Chapter 12 - MARGARET’S LAST MOVE
Margaret disappeared before police reached the federal building.
Again.
This time nobody believed she was a victim.
Security footage showed her leaving calmly through a service corridor.
She had stolen a badge from an attorney.
Daniel stared at the video.
“She knew.”
Elena sat beside Vanessa’s hospital room.
Vanessa had survived the gunshot.
Samuel had survived too.
Barely.
But Margaret was gone.
Ruiz entered.
“We found what she accessed.”
Elena stood.
“What?”
“Your medical file.”
“Why?”
Ruiz handed her a printout.
Margaret had downloaded the documentation certifying Elena’s pregnancy.
The exact document that activated Richard’s trust.
Daniel understood.
“If she destroys the certification…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Elena shook her head.
“Copies exist.”
Ruiz nodded.
“That isn’t what worries me.”
“What does?”
“Margaret also accessed the name of your obstetrician.”
Elena went cold.
Dr. Allison Grant.
Ruiz’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then swore.
“What?”
“Dr. Grant is missing.”
Daniel grabbed his coat.
“Find my mother.”
Ruiz did.
Margaret’s car was located outside an old Howard family property in Westchester.
Elena recognized it.
The summer house.
Daniel’s father had taken them there after their engagement.
They arrived before dawn.
Police surrounded the property.
Daniel wanted to enter.
Ruiz refused.
Then Margaret appeared on the balcony.
She held no weapon.
“Elena!”
Ruiz shouted.
“Margaret Howard, show your hands!”
Margaret ignored him.
“Elena!”
Elena stepped forward.
Daniel grabbed her.
“No.”
Margaret shouted again.
“I need to speak to you!”
Elena looked at Ruiz.
He nodded reluctantly.
She approached within twenty yards.
“What do you want?”
Margaret stared down at her.
“To fix this.”
“You had plenty of chances.”
“I made mistakes.”
“You tried to destroy my marriage.”
“I was protecting my family.”
“You helped Vanessa terrorize me.”
“I never told her to push you.”
“You told Samuel to stop the birth.”
Margaret’s face twisted.
“I was angry.”
“That sentence doesn’t become harmless because you were angry.”
Margaret gripped the railing.
“You don’t understand what losing everything feels like.”
Rebecca stepped from behind the police line.
“Yes, I do.”
Margaret saw her.
The two women stared at each other.
Twenty-eight years between them.
Rebecca walked forward.
“You lived in my house.”
Margaret said nothing.
“You spent my money.”
Silence.
“You raised your son with what you stole from me.”
Margaret whispered:
“I didn’t know Samuel would try to kill you.”
“But when you thought I was dead, did you give the company back?”
Margaret looked away.
Rebecca nodded.
“That’s what I thought.”
Then Dr. Grant appeared behind Margaret.
Her hands were tied.
Daniel swore.
Margaret grabbed the doctor.
“I need safe passage.”
Ruiz shouted.
“That isn’t happening.”
“Then she comes with me.”
Elena stared.
“You’re kidnapping my doctor because you want money?”
“I want what belongs to Daniel!”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Nothing stolen belongs to me!”
Margaret looked at him.
“I sacrificed everything for you.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice shook.
“You sacrificed everyone else for yourself.”
Margaret’s face collapsed.
For a moment, Elena saw a mother rather than a monster.
Then Margaret pulled Dr. Grant toward the balcony door.
Ruiz’s officers moved.
A struggle followed inside.
Glass shattered.
Dr. Grant screamed.
Daniel ran.
Elena followed despite Ruiz shouting.
They reached the second floor.
Margaret stood in the hallway.
Dr. Grant had escaped toward officers.
Margaret was alone.
Daniel faced his mother.
“It’s over.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll lose everything.”
“Then I lose everything.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
Margaret looked at Elena.
“She did this.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“You did.”
Margaret’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m your mother.”
“I know.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“That’s what makes this hurt.”
Margaret reached into her coat.
Elena saw metal.
“Daniel!”
Margaret pulled a gun.
Daniel froze.
Margaret wasn’t pointing it at Elena.
She pointed it at herself.
“Mom.”
Daniel’s anger vanished.
“Put it down.”
“I can’t go to prison.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I’ll lose everything.”
“You still have me.”
Margaret stared at him.
Daniel stepped closer.
“If you put that gun down, you still have a son.”
Her hand shook.
“You hate me.”
“I hate what you did.”
Another step.
“But you’re still my mother.”
Margaret began sobbing.
The gun lowered.
Ruiz moved.
He took it.
Margaret collapsed.
Daniel caught her.
For several seconds, he held the woman who had betrayed him.
Then Ruiz placed handcuffs around her wrists.
As officers led Margaret away, she stopped beside Elena.
“You won.”
Elena shook her head.
“This was never a game.”
Margaret looked at her stomach.
“You’ll understand someday.”
“No.”
Elena’s voice hardened.
“I’ll spend my life making sure I never understand you.”
Margaret was taken outside.
Daniel stood silently.
Elena reached for his hand.
Then her phone rang.
Hospital.
She answered.
“Mrs. Howard?”
“Yes?”
“This is St. Vincent’s.”
Her heart jumped.
“What happened?”
“It’s Vanessa Cross.”
Elena looked toward Ruiz.
The nurse continued.
“She disappeared from her room ten minutes ago.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Of course she had.
Then she noticed an envelope tucked beneath the windshield wiper of their car.
Her name was written across it.
ELENA.
Inside was a single note.
I’M GOING TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK.
May you like
DON’T FOLLOW ME.
—V
