Chapter 8 - The Fall
“Claire, move!”
Ortiz’s warning came a second before Richard pushed a steel tool case from the catwalk.
Claire jumped aside.
The case crashed onto the concrete.
Pain shot through her abdomen.
She dropped to one knee.
“Claire!”
Marcus, who had accompanied the security team as a witness, reached her first.
“I’m okay.”
But she wasn’t sure.
Her stomach tightened.
Then relaxed.
Ortiz’s officers cornered Richard upstairs.
He tried reaching another staircase.
Vanessa blocked it.
“Dad.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“You stupid girl.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
Years of fear seemed to disappear.
“You destroyed everything.”
Richard stepped toward her.
“You helped me.”
“I know.”
Her voice cracked.
“And I’m going to spend the rest of my life regretting it.”
Police reached them.
Richard was arrested.
Claire was taken to the hospital.
The baby was unharmed.
The contractions were stress-related.
She spent the night under observation.
At 3:15 A.M., Ortiz entered her room.
“We recovered the device.”
Claire looked toward the envelope on the table.
“And?”
“The ledger is real.”
“How bad?”
Ortiz exhaled.
“Bad enough that federal investigators are taking over the financial side.”
There was more.
Claire could see it.
“What?”
“Your grandfather’s accident is being reopened.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Ortiz continued carefully.
“There are payments in the ledger to a mechanic employed by the transportation company that serviced your grandfather’s vehicle.”
Claire looked at her.
“Before the crash?”
“Three days before.”
Claire felt tears finally come.
Not for Ethan.
Not for her marriage.
For her grandfather.
The man who taught her to ride a bicycle.
The man who showed up to every school recital.
The man who told her money was only useful if it protected people instead of controlling them.
“Did Richard kill him?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Claire wiped her face.
“Find out.”
“We will.”
Ortiz hesitated.
“Ethan has requested another meeting.”
“No.”
“He says he can identify the mechanic.”
Claire looked toward the window.
Morning was beginning to appear over the city.
Her husband had helped destroy her trust.
But he might also be the person who could expose what happened to her grandfather.
“Fine.”
“But this time,” Claire said, “I’m not meeting him as his wife.”
Ortiz nodded.
Claire looked down at her wedding ring.
May you like
She removed it.
Then placed it on the bedside table.
