Chapter 11 - THE BROTHER WHO DIED
Vincent threw Mom to the ground.
“Down!”
Another shot struck brick.
Marco fired toward the roof.
Claire screamed.
Vincent dragged Mom behind a dumpster.
“Stay here.”
“Don't tell me—”
“Emily!”
She stopped.
His face was different.
Not calm.
Not teasing.
Terrified.
“For once, do what I say.”
He ran.
Marco followed.
Mom stayed.
For seven seconds.
Then Claire screamed.
A man came from the alley.
Black jacket.
Gun.
Mom grabbed a broken piece of wood and swung.
It hit his wrist.
The gun fell.
Claire kicked it away.
The man struck Mom across the face.
She fell.
Then Claire jumped on him.
He threw her into the wall.
Mom grabbed his leg.
He stumbled.
Marco returned and slammed him to the pavement.
Vincent appeared seconds later.
“Roof shooter got away.”
He looked at Mom's bleeding lip.
His face became murderous.
“Who hit you?”
Mom pointed.
“That one.”
Vincent stepped toward him.
Mom grabbed Vincent's sleeve.
“No.”
Vincent looked at her.
“No killing people.”
“He attacked you.”
“Police.”
“He shot at us.”
“Police.”
Vincent breathed slowly.
Then nodded.
“Police.”
Marco smiled.
“Growth.”
Vincent glared.
“Don't.”
The captured man had a phone.
Naomi searched it after police obtained a warrant.
One contact mattered.
T.S.
Thomas Sterling.
A dead man.
Except Thomas wasn't dead.
Twelve years earlier, David's older brother had supposedly drowned in Lake Michigan.
No body had been recovered.
Life insurance paid out.
Thomas vanished.
Now he worked quietly behind Sterling Holdings.
Naomi spread documents across Vincent's dining table.
“Thomas is the engineer.”
Mom sat with ice on her lip.
“David is too stupid?”
Vincent nodded.
“Remarkably.”
Naomi continued.
“Thomas built the shell companies. David provided businesses. Claire handled books.”
Claire sat across the room wearing handcuffs.
Police had agreed to let her speak before transfer.
Mom wouldn't look at her.
Naomi pointed at the ledger.
“Ben discovered part of the network.”
Vincent said, “Thomas ordered the hit.”
Claire whispered, “David told me it was just to scare him.”
Mom turned slowly.
“Stop saying that.”
Claire shut up.
I sat beside Mom.
I had been told only part of what happened.
Enough.
I held her hand.
Naomi continued.
“Thomas is trying to erase everyone connected.”
“David?”
“Probably.”
“Claire?”
“Definitely.”
“Me?” Mom asked.
Naomi hesitated.
Vincent answered.
“Yes.”
Mom looked at me.
“And Rory?”
Nobody spoke.
I understood.
Vincent stood.
“That's why you two stay here.”
Mom didn't argue.
This time.
Then Naomi's laptop chimed.
An email.
Anonymous.
Subject:
PAY HER WHAT YOU OWE
Attached was a video.
David Sterling sat tied to a chair in an empty warehouse.
His face was bruised.
A voice spoke off-camera.
“Emily Carter has something that belongs to me.”
Mom stared.
“What?”
The voice continued.
“The drive.”
Vincent looked at me.
I had found it.
Thomas continued.
“Bring it to Pier 19 before midnight.”
David screamed through tape.
The camera moved closer.
“Come alone, Emily.”
Vincent laughed.
“No.”
The video ended with one sentence.
“If anyone follows you, David dies.”
Mom looked at Vincent.
“That sounds like David's problem.”
He stared.
She shrugged.
“He stole my wages.”
Marco almost smiled.
Then Naomi went pale.
“What?”
She turned the laptop.
There was a second attachment.
A live camera feed.
I stopped breathing.
It showed Vincent's mansion.
The camera was inside the house.
Pointed directly at the table where we were sitting.
Vincent looked up.
So did everyone else.
Then the lights went out.
Again.
May you like
And from somewhere upstairs...
a door opened.
