Chapter 6 - THE DEAD BROTHER
Vincent Vale had been declared dead eleven years earlier.
Dominic told Clara the story while Eric was taken to the basement medical room.
“My brother was twenty-seven.”
Dominic stood beside the fireplace.
“He was reckless.”
“Drugs.”
“Gambling.”
“Violence.”
“Our father cut him out of the family.”
Clara listened.
“Then what happened?”
“His boat exploded on Lake Michigan.”
“Body?”
“Never recovered.”
Clara looked at him.
“So he could have survived.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“I spent years wondering.”
“Why would he come after Noah?”
Dominic looked toward the fire.
“Because everything belongs to Noah if I die.”
Clara understood.
“And if Noah is unstable?”
“Trustees control his inheritance.”
“Who chooses the trustees?”
Dominic looked at her.
“My father's estate documents.”
Mrs. Hargrove entered.
Dominic turned.
She looked older than she had that morning.
“Vincent is alive.”
It wasn't a question.
Mrs. Hargrove closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Dominic crossed the room.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew!”
“I saw him once.”
“When?”
“Three months after Elena died.”
Dominic stared at her.
“Where?”
“North wing.”
The answer nearly destroyed what remained of his restraint.
“You saw my supposedly dead brother inside my home and said nothing?”
“He threatened Noah.”
Dominic stopped.
Mrs. Hargrove's eyes filled with tears.
“He told me if I warned you, Noah would die before sunset.”
Clara watched her carefully.
“Why the camera brooch?”
Mrs. Hargrove touched her collar.
“I was recording him.”
Dominic stared.
“You were gathering evidence?”
“I've been trying for two years.”
“Why not give it to me?”
“Because Vincent has people everywhere.”
“In your companies.”
“In your security.”
“In the police.”
She looked at Marcus.
“Possibly even among those closest to you.”
Marcus's face hardened.
“You accusing me?”
“No.”
“Then choose your words carefully.”
Dominic raised a hand.
“Enough.”
He looked at Hargrove.
“Where are the recordings?”
She swallowed.
“My room.”
They searched.
The files were gone.
Someone had gotten there first.
Dominic interrogated Eric personally.
Clara remained with Noah.
An hour later, Dominic returned.
There was blood on his cuff.
Clara didn't ask whose.
“What did he say?”
“Vincent has been using Mercer for years.”
“For what?”
“To make Noah appear psychologically incapable.”
Clara felt sick.
“So Vincent could eventually control the estate.”
Dominic nodded.
“But Elena discovered it.”
“Yes.”
“And they killed her.”
Dominic looked away.
Noah sat on the carpet drawing.
Clara noticed his picture.
Three people.
A woman.
A little boy.
And a tall man.
But behind them was another figure.
A man with a red face.
“Noah.”
He looked up.
“Who's that?”
He pointed.
“Uncle.”
Dominic crouched.
“You remember Uncle Vincent?”
Noah nodded.
Dominic's face tightened.
“What did Uncle Vincent do?”
Noah drew a black line across the woman.
Then he whispered.
“Mom run.”
Dominic's breathing changed.
“Why did Mom run?”
Noah pointed at the red man.
“Uncle mad.”
“What happened?”
Noah's hand began shaking.
Clara moved closer.
“You can stop.”
But Noah continued.
“Mom car.”
Dominic waited.
“Uncle car.”
Dominic froze.
“There was another car?”
Noah nodded.
“Black.”
“Did Uncle Vincent follow Mom?”
Noah nodded again.
Dominic closed his eyes.
Then Noah said something that made Clara's blood turn cold.
“Daddy there.”
Dominic opened his eyes.
“What?”
Noah pointed at the drawing.
“Daddy there.”
Dominic stared at him.
“I wasn't there.”
Noah became upset.
“Daddy!”
“I was in New York that night.”
Noah screamed.
“DADDY CAR!”
Clara suddenly understood.
“Not Dominic.”
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed at the drawing.
“Noah was three.”
“Vincent and Dominic are brothers.”
“Do they look alike?”
Mrs. Hargrove whispered.
“Almost identical.”
Dominic went pale.
Noah had seen Vincent.
But in the darkness, he thought he had seen his father.
That explained something far worse.
For two years, Noah had believed Dominic had been present when Elena died.
Dominic knelt before his son.
“Buddy.”
His voice broke.
“That wasn't Daddy.”
Noah stared at him.
“That was Uncle Vincent.”
Tears filled Dominic's eyes.
“I would never hurt Mom.”
Noah's face crumpled.
Then, for the first time in two years, he moved toward his father willingly.
Dominic pulled him into his arms.
He held him as though the entire world might try to steal him again.
Clara looked away to give them privacy.
That was when she saw the red laser dot.
It appeared on Dominic's chest.
“DOWN!”
May you like
Clara threw herself into him.
A bullet shattered the window.
