Chapter 13 - BACK TO THE CLIFF
Police surrounded the area.
But Eleanor had positioned everyone too close to the edge.
One shot could send Thomas over.
Clara walked forward slowly.
“Let them go.”
Eleanor laughed.
“You still think this is about them?”
“What is it about?”
“Me.”
For once, Eleanor stopped pretending.
“I spent thirty years building this family.”
Thomas laughed weakly.
“You spent thirty years stealing it.”
Eleanor struck him.
Rose screamed.
“Stop!”
Eleanor pointed the gun at Rose.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Mother.”
“Don't call me that.”
He stopped.
Eleanor stared at him.
“I gave you everything.”
“You gave me fear.”
“I gave you a name.”
“My mother gave me life.”
Eleanor's face twisted.
“And she was too weak to keep you.”
Rose started forward.
Clara stopped her.
Daniel continued.
“You made me believe she abandoned me.”
“I made you useful.”
“You made me hate the wrong person.”
Eleanor looked at Clara.
“And then you married another weak woman.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Clara.
“She survived me.”
Clara's expression didn't soften.
Daniel continued.
“And I will spend the rest of my life knowing what I did.”
Eleanor rolled her eyes.
“Pathetic.”
She pointed the pistol at Clara.
“Bring me the original will.”
“I don't have it.”
“Then Thomas dies.”
Thomas looked at Clara.
“Don't.”
Eleanor shoved his wheelchair closer to the edge.
One wheel slipped.
Rose screamed.
Clara raised her hands.
“I can get it.”
Eleanor smiled.
“Where?”
“My car.”
Clara walked backward.
Police watched from cover.
She reached the vehicle.
Samuel had placed a copy of the will inside.
Not the original.
Clara took it.
She returned.
Eleanor extended her hand.
“Closer.”
Clara obeyed.
“Drop it.”
Clara dropped the document.
Wind caught the pages.
Eleanor instinctively looked down.
Daniel moved.
He lunged.
Eleanor fired.
Daniel jerked.
Blood appeared on his shoulder.
Rose screamed.
Daniel hit Eleanor.
The pistol slid across the dirt.
Thomas's wheelchair rolled.
Toward the cliff.
Clara ran.
She grabbed the handle.
Her injured ankle gave way.
The wheelchair continued moving.
Margaret grabbed Clara.
Rose grabbed Margaret.
For one horrible second, all four were being dragged toward the edge.
Daniel tackled Eleanor again.
Eleanor clawed his face.
“You ungrateful bastard!”
Daniel pinned her arms.
“You're finished.”
Eleanor laughed.
“Am I?”
She looked toward the wheelchair.
Thomas's wheels crossed the edge.
Clara screamed.
“HELP!”
Daniel released Eleanor.
He ran toward them.
That was what Eleanor wanted.
She grabbed the pistol.
Rose saw it.
“DANIEL!”
Eleanor fired.
Margaret shoved Daniel aside.
The bullet struck Margaret.
She fell.
“NO!”
Clara lost her grip on the wheelchair.
Thomas disappeared over the edge.
Clara grabbed his hand at the last second.
Her body slammed against the ground.
Thomas hung beneath her.
The scene was horribly familiar.
Another cliff.
Another person hanging.
Another rope nowhere in sight.
Eleanor approached.
She pointed the gun at Clara.
“Look at you.”
Clara strained to hold Thomas.
Eleanor smiled.
“Exactly where you started.”
Daniel crawled toward Margaret.
Blood covered his shoulder.
Rose pressed both hands against Margaret's wound.
Eleanor placed the barrel against Clara's forehead.
“Any last words?”
Clara looked up.
“Yes.”
Eleanor waited.
Clara smiled.
“Behind you.”
Eleanor turned.
Margaret was standing.
Barely.
Blood covered her dress.
But she held the broken branch Daniel had once cut the rope beside.
Margaret swung.
It struck Eleanor's wrist.
The pistol flew over the cliff.
Eleanor screamed.
Daniel lunged.
He grabbed Thomas.
Police rushed forward.
They pulled Clara and Thomas to safety.
Officers surrounded Eleanor.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Eleanor laughed.
“You think handcuffs end this?”
Clara stood.
Mud covered her dress again.
Blood streaked her hands again.
But this time she wasn't hanging helplessly below Eleanor.
She was standing above her.
“No.”
Clara looked at the officers.
“The truth ends it.”
Handcuffs closed around Eleanor's wrists.
She stared at Clara with pure hatred.
Then smiled.
“You still don't know what Daniel did before the carriage.”
Clara froze.
Daniel's face changed.
Eleanor saw it.
Her smile widened.
“Oh.”
She laughed.
“He never told you.”
Clara looked at her husband.
“What is she talking about?”
May you like
Daniel lowered his eyes.
And Clara realized the cliff still wasn't the worst thing he had done.
