Chapter 11 - THE MOTHER'S LIE
Dominic turned toward Beatrice.
She backed away.
“No.”
Vincent's SUV disappeared down the road.
Dominic didn't chase it.
His eyes remained on his mother.
“What did he mean?”
“He's lying.”
“Was Elena shot before the SUV crashed?”
Beatrice said nothing.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
“Did you have a gun?”
“Yes.”
Dominic's face became empty.
Clara had learned that was when he was most dangerous.
Beatrice raised both hands.
“I didn't shoot her.”
“Then explain.”
“We argued.”
“About what?”
“Vincent.”
Beatrice looked ashamed.
“Elena wanted to expose everything.”
“I begged her not to.”
“Why?”
“Because exposing Vincent meant exposing your father.”
Dominic stared.
“So?”
“Your father built parts of the company with organized crime money.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“You think that surprises me?”
“It would have destroyed the legitimate companies too.”
“Thousands of employees.”
“Pensions.”
“Contracts.”
“I was trying to protect the family.”
Dominic's voice sharpened.
“You were protecting a name.”
Beatrice began crying.
“Elena called me a coward.”
“She was right.”
“What happened next?”
“I pulled the gun.”
Clara stared at her.
Dominic's face changed.
“You pointed a gun at my wife?”
“I wanted to scare her.”
“She tried to take it.”
“It fired.”
Silence.
Noah stood beside Clara.
Dominic whispered.
“You shot Elena.”
“In the shoulder.”
“She was alive.”
“She ran.”
“Vincent chased her.”
“Then another shooter opened fire.”
Dominic looked disgusted.
“You lied for two years.”
“Yes.”
“You let me bury her believing strangers killed her.”
“Yes.”
“You let Noah believe I did it.”
Beatrice broke.
“I was afraid!”
Dominic stepped closer.
“My four-year-old son was afraid.”
“He still tried to survive.”
Beatrice covered her face.
Dominic turned away.
“Marcus.”
“Yes.”
“Call the police.”
Beatrice looked up.
“Dominic.”
“You're going to tell them everything.”
“You'll destroy the family.”
Dominic looked back.
“No.”
“You already did.”
Police arrived at dawn.
But before Beatrice could be transferred, Marcus received a call.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Dominic asked.
Marcus lowered the phone.
“Eric Dalton is dead.”
“How?”
“Someone poisoned him while we evacuated.”
Dominic stared.
Only a small group had known where Eric was being held.
The traitor network wasn't gone.
It was still around them.
Lauren opened her notebook.
“There is one name I never identified.”
She showed Dominic a page.
Every payment from Vincent passed through the same initials.
M.S.
Everyone slowly looked at Marcus Shaw.
Marcus stared back.
“You think it's me?”
Dominic said nothing.
Marcus removed his gun.
He placed it on the ground.
Then his phone.
“Search everything.”
They did.
His phone contained no evidence.
His bank records were clean.
Then Clara remembered something.
“Dr. Mercer.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Samuel Mercer.”
M.S. reversed.
Lauren shook her head.
“No.”
“The initials always appeared M.S.”
Clara looked at the notebook.
“What if it's a woman?”
Mrs. Hargrove's first name was Margaret.
Margaret Hargrove.
Not M.S.
Beatrice whispered.
“Madeline Shaw.”
Marcus went completely still.
Dominic turned.
“Who?”
Marcus's face drained.
“My sister.”
Clara stared.
“You have a sister?”
“She works for Vale Holdings.”
“What department?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Legal trusts.”
Dominic immediately understood.
The department controlling Noah's inheritance if Dominic died.
Marcus grabbed his phone.
Madeline didn't answer.
They searched her office remotely.
Her computer had been wiped thirty minutes earlier.
Security footage showed her leaving with a suitcase.
Dominic called the airport.
Too late.
A private jet registered to a Vale subsidiary had departed.
Destination unknown.
Then Noah tugged Clara's sleeve.
“Clara.”
“Yes?”
“Pretty lady.”
“What pretty lady?”
He pointed at Madeline's photograph.
Noah whispered.
“Needle lady.”
May you like
Marcus looked as if he'd been shot.
His own sister had been helping drug Noah.
