Chapter 7 - THE DEAD ATTORNEY LEFT EVELYN ONE MESSAGEMartin Keene died in his office.
One gunshot.
No weapon recovered.
His receptionist found him behind his desk.
Police initially called it a robbery because several drawers were open, but nothing obvious was missing.
Victor didn’t believe it.
“Someone is cleaning the board.”
Evelyn sat in the hospital room holding her daughter.
“Because we discovered Martin betrayed my father?”
“No.”
“Then why now?”
“Because Martin knew who else was involved.”
Samuel received a call from Martin’s assistant an hour later.
Before his death, Martin had scheduled an email.
To Evelyn.
It arrived at noon.
Subject:
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME
Evelyn opened it.
There were only seven lines.
Evelyn,
I did things for the Blackwoods that I cannot justify. Garrett knows part of the truth. Eleanor knows more. Neither knows who has been controlling them.
Your father’s crash was not ordered by Richard Blackwood.
Find Box 417.
Do not tell Victor until you know what’s inside.
I am sorry.
Martin
Evelyn stared at the final warning.
Victor was standing across the room.
“Anything useful?”
Her instincts screamed.
Do not tell Victor.
She locked the screen.
“Just an apology.”
Victor studied her.
She hated lying to the man who saved her.
But everyone in her life had secrets.
Maybe it was time she kept one.
Samuel arranged a discreet search for Box 417.
There was no safe-deposit box under Martin’s name.
No storage unit.
No obvious reference.
Then Evelyn remembered something.
Her father had taken her horseback riding at an old Mercer property in Virginia.
The stables numbered each horse stall.
417 had been her father’s favorite horse’s racing number.
“Mercer Farm.”
Samuel looked up.
“What?”
“Check Mercer Farm.”
The property had been sold years earlier.
Or so Evelyn believed.
Samuel searched records.
It had never been sold.
It belonged to a shell corporation controlled by the hidden Mercer trust.
By evening, Samuel was driving south.
Victor remained at the hospital.
Evelyn told him Samuel had gone home.
Another lie.
Garrett appeared shortly after sunset.
Security stopped him.
Evelyn surprised everyone by allowing him inside.
He entered slowly.
No Eleanor.
No smugness.
He looked exhausted.
“Where’s my son?”
“Sleeping.”
“Daughter?”
“With the nurse.”
Garrett nodded.
“Are they okay?”
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
Relief looked genuine.
That almost made Evelyn angrier.
“You care now?”
“I always cared.”
“You stepped over me.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“Why?”
He sat.
“The bank appointment.”
“The fake auction.”
He nodded.
“Mother told me if we didn’t retrieve those documents before the twins were born, everything would transfer beyond our reach.”
“Our?”
He corrected himself.
“Hers.”
“Don’t insult me.”
Garrett looked at his hands.
“I knew about the trust.”
“How long?”
“Before we met.”
The answer hurt despite Evelyn expecting it.
“So the entire marriage was planned.”
“Meeting you was planned.”
“And marrying me?”
He looked at her.
“No.”
She laughed.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expected to charm you, get access to your father’s estate, and disappear.”
“Romantic.”
“Then I fell in love with you.”
“You left me on the floor.”
“I became someone I didn’t recognize.”
“No, Garrett. You became someone I finally recognized.”
That hit him.
Good.
He looked away.
“My mother has controlled me my entire life.”
“You’re thirty-five.”
“I know.”
“That stops being an excuse.”
“I know.”
Again, that startled her.
No defense.
No blame.
Garrett looked toward the door.
“There are people worse than my mother.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Martin said someone was controlling both of you.”
Garrett’s eyes snapped toward her.
“You spoke to Martin?”
“He emailed me.”
Garrett stood.
“What did he say?”
Evelyn immediately knew she had revealed too much.
“Why?”
“Because Martin called me this morning.”
“Before he died?”
“Yes.”
“What did he tell you?”
Garrett’s face changed.
“He said Mother was going to kill you.”
Evelyn went cold.
“What?”
“He said you were never supposed to survive the delivery.”
Silence filled the room.
Garrett continued.
“The plan was to get the trust documents first. Then Mother wanted your doctors persuaded that a complication had occurred.”
Evelyn felt nauseous.
“You knew?”
“Not until this morning.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
For once, Garrett looked completely defeated.
“But there’s something else.”
“What?”
“My mother didn’t go home after the bank.”
“Where did she go?”
Garrett handed Evelyn a photo from his phone.
Eleanor entering a private residence outside Manhattan.
Beside her stood Laura Bennett.
And a man Evelyn had never seen.
Garrett whispered:
“I followed her.”
“Who is he?”
“That’s what scares me.”
“Why?”
Garrett enlarged the photograph.
The man was around sixty-five.
Gray hair.
A scar running beside his mouth.
Evelyn still didn’t recognize him.
Victor walked into the room.
He saw the photograph.
Every bit of color left his face.
Garrett looked at him.
“Tell her.”
Victor remained silent.
Evelyn’s heart began racing.
“Who is that?”
Victor finally answered.
“Thomas Vale.”
“Who?”
“The man who sabotaged your father’s first plane.”
Evelyn stared.
May you like
Victor’s next words were worse.
“And he has been officially dead for seven years.”
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