Chapter 10 - THE PRICE OF LEAVING
Maya went white.
Ethan reached toward the photograph, then stopped.
“Don’t touch it,” Rachel said. “Set it down.”
Maya’s hands wouldn’t open.
“That’s Ben.”
“How old is he?” the detective asked.
“Nineteen.”
“Where does he live?”
She gave the address and called him immediately.
He answered on the fourth ring.
“May? I’m in class.”
“Are you okay?”
“Why?”
“Just tell me.”
“Yes. What happened?”
She turned away from the room.
Hearing him sound normal nearly broke her.
The detective arranged for officers to contact Ben and document the threat. Rachel helped Maya reach an independent attorney who could advise her without answering to the Blackwoods.
Ethan offered a hotel and transportation.
Maya stared at him.
“Everything I have is in your staff housing. My job is here. My paycheck. Now my brother’s safety?”
“You can choose somewhere else.”
“With what money?”
“I’ll cover it.”
“And if I stop talking?”
“The offer stays.”
She searched his face.
He took a step back.
“Rachel will put that in writing. Your attorney can review it.”
For the first time, Maya’s shoulders lowered.
That evening, Ben arrived with a backpack, furious and frightened.
“You should’ve told me.”
“You had midterms.”
“You’re my sister, not my tuition payment.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
His voice cracked.
Maya crossed the room and held him.
Ethan left them alone.
An hour later, the detective returned.
The courier had been hired through an online service. The account information would take time to trace.
But the estate’s front camera had caught a familiar sedan following the delivery vehicle.
It belonged to Caleb Davenport.
Margaret’s thirty-year-old son.
Ethan knew the name from several maintenance invoices.
Harbor House Services listed Caleb as its manager.
Near midnight, Olivia called from the bank review.
“We found something else.”
“How bad?”
“The eight-point-four-million transfer was going into a new account. It would have emptied most of the emergency housing reserve.”
“Who opened the account?”
“Harbor House.”
Ethan looked through the glass doors toward the dark lawn.
May you like
Olivia took a shaky breath.
“And Grant bought a one-way ticket out of the country for tomorrow.”
