Chapter 12 - PIER 17
Pier 17 was abandoned after midnight.
Fog moved across the water.
Emily walked alone toward the warehouse.
At least, Charles thought she was alone.
Daniel and Margaret followed through a maintenance corridor.
Police waited six blocks away.
Eleanor stayed in the car.
Emily entered the warehouse.
Rachel sat tied to a chair.
Beside her stood Charles Whitmore.
Eighty-two.
Tall.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
He looked nothing like a monster.
That made him worse.
“Madeline.”
Emily stopped.
“My name is Emily.”
“You were born Madeline.”
“You lost the right to call me anything.”
Charles smiled.
“You sound like your grandmother.”
Emily touched the pendant.
“Let Rachel go.”
“First the jade.”
“Why?”
Charles sighed.
“Because your grandmother was sentimental and paranoid.”
Rachel looked at Emily.
“Don’t give it to him.”
Charles slapped Rachel.
Emily stepped forward.
“Touch her again and you get nothing.”
Charles smiled.
“Good.”
“What?”
“That anger.”
He studied her.
“You are a Whitmore.”
Emily felt disgusted.
“No.”
Charles’s expression hardened.
“Family is blood.”
Emily looked at Rachel.
“No. Family is who protects you.”
Charles extended his hand.
“The pendant.”
Emily removed it.
She held it out.
Charles moved closer.
Daniel appeared from behind a steel column.
“Let her go.”
Charles froze.
Then smiled.
“Thomas’s boy.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched.
“You murdered my father.”
“I didn’t touch him.”
“You ordered Victor to.”
Charles shrugged.
“Victor was useful.”
Rachel cried, “Daniel, don’t.”
Charles pulled a gun.
Emily dropped the pendant.
It bounced across the concrete.
Charles lunged for it.
Margaret rushed from the shadows.
She kicked the gun away.
Daniel tackled Charles.
Rachel screamed.
Emily ran to untie her.
Charles struck Daniel with a metal pipe.
Daniel fell.
Margaret grabbed the pendant.
Charles shoved her into a railing.
She nearly went over the edge.
Emily grabbed her hand.
Charles picked up the gun.
He aimed at Emily.
Rachel threw herself against him.
The gun fired.
Everyone froze.
Rachel slowly looked down.
Blood spread across her shirt.
Daniel screamed.
“Mom!”
Charles stepped back.
Police sirens erupted outside.
He ran toward a side door.
Margaret shouted, “Daniel, stay with Rachel!”
Emily chased Charles.
He reached the pier.
Fog swallowed the walkway.
Emily heard his footsteps.
Then nothing.
She turned.
Charles stood behind her.
Gun raised.
“You should have stayed lost.”
Emily stared down the barrel.
Then Eleanor’s voice came from the darkness.
“She was lost because of you.”
Charles turned.
Eleanor stood ten feet away.
Holding Victor’s old revolver.
Her father smiled.
“You never had the courage.”
Eleanor’s hand trembled.
“You’re right.”
Charles aimed at her.
May you like
Emily screamed.
Two shots exploded.
