Chapter 6 - THE MAN DAMON TRUSTED
Grant Keller had worked for Damon for twelve years.
He denied everything.
“You’re taking the word of a six-year-old?”
Damon’s face was stone.
“I’m taking the word of my son.”
Keller looked at Micah.
Micah stepped behind Mara.
Mara noticed.
Damon noticed too.
Keller surrendered his weapon.
Security searched his room.
They found nothing.
No burner phone.
No accelerant.
No proof.
Only one strange thing.
A photo of Elise Cross.
Taken two days before her death.
Damon held it with shaking fingers.
Keller looked away.
“What is this?”
“I cared about her.”
Damon struck him.
Ruth shouted.
Mara grabbed Damon’s arm.
“Stop!”
Damon pulled free.
“You cared about my wife?”
Keller wiped blood from his mouth.
“She was afraid of you.”
Everything stopped.
Damon stared.
Keller laughed bitterly.
“She was going to leave.”
“That’s a lie.”
“She told me herself.”
Damon’s face lost color.
Mara watched him.
The dangerous billionaire vanished.
What remained was a widower hearing that his marriage might have been a lie.
Keller claimed Elise had discovered the ledger.
She wanted Damon to turn it over to federal investigators.
He refused.
Then she died.
Mara asked, “Why didn’t you say this before?”
“Because Cross would’ve destroyed me.”
Damon stepped forward.
Mara blocked him.
Keller looked at her.
“You think you know him?”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
Keller pointed at Damon.
“This house destroys people.”
Later, police took Keller away for questioning.
Mara found Damon alone in the chapel.
“You believe him?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
He looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
For the first time, his voice cracked.
“I thought Elise was happy.”
Mara sat beside him.
“People can love someone and still be afraid of their world.”
Damon looked at her.
“You’re afraid of mine.”
“Yes.”
“Yet you’re still here.”
Mara thought of Lily.
“I have reasons.”
Damon almost smiled.
The next morning, Mara’s attorney called.
Bryce had filed an emergency motion.
He claimed Lily had been placed in immediate danger.
He had photographs of the fire trucks at Crossmoor.
Mara felt sick.
“How did he get those?”
Her attorney hesitated.
“He says an anonymous source sent them.”
Mara looked toward the mansion.
Someone inside was feeding Bryce information.
Then Ruth walked into the kitchen holding an envelope.
“This came for you.”
No stamp.
No return address.
Inside was a court document.
May you like
And a photograph.
Bryce shaking hands with Victor Shaw.
