Chapter 14 - THE LAST SECRET IN THE KANE HOUSE
The Kane estate burned with lights when they arrived.
Sterling had returned home.
Everett stared through the windshield.
Willa sat beside him.
“You sure?”
“No.”
It was the first time he had admitted uncertainty.
Willa looked at him.
“Where’s the ledger?”
Everett remained silent.
“Everett.”
“Chapel.”
Willa stared.
“The chapel where we got married?”
“Yes.”
“You hid evidence capable of destroying half Chicago under a church?”
“Seemed appropriate.”
She almost laughed.
“Where?”
“Inside the marble cross.”
Willa remembered standing beneath it.
Everett unconscious.
Men laughing.
Her nineteen-dollar dress.
All while the secret Sterling had nearly killed for sat ten feet above them.
Tomas looked over from the front seat.
“Sterling knows?”
“He guessed.”
“How?”
Everett’s expression darkened.
“Vivian.”
Willa frowned.
“Your aunt?”
Everett nodded.
“She helped me hide it.”
Tomas swore.
“Then she betrayed you.”
“Maybe.”
The front gate stood open.
Too easy.
Everett ordered everyone to stop.
“No convoy.”
Tomas looked back.
“Boss.”
“He expects an army.”
“So?”
“We give him three people.”
Willa stared.
“Who?”
Everett looked at Tomas.
Then Willa.
“No.”
Willa immediately understood.
“You’re not leaving me here.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Willa.”
“You really haven’t learned anything about marriage.”
Tomas sighed.
“I’m staying out of this one.”
Everett glared.
Ten minutes later, all three entered the mansion.
The foyer was empty.
Candles burned along the hallway.
Willa hated the symbolism.
They moved toward the chapel.
The doors stood open.
Sterling waited at the altar.
Vivian Kane sat in the front pew.
Her hands were tied.
Blood ran from her temple.
Willa stopped.
So Vivian hadn’t betrayed Everett willingly.
Sterling smiled.
“The family is together.”
Everett’s voice was cold.
“Let her go.”
Vivian looked at him.
For the first time, Willa saw genuine emotion on the older woman’s face.
“Everett.”
He looked at her.
“Did you tell him?”
“No.”
Sterling pressed a gun to Vivian’s head.
“She didn’t need to.”
“I remembered how sentimental you are.”
Everett almost smiled.
“That’s not a word people usually use.”
Sterling nodded toward the cross.
“Open it.”
Everett didn’t move.
“Or she dies.”
Vivian spoke.
“Don’t.”
Sterling struck her.
Willa flinched.
Everett’s eyes went black.
“Do that again.”
Sterling smiled.
“And?”
Everett took one step forward.
His leg nearly failed.
He caught himself with the cane.
Sterling laughed.
“Look at you.”
“This is what’s left of Everett Kane?”
Everett continued walking.
“You drugged me.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to kill me.”
“Yes.”
“You murdered my men.”
“Yes.”
Sterling’s voice rose.
“Because you were weak!”
“You had everything.”
“Everything!”
“And you wanted to turn legitimate.”
“You wanted rules.”
“Clean businesses.”
“Politicians at charity dinners.”
Sterling shook his head.
“We were feared because we had no rules.”
Everett stopped.
“No.”
“We were feared because people knew the rules.”
Sterling laughed.
“That is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.”
Everett looked toward Vivian.
Then the cross.
“Willa.”
She looked at him.
“Third candle.”
“What?”
“Left side.”
Willa saw the candle stand.
She moved.
Sterling pointed the gun at her.
“Stop.”
Everett continued.
“Pull it.”
Willa grabbed the third candle.
It moved.
A mechanical click sounded.
The marble cross shifted forward.
Behind it was a steel compartment.
Sterling’s eyes widened.
Everett smiled faintly.
“There.”
Sterling shoved Vivian aside and rushed toward it.
He opened the compartment.
Inside was a black leather ledger.
Sterling grabbed it.
His entire face changed.
Victory.
Years of planning.
Murder.
Betrayal.
All for this.
He opened the book.
Blank pages.
Sterling stared.
“What?”
Everett smiled.
Sterling flipped faster.
Every page was empty.
“What is this?”
“A decoy.”
Sterling’s face twisted.
“WHERE IS IT?”
Everett looked at Willa.
She didn’t understand.
Then Vivian began laughing.
Sterling turned.
The elegant old woman wiped blood from her mouth.
“You really are stupid.”
Sterling aimed at her.
“Where?”
Vivian smiled.
“Everett destroyed it six months before the accident.”
Tomas looked at Everett.
“Boss?”
Everett nodded.
“I realized keeping it made me the same as everyone inside it.”
Sterling stared.
“No.”
“I burned it.”
“No.”
“Copies?”
“None.”
Sterling screamed.
“You’re lying!”
Everett continued.
“I kept evidence of crimes.”
“Not leverage.”
“I sent copies to a federal attorney through a dead-man protocol.”
Sterling’s face emptied.
Everett looked at him.
“If I died, everything went public.”
Willa understood.
That was why Sterling had kept Everett alive.
“He couldn’t kill you.”
Everett nodded.
“Not until he found the ledger and disabled the release.”
Sterling’s voice became frantic.
“You’re bluffing.”
Everett looked at the chapel clock.
“No.”
“Actually…”
He glanced at Tomas.
“What time?”
Tomas checked.
“Midnight.”
Everett looked at Sterling.
“Protocol expired eight months ago.”
Sterling’s face changed.
Everett continued.
“The files were released this morning.”
Outside, sirens began approaching.
Not one.
Dozens.
Sterling stared toward the windows.
Federal vehicles appeared beyond the estate gates.
Willa exhaled.
It was over.
Then Sterling raised his gun.
“No.”
He aimed directly at Willa.
“If I lose everything…”
Everett moved.
Sterling fired.
Willa heard the shot.
Everett fell.
Again.
But the bullet had not hit him.
Vivian screamed.
Willa looked down.
May you like
Blood spread across her own dress.
And suddenly she could no longer feel her legs.
