Chapter 5 - THE EMPTY CHAIR
The Blackwood Group headquarters rose sixty-eight stories above downtown.
By 8:45 a.m., every major board member was seated around the long walnut table on the top floor.
Victor’s chair remained empty.
So did Ethan’s.
Richard Sloan checked his watch.
“Mr. Blackwood’s absence has now exceeded the emergency threshold.”
Margaret Voss nodded.
“We should begin.”
Peter Crane looked uncomfortable.
“We haven’t received official confirmation.”
Sloan opened a folder.
“Confirmation is expected.”
That sentence made two independent directors exchange glances.
Expected?
Before anyone could question him, the boardroom doors opened.
Marcus Reed entered.
Sloan frowned.
“Where is Mr. Blackwood?”
Marcus stepped aside.
Ethan walked in.
Silence hit the room.
Peter Crane dropped his pen.
Margaret Voss went white.
Richard Sloan actually stood.
“That’s impossible.”
Ethan carried a clear evidence bag containing the porcelain teacup.
In his other hand, he held Lily’s.
The little girl wore her blue dress.
Her silver locket rested against her chest.
Every eye moved toward her.
Ethan walked to the head of the table.
“My apologies for being late.”
No one spoke.
“I had a difficult evening.”
Sloan recovered first.
“Ethan, there appears to have been some confusion.”
“Confusion?”
Ethan placed the poisoned tea on the table.
“Is that what we’re calling attempted murder now?”
Peter Crane pushed back from his chair.
“I don’t know anything about this.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
Crane stopped.
Ethan looked around the room.
“Where is Victor?”
Sloan cleared his throat.
“He contacted us earlier.”
“He said he was dealing with a family emergency.”
Ethan smiled without humor.
“He is.”
The second set of doors opened.
Detective Ramirez entered with two state investigators.
Then Victor appeared between two officers.
Handcuffed.
Chaos erupted.
“What is this?”
“Why is he in restraints?”
“Ethan, explain yourself.”
Victor stared at Lily.
For the first time, the little girl saw fear in his face.
Ethan noticed.
So did she.
Victor turned to Sloan.
“Don’t say anything.”
Sloan sat down quickly.
Too quickly.
Ethan pulled out the chair at the head of the table.
He did not sit.
“Seven years ago, my wife and daughter were declared dead after the Saint Catherine hospital fire.”
He placed Lily’s hospital bracelet beside the teacup.
“That declaration was false.”
Margaret Voss whispered, “No.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Would you like to repeat that?”
She said nothing.
Ethan placed the locket beside the bracelet.
“My daughter survived.”
He looked down at Lily.
Then back at the board.
“Directors, meet Lily Amelia Blackwood.”
No one moved.
Lily squeezed Ethan’s hand.
Victor suddenly laughed.
“This is absurd.”
Every head turned.
“That child is Nora Bell’s niece.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Nora disagrees.”
Victor’s smile vanished.
Ethan continued.
“DNA testing is already underway.”
“But we won’t need to wait for the results.”
“Her original hospital bracelet has been authenticated.”
“Her birth records were recovered from an off-site archive.”
“And we found a maternity-room photograph taken less than an hour after her birth.”
Victor looked toward Sloan.
Ethan noticed.
“So did the police.”
Ramirez placed a folder on the table.
“Richard Sloan.”
Sloan stiffened.
“You are advised not to destroy or remove any documents.”
“This is outrageous.”
“No.”
Ethan’s voice cut through the room.
“What was outrageous was preparing my death petition before I was dead.”
Sloan’s face collapsed.
Ethan placed a photocopy in front of him.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Sloan.
One director stood.
“My God.”
Ethan looked around the table.
“We aren’t finished.”
Victor leaned forward against the officer holding him.
“Where is Amelia?”
That was a mistake.
Ethan’s eyes turned cold.
“You shouldn’t know she’s alive.”
Victor realized too late what he had admitted.
Several directors stared at him.
Ethan stepped closer.
“My wife was recovered from a private medical prison owned through companies connected to you.”
Victor said nothing.
“She is alive.”
A murmur spread through the room.
May you like
“And she remembers everything.”
For the first time that morning, Victor Blackwood stopped pretending he still controlled the room.
