Chapter 14 - WHAT THEY TRIED TO BURN
Ethan Reyes had one final plan.
Burn Bellweather again.
Flames climbed the stairwell.
Police shouted.
“ROOF! MOVE!”
Sebastian carried Lily.
Daniel helped Claire.
Victor followed.
Ethan appeared through the smoke holding a gasoline can.
“You ruined my father!”
Daniel stopped.
“Ethan!”
“You made him a murderer!”
“No. My father did.”
Ethan raised his gun.
Daniel didn’t.
“Paul confessed because he wanted the truth known.”
“He was weak.”
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“He was guilty.”
Ethan’s face twisted.
“Shut up.”
“He spent the rest of his life carrying what he did.”
“SHUT UP!”
Daniel kept moving.
“You don’t have to carry it too.”
Ethan fired.
Victor shoved Daniel aside.
The bullet struck Victor in the shoulder.
Police fired.
Ethan dropped his weapon and collapsed.
Sebastian stared at Victor.
His uncle pressed one hand against the wound.
“Go.”
They reached the roof as firefighters entered below.
Lily buried her face in Sebastian’s neck.
“I want to go home.”
“I know, baby.”
Claire touched Lily’s hair.
“I’m sorry about your cake.”
Lily looked at her.
For a second, Claire seemed ready to break.
Then Lily whispered, “You can buy me another one.”
Claire laughed and cried at the same time.
“Deal.”
Daniel stood near the edge.
Police were taking Malcolm away below.
Eleven years of lies walked toward a police car in handcuffs.
Sebastian joined him.
“What happens now?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Everything comes out.”
“Even my father?”
“Yes.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Good.”
Victor was taken by ambulance under police guard.
He had confessed to obstruction, bribery, intimidation, destruction of evidence, and helping cover up Bellweather.
Malcolm faced charges tied to the fire, conspiracy, kidnapping, fraud, and Mara’s death.
Ethan survived.
But Daniel knew court cases would take years.
Truth was slower than lies.
It always had been.
Three days later, Daniel visited Mara’s grave.
He brought their daughter Ella.
She was fifteen now.
He had not told her everything yet.
Only enough.
Ella placed flowers beside the stone.
“Was Mom scared?”
Daniel thought about it.
“Yes.”
“Was she brave?”
He looked at Mara’s name.
“Yes.”
Ella took his hand.
Daniel almost left.
Then he noticed something beside the grave.
A small envelope.
His name on it.
The handwriting was not Mara’s.
He opened it.
Inside was one final photograph.
Henry Stellan.
Standing beside Mara.
Taken two days before she died.
On the back was a message.
HENRY TRIED TO WARN HER.
ASK CLAIRE WHAT HE GAVE MARA.
Daniel stared at the words.
May you like
He thought the mystery was over.
It wasn’t.
