Chapter 6 - MARIA’S REAL REASON

Arthur locked the kitchen door.

“No more half-truths.”

Maria nodded.

“You’re right.”

“Why did you come here?”

She wiped her eyes.

“To get close to Elena.”

Arthur stared at her.

“You used my family.”

“At first.”

“At first?”

“I wanted proof.”

“You became my son’s nanny to investigate my wife?”

“Yes.”

Arthur slammed his palm against the counter.

Maria flinched.

“That’s my child!”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t! Noah loves you.”

“I love him too.”

“You lied your way into his life.”

Her voice broke.

“I never lied about loving him.”

Arthur paced.

“Who sent you?”

“No one.”

“Robert?”

“No. I applied before Robert contacted me.”

“Then how did you even know Elena was involved?”

“My sister kept a journal.”

Maria reached into her bag.

Arthur tensed.

She pulled out a worn black notebook.

“Isabel wrote down names, transfers, dates.”

Arthur opened it.

The handwriting was small and neat.

Pages of numbers.

Account codes.

Shell companies.

Then he saw a name he recognized.

E. VANCE.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Arthur’s throat tightened.

“What is ‘Blue Crest’?”

“I don’t know.”

Maria pointed to an entry.

“Look at the date.”

Arthur read it.

It was two days before Isabel died.

BLUE CREST PAYMENT — $175,000.

Underneath:

E.V. SAYS ARTHUR CAN NEVER FIND OUT.

Arthur shut the notebook.

“Why didn’t you go to police?”

“I did.”

“What happened?”

“They said a private accounting notebook wasn’t proof of murder or fraud.”

“So you came here.”

“Yes.”

Arthur looked toward the ceiling, imagining Noah sleeping upstairs while secrets moved beneath him for years.

“You should’ve told me.”

“Would you have believed me?”

He didn’t answer.

Maria gave a sad smile.

“That’s what I thought.”

Arthur’s phone rang.

Detective Brooks.

“Mr. Vance, we’re at the hospital. Robert is awake.”

“I’m coming.”

Maria stood.

“I’m going with you.”

“No.”

“Arthur—”

“Noah needs you.”

“You still trust me with him?”

Arthur looked at her for a long moment.

“I trust that you’d die before hurting him.”

Maria’s eyes filled.

Arthur continued.

“But when this is over, we’re going to deal with the fact that you lied to me.”

“I understand.”

At the hospital, Robert looked ten years older.

His left eye was swollen shut.

Arthur sat beside the bed.

“Who did this?”

Robert swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

“You warned me about Elena.”

“I should’ve warned you years ago.”

Arthur pulled out Isabel’s notebook.

Robert’s visible eye widened.

“You have it.”

“You knew about this?”

“Yes.”

“Blue Crest. What is it?”

Robert turned pale.

“Arthur, listen to me carefully.”

Arthur leaned closer.

Robert lowered his voice.

“Blue Crest isn’t a company.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a person.”

“Who?”

Robert started to answer.

Then his heart monitor screamed.

His body jerked violently.

Nurses rushed inside.

Arthur stumbled backward.

“Robert!”

A doctor shoved him toward the door.

As Arthur was pushed into the hallway, he saw something taped beneath Robert’s bedside table.

A small yellow note.

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