Chapter 13 - The Letter to LucasThe answer came from Lucas.
He arrived at Jonathan’s hotel just after sunrise.
No attorney.
No expensive jacket.
No charm.
He looked exhausted.
“I need to talk to you.”
Jonathan did not invite him inside.
“You can talk to Bennett.”
“I will.”
“Then go.”
Lucas looked toward the hotel room where Oliver was sleeping.
“I’m sorry.”
Jonathan’s face hardened.
“Don’t say that until I know what you did.”
Lucas flinched.
“I didn’t know she was going to leave him in there.”
Jonathan went completely still.
The hallway seemed to lose sound.
“What did you just say?”
Lucas closed his eyes.
“I need to tell you everything.”
Jonathan called Bennett.
Twenty minutes later they sat in a conference room with Lucas’s attorney present by speakerphone.
Lucas began at the beginning.
Beatrice had approached him four months earlier.
She said Jonathan was refusing necessary financial decisions because Claire’s death had made him irrational.
She wanted Lucas to help prepare documentation showing Jonathan was unstable.
Emails.
Missed meetings.
Photos of Jonathan sleeping in Oliver’s room after nightmares.
Records of canceled trips.
None of those things were evidence of neglect.
But arranged carefully, they could look troubling.
“I told myself we were protecting the company,” Lucas whispered.
Jonathan stared at him.
“You were trying to take my son.”
“I didn’t think it would get that far.”
“You drafted the petition.”
“Mom dictated most of it.”
Bennett asked, “What happened on the day Oliver was found?”
Lucas swallowed.
“Mom told me the refinancing agreement had arrived. She said Jonathan had until noon.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“I know.”
“Then why did she need Oliver downstairs?”
Lucas pressed both hands against his forehead.
“She said we were going to create pressure.”
Jonathan’s stomach twisted.
“What kind?”
“She told Oliver there was a surprise game.”
“You helped?”
“Yes.”
The word was barely audible.
Jonathan stood.
Bennett said sharply, “Jonathan.”
He remained standing.
“Tell me.”
Lucas’s voice shook.
“Mom said Oliver would be hidden for a few minutes. She said we’d make a video showing him upset and send it to you.”
Jonathan stared at him in horror.
“You agreed to terrorize a six-year-old.”
“I thought it was going to be a stupid scare.”
“You thought that made it acceptable?”
“No.”
Lucas began crying.
“No, I don’t.”
Jonathan’s fists tightened.
“What happened?”
“When I realized she wanted him secured so he couldn’t leave, I told her this wasn’t what she said.”
Oliver’s memory.
This isn’t what you told me.
Jonathan almost lunged across the table.
Bennett moved between them.
Lucas continued quickly.
“She said nobody was going to hurt him. She said it would last ten minutes.”
“And you still helped?”
Lucas couldn’t look at him.
“Yes.”
Jonathan’s voice became almost inaudible.
“You put my son inside that cabinet.”
Lucas shook his head.
“I helped place him inside. Mom took over after that.”
“Did you cover his mouth?”
Lucas looked sick.
“I’m not describing it. But yes, I participated.”
Jonathan turned away.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Bennett asked, “Then what?”
“Mom told me to leave. She said she needed Oliver frightened enough for the video to work.”
“And you left him?”
Lucas nodded.
“I went to the gatehouse.”
“Why didn’t you come back?”
“I tried.”
He pulled out his phone.
There were messages.
At 10:49:
Leave him. I’ll handle it.
At 10:53:
Do not come back inside.
At 10:56:
Jonathan will sign when he understands what can be lost.
Jonathan’s knees nearly gave out.
There it was.
Not inference.
Words.
His mother’s words.
Bennett immediately photographed the messages.
“Why weren’t these recovered earlier?”
“I deleted them.”
“We recovered some deleted messages.”
“Not these. I used an encrypted backup.”
Jonathan turned.
“Why save them?”
Lucas’s face crumpled.
“Because I was scared of her.”
The statement would have sounded ridiculous three days earlier.
Now Jonathan understood.
Beatrice collected leverage.
Against Melanie.
Against him.
Against Lucas.
“What was in Claire’s letter?” Jonathan asked.
Lucas froze.
Beatrice had taken the envelope addressed to him.
“You know about it?”
“Did she show you?”
Lucas nodded slowly.
“What did Claire write?”
His eyes filled.
“She said if I ever wanted to stop being the person Mom needed me to be, I had to tell the truth before someone innocent paid for my mistakes.”
Jonathan closed his eyes.
Claire had predicted it.
Lucas whispered:
May you like
“Oliver paid.”
Then he covered his face and began to sob.
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