Chapter 8 - THE LOCKED LIBRARY
Veronica’s smile faded.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t lock the doors.”
Professor Lang’s voice came through the speaker system.
“I did.”
Emergency shutters dropped over the basement windows. Nolan aimed his weapon at the nearest camera.
Lang spoke again.
“Every camera is streaming to an external server. If anyone is harmed, the footage goes directly to federal investigators.”
Nolan grabbed me and pressed the weapon against my ribs.
“Open the door.”
“I can’t.”
Veronica held up her phone. “My father said we only needed to scare her.”
Nolan’s expression told her she had said too much.
“Turn that off.”
“But—”
He slapped the phone from her hand.
That was the moment Veronica finally understood she wasn’t one of the people in control.
She was evidence.
Chase emerged from the stairwell dragging Evan by the arm. Blood ran from Evan’s nose.
Lily had escaped with the ledger, but she wouldn’t leave her brother behind.
I needed time.
“Arthur Bell is going to abandon all of you,” I said.
Nolan tightened his grip.
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know he forged my father’s signatures. I know he used Red Harbor to steal scholarship funds. And I know Veronica received half a million dollars.”
Veronica stared at me.
“What are you talking about?”
“They paid you.”
“My father said it was an allowance.”
“An allowance routed through a shell company created in my dead mother’s name?”
Her face lost its color.
Chase looked toward the exit.
“Mr. Hale promised we’d be protected.”
“People like Hale don’t protect witnesses,” I said. “They remove them.”
A fire alarm suddenly screamed.
Smoke entered through a vent.
Nolan cursed and released me.
Marcus had reached the building.
Sprinklers exploded overhead. In the confusion, Evan drove his elbow into Chase’s stomach. I kicked Nolan’s wrist, and his weapon skidded across the floor.
Veronica picked it up.
Everyone froze.
Her hands shook as she pointed it first at me, then at Nolan.
“My father knew?” she asked.
Nolan stepped toward her.
“Give me the gun.”
“You knew they paid me?”
“Veronica—”
“Answer me!”
He lunged.
She fired.
The shot struck a pipe above his head. Steam filled the corridor. Marcus burst through the emergency door with federal officers behind him.
Nolan was arrested. Evan was rescued. Chase surrendered before anyone asked him to.
But Richard Hale had already fled.
Veronica sat on the wet floor, staring at her trembling hands.
May you like
I thought she might finally tell the truth.
Instead, she looked at me and whispered, “Your mother is alive.”
