Chapter 9 - THE TRUTH ABOUT CALEB’S FATHER
Victor had watched Caleb’s father die.
The file proved it.
Thomas Miller had discovered illegal chemical dumping.
He threatened to go to federal investigators.
Charles Harrington ordered men to scare him.
Victor, then nineteen, drove them to the facility.
The confrontation turned violent.
Thomas was struck.
He fell from an elevated platform.
Charles paid everyone involved.
Victor carried the guilt for decades.
Then turned it into hatred.
Caleb sat alone outside the facility.
Grant approached.
“I’m sorry.”
Caleb laughed once.
“You always say sorry when your family kills somebody?”
Grant took the hit.
“No.”
Caleb stared toward the sunrise.
“My mother spent twenty years believing he made one stupid mistake with a tractor.”
Grant sat beside him.
“My father lied to both of us.”
Caleb looked at him.
“You inherited his money.”
“Yes.”
“His land.”
“Yes.”
“His name.”
“Yes.”
Grant swallowed.
“But not his choices.”
Caleb looked away.
Back inside, Vanessa agreed to give police everything she knew.
She claimed Victor had promised to help her disappear after Grant’s death.
The thirty-two million would finance their new lives.
Grant asked, “Were you sleeping with him?”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Does it matter?”
“To me.”
She met his eyes.
“Yes.”
Grant nodded slowly.
That answer hurt more than he expected.
Vanessa continued.
“But he never loved me.”
Caleb muttered, “Shocking.”
Vanessa ignored him.
“Victor wanted the Harrington family destroyed.”
Grant asked, “Then why involve Caleb?”
“Because of Thomas.”
Caleb looked at her.
Vanessa explained.
“Victor said Thomas Miller was the only decent man involved in the old scandal.”
Caleb’s expression hardened.
“And he still tried to kill me.”
“He was afraid you’d uncover the file.”
Reed entered.
“We have Victor’s vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Train station.”
Grant stood.
“He’s leaving?”
Reed shook his head.
“No.”
Victor had abandoned the SUV deliberately.
Inside were maps of the estate.
Photographs of Grant.
Photographs of Vanessa.
Photographs of Caleb.
And one final image.
Grant’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Emma.
Grant turned white.
“My daughter’s at boarding school.”
Reed was already calling.
Nobody answered.
Then Grant’s phone rang.
Victor.
Grant answered.
“Where is she?”
Victor’s voice was calm.
“Your father took mine.”
A pause.
“So I took yours.”
Grant’s knees nearly buckled.
Victor continued.
“Bring Caleb Miller to me.”
Caleb stared at the phone.
“Why me?”
Victor laughed.
May you like
“Because his father died keeping a secret.”
“And now Caleb gets to decide whether yours does too.”
