Chapter 14 - THE TRUTH COSTS EVERYTHING

Elena survived.

Barely.

The bullet had missed her liver by less than an inch.

She spent three days in intensive care.

When she finally woke, two detectives were waiting outside her room.

So was Arthur.

Elena looked at him.

“You should hate me.”

“I do sometimes.”

She looked away.

“That’s fair.”

Arthur sat.

“But Noah doesn’t.”

Her eyes filled.

“How is he?”

“Asking for you.”

“I don’t deserve that.”

“He’s seven. He doesn’t care what you deserve.”

Elena began to cry.

Arthur waited.

Finally she said, “I’ll confess.”

“To everything?”

“Yes.”

“The money?”

“Yes.”

“The fake accounting?”

“Yes.”

“Isabel?”

“I didn’t know Daniel would kill her.”

“But you knew she found the transfers.”

“Yes.”

“And you told Daniel.”

Elena closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

Arthur felt sick.

“You got her killed.”

“I know.”

“That’s Maria’s sister.”

“I know.”

“You lived with Maria in our home for almost two years knowing that?”

“I didn’t know who Maria was until three months ago.”

Arthur frowned.

“What?”

“Daniel figured it out first.”

“Then why didn’t he remove her?”

“Because he wanted to know what evidence she had.”

Arthur remembered every strange event.

The envelope in Maria’s bedroom.

The bracelet in the garage.

The threats.

Daniel had been tightening the net.

Elena looked at him.

“I tried to get Maria fired.”

“To protect yourself.”

“At first.”

“And later?”

“To get her away from Daniel.”

Arthur laughed without humor.

“You have a terrible way of protecting people.”

“I know.”

Arthur stood.

“Noah will see you when the doctors allow it.”

“Arthur.”

He stopped.

“There’s one more thing.”

Of course there was.

She pointed toward the bedside cabinet.

“There’s a key inside my purse.”

Arthur found it.

“What does it open?”

“A bank box.”

“What’s in it?”

“Everything Daniel couldn’t find.”

“Meaning?”

“Original ledgers. Payments. Names. The man who killed Catherine. The man who ran Isabel off the road.”

Arthur stared at her.

“You kept evidence?”

“For insurance.”

“Against Daniel?”

“Against everyone.”

Arthur shook his head.

“You had enough evidence to stop him.”

“Yes.”

“And you kept using it to protect yourself.”

Elena started crying again.

“Yes.”

Arthur wanted to shout.

Instead he walked out.

Maria was in the hallway.

She had heard enough.

Her face was blank.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur said.

Maria looked through the glass at Elena.

“My sister would still be alive.”

Arthur didn’t argue.

“She was twenty-nine.”

“I know.”

“She wanted children.”

Arthur said nothing.

“She wanted to open her own accounting firm.”

Maria wiped her face angrily.

“And Elena got to live in a mansion.”

Arthur understood her rage.

“Whatever you choose to do next, I’ll support you.”

Maria looked at him.

“I want the truth in court.”

“You’ll have it.”

“And I want everyone to know Isabel’s name.”

“They will.”

Detective Brooks appeared at the end of the hallway.

“Arthur.”

Something in her face was wrong.

“What?”

“We searched Daniel’s house.”

“And?”

“We found a room.”

Arthur waited.

Brooks handed him a photograph.

The room was filled with surveillance monitors.

His house.

His office.

Noah’s school.

Maria’s bedroom.

Arthur felt nauseous.

“How long?”

“At least three years.”

Brooks handed him another photograph.

Arthur looked.

One monitor showed Noah’s bedroom.

At the bottom of the screen was a date.

Tomorrow.

Arthur frowned.

“What is that?”

Brooks replied quietly:

“A scheduled deletion.”

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