Chapter 5 - THE MAN IN THE HALLWAY
Charles Mercer smiled as if he hadn’t just shot a man.
Lucas knew him.
Everyone in the city knew him.
He was a philanthropist.
A hospital donor.
A former chairman of Rachel’s foundation.
And one of Vanessa’s family friends.
“Put the gun down,” Lucas said.
Charles stepped into the room.
“Give me the box.”
Emma whimpered.
Lucas moved in front of her.
Vanessa stared at Charles.
“You said nobody would get hurt.”
Charles laughed.
“Bit late for that conversation.”
Lucas looked at Vanessa.
“You invited him.”
“He was always coming.”
“Why?”
Charles raised the weapon.
“The box.”
Lucas held it tighter.
“You killed Rachel.”
Charles’s smile faded.
“She killed herself by refusing to listen.”
Lucas lunged.
Charles fired.
The bullet tore through a mirror.
Guests screamed in the hall.
Lucas slammed into Charles.
The gun skidded under a chair.
They crashed into a table.
Vanessa shouted.
Security rushed in.
Charles punched Lucas hard across the jaw.
Lucas staggered.
Charles reached for the gun.
Grace kicked it farther away.
“You crazy bastard!”
Charles grabbed Grace by the hair.
Lucas hit him.
Once.
Twice.
A security guard tackled Charles from behind.
Within seconds, three men had him pinned.
Police sirens wailed outside.
Someone had called 911.
Lucas wiped blood from his lip.
“Emma?”
“I’m okay.”
She was with Grace now.
Lucas turned toward Vanessa.
She was gone.
“Where is she?”
Diane looked toward the service exit.
“She ran.”
Lucas cursed.
Then Emma screamed.
“Daddy! The box!”
A small flame crawled across the black wood.
During the fight, a candle had fallen.
Lucas grabbed the box and smothered the fire with a curtain.
The exterior was scorched.
Inside were photographs, account records, a flash drive, and another envelope.
Charles saw the flash drive.
For the first time, he looked genuinely afraid.
Lucas noticed.
“What’s on it?”
Charles smiled again.
“You think Rachel trusted you enough to tell you everything?”
Lucas knelt in front of him.
“She trusted me more than she trusted you.”
“No.”
Charles leaned closer.
“Rachel knew you had a weakness.”
Lucas’s face tightened.
“Emma.”
Charles grinned.
“That child has been the problem from the beginning.”
Lucas stood and nearly hit him again.
Grace stopped him.
“Lucas. Not in front of Emma.”
Police rushed inside.
As officers dragged Charles away, he called over his shoulder.
“Ask Vanessa who Emma’s real father is!”
Lucas froze.
The room went silent.
Emma looked confused.
“Daddy?”
Lucas stared after Charles.
He told himself it was another lie.
A final attempt to destroy him.
May you like
Then Diane started crying.
And Lucas knew immediately that it wasn’t.
