said, “Laura’s death wasn’t supposed to happen that way.”
Ethan lunged.
Logan raised the gun.
“Don’t!”
Grace flinched.
Ethan stopped.
Raymond continued.
“The steering had been tampered with, yes. She was supposed to have a minor crash. A warning.”
“You sabotaged her car and call it a warning?”
“I didn’t choose the method.”
“Who did?”
Raymond looked at Logan.
Logan’s smile disappeared.
“No.”
Grace stared.
“What?”
Raymond closed his eyes.
“Logan was fifteen.”
Ethan felt the world tilt.
“No.”
“He took my car without permission.”
Logan shouted, “Stop!”
Raymond kept going.
“He was drinking.”
“SHUT UP!”
“The road was wet.”
Ethan stared at Logan.
Raymond said, “Laura’s damaged steering failed near an intersection.”
Grace covered her mouth.
“Logan hit her?”
“Yes.”
“No!” Logan screamed. “It wasn’t my fault!”
Ethan moved.
Logan shoved Grace against the wall and aimed the gun at Ethan.
“I was fifteen!”
“You left her there?”
“I panicked!”
“You left my wife dying in a car?”
“My dad handled it!”
Ethan looked at Raymond.
“You covered it up.”
Raymond whispered, “Yes.”
“Sloan?”
“Yes.”
“Vance?”
“Yes.”
“The mechanic?”
“Yes.”
Grace’s tears came silently.
“My mom died because your drunk son hit her.”
Raymond’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
Grace laughed through tears.
“You’re sorry?”
“I have lived with it every day.”
“My mother didn’t get every day!”
Logan shook the gun.
“She shouldn’t have been on that road!”
Everyone froze.
Ethan looked at him.
“What did you say?”
Logan realized too late.
Grace stared.
“You knew she was going to be there.”
Logan’s breathing quickened.
Raymond said, “Logan.”
“No.”
“Give me the gun.”
“No!”
“Son.”
“You ruined everything!”
Logan swung the gun toward Raymond.
Grace moved.
Fast.
She drove her elbow into Logan’s wrist.
The gun fired.
Raymond jerked.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Logan stared.
“Dad?”
Grace kicked the gun away.
Ethan tackled Logan.
The elevator doors opened at the parking level.
Marcus and federal agents were waiting.
Logan screamed as they dragged him away.
Raymond collapsed.
Ethan knelt beside him.
Raymond grabbed his sleeve.
“Keystone…”
“Save your breath.”
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re done.”
Raymond coughed blood.
“No.”
He pulled Ethan closer.
“There’s someone above me.”
Ethan stared.
“Who?”
Raymond whispered:
May you like
“The senator.”
Then he lost consciousness.
