Chapter 7 - THE MAN WITH THE GUN
Daniel hit the floor.
His gun slid beneath the conference table.
Scarlett grabbed Lucy.
“Move!”
Daniel caught Scarlett’s ankle.
She fell.
Lucy kicked him across the face.
Daniel roared.
“You stupid girls!”
Scarlett crawled toward the gun.
Daniel grabbed Lucy by the hair.
She screamed.
Scarlett reached beneath the table.
Her fingers closed around the weapon.
She pointed it at Daniel.
“Let her go.”
Daniel laughed.
“You’ve never fired a gun.”
Scarlett’s hands shook.
“No.”
“Then you won’t.”
Lucy gasped as Daniel tightened his grip.
Scarlett pulled the trigger.
Click.
Safety.
Daniel smiled.
He lunged.
Lucy slammed her head backward into his nose.
He released her.
Scarlett flipped the safety.
This time, Daniel stopped.
“Do it,” he said.
Scarlett stared.
“You think you’re tough because you slap waitresses?”
Her expression changed.
“Shut up.”
“You’re a spoiled little girl.”
Scarlett’s finger tightened.
Lucy grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t.”
Scarlett looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because then he gets to make you into him.”
Security rushed in.
They tackled Daniel.
Martin grabbed both daughters and pulled them into the hallway.
He looked at Scarlett.
“What were you thinking?”
She exploded.
“She was in there!”
Lucy stared.
Scarlett turned on her.
“And you’re an idiot for going back for a letter!”
“It was my mother’s!”
“You could have died!”
“So could you!”
They stood inches apart.
Scarlett shouted,
“Exactly!”
Silence.
Then both women started laughing.
Not because anything was funny.
Because their nerves had broken.
Martin stared at them.
For one brief second, he saw something impossible.
Two sisters.
Daniel was dragged toward the stairwell.
Martin stopped him.
“Who killed Rebecca?”
Daniel smiled through blood.
“I moved money.”
Martin grabbed his collar.
“Who killed her?”
“I didn’t.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at Lucy.
“Ask the nurse.”
Lucy froze.
“What nurse?”
Daniel laughed.
“You really didn’t know?”
Security dragged him away.
The fire turned out to be contained to one server room.
Someone had deliberately started it.
But Rebecca’s files had already exposed enough information to draw federal attention.
By morning, Hale Meridian’s stock price collapsed.
News helicopters surrounded headquarters.
Martin’s board demanded an emergency meeting.
Lucy watched television reports from Martin’s penthouse.
Her mother’s photograph appeared beside headlines.
SECRET HEIRESS CLAIMS BILLION-DOLLAR PATENT.
Lucy switched off the television.
“I hate this.”
Scarlett entered carrying coffee.
“Welcome to my life.”
Lucy looked at her.
“No offense, but your life had chauffeurs.”
Scarlett handed her coffee.
“Fair.”
Lucy hesitated.
“Thanks.”
Scarlett sat opposite her.
For several seconds they said nothing.
Then Scarlett asked,
“What was Rebecca like?”
Lucy looked surprised.
“Why?”
“I want to know.”
Lucy studied her face.
“She laughed loudly.”
Scarlett smiled slightly.
“My mother hated loud laughing.”
“She burned pancakes.”
“My mother had a private chef.”
“She sang when she cleaned.”
“Mine fired people for humming.”
Lucy laughed.
Scarlett did too.
Then Scarlett’s expression darkened.
“I loved my mother.”
“I know.”
“She lied to me my entire life.”
Lucy nodded.
“You can love someone and still be angry at them.”
Scarlett looked toward the windows.
“Did Rebecca ever say anything about Elaine?”
“Not that I remember.”
Lucy opened the flash drive again.
They searched together.
Elaine’s name appeared in one folder.
Inside was an unsent email.
From Elaine Hale.
To Rebecca Carter.
Scarlett’s hand froze on the mouse.
“Open it.”
Lucy did.
Rebecca, I know who you are.
Scarlett stopped breathing.
The email continued.
I know what Victor did to you.
Lucy looked at Scarlett.
Scarlett whispered,
“My mother knew?”
They kept reading.
Martin never stopped loving you. I hated you for that for years. But hatred became shame when I discovered the truth.
Scarlett covered her mouth.
Victor is dangerous. Scarlett is his biological daughter. He has used that secret to control me.
Scarlett started crying.
Lucy kept reading.
Tomorrow I am going to Martin. If anything happens to me, give him the evidence.
Scarlett whispered,
“She knew she was in danger.”
At the bottom was an attachment.
A photograph.
Elaine standing beside Rebecca.
Taken eleven years earlier.
Lucy stared.
“They met.”
Scarlett pointed to something in Elaine’s hand.
A small metal key.
Lucy enlarged the image.
Around the key was a paper label.
BOX 417.
Scarlett looked at Lucy.
“What’s Box 417?”
Before Lucy could answer, Martin entered.
He saw the photograph.
Then he stopped dead.
“That key.”
Lucy looked at him.
“You recognize it?”
Martin nodded.
“It’s from Union Central Bank.”
Scarlett stood.
“Safe deposit box?”
Martin whispered,
“Yes.”
Lucy looked at the photograph again.
“If Elaine and my mother shared a box…”
Martin’s phone rang.
The police investigator’s voice came through.
“Mr. Hale, we reopened your wife’s death investigation.”
Martin went still.
“And?”
“We found the retired marina mechanic.”
Scarlett grabbed Martin’s arm.
“What did he say?”
Martin listened.
His face changed.
Then he whispered,
“He says Elaine’s boat didn’t malfunction.”
Scarlett stopped breathing.
May you like
Martin looked at her.
“He says someone cut the steering line.”
