Chapter 6 - THE UNKNOWN TEXTER KNEW WHERE SIMON VALE HAD BEENGrant was released that evening.
Not because St. Alder suddenly admitted wrongdoing.
Because Arthur’s attorneys, police, and state health officials made continued detention impossible.
Dr. Harrow refused to meet Arthur.
That told Arthur enough.
Grant returned to the Greenwich estate under temporary police protection.
He stopped in the foyer.
Saw the sofa.
And froze.
Owen stood at the top of the staircase.
For several seconds, father and son stared at each other.
Grant whispered:
“Hey.”
Owen didn’t move.
Grant looked devastated.
Arthur stood beside him.
“Give him time.”
Grant nodded.
Then Owen came down slowly.
Not running.
Not smiling.
At the bottom, Grant opened his arms.
Owen didn’t step into them.
Instead he asked:
“Why didn’t you believe me before?”
Grant went still.
Arthur looked between them.
Grant’s face changed.
“When?”
“About Vivienne.”
Owen’s voice shook.
“I told you she hated us.”
Grant closed his eyes.
“You did.”
“You said she was trying.”
“Yes.”
“She locked Maeve in her room.”
“I thought it was a timeout.”
“She threw Mom’s picture away.”
Grant swallowed.
“I found it later.”
“You still believed her.”
The words landed hard.
Grant crouched.
“You’re right.”
Owen’s eyes filled.
Grant continued.
“I believed the explanation that made my life easier.”
Arthur felt the sentence hit him too.
Owen said:
“She said you’d pick her.”
Grant shook his head.
“I did sometimes.”
Arthur looked at him.
Grant did not hide.
“I shouldn’t have.”
Owen’s lower lip trembled.
Grant continued.
“You do not have to forgive me tonight.”
The boy stared.
“I just want you to know I’m going to tell the truth about what I did wrong.”
Owen’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Okay.”
Then he walked past.
Not a hug.
But not rejection forever.
Grant looked at Arthur.
“That was worse than St. Alder.”
Arthur nodded.
“Good.”
Grant almost laughed.
They moved to Arthur’s study.
Detective Carver had obtained forensic images of the microSD card from Grant’s watch.
It contained one video.
Elise.
Alive.
Healthy.
Recorded seven years earlier.
She sat in what looked like a hotel room.
“If you are watching this, then something has gone wrong with the trust.”
Grant covered his mouth.
Elise continued.
“Vivienne March is not working alone.”
Arthur leaned closer.
“I traced two unauthorized requests.”
“One through Halberd.”
“One through Simon Vale’s office.”
Grant whispered:
“She knew.”
Elise:
“I confronted Simon.”
“He denied involvement.”
“I don’t believe him.”
Then:
“I also discovered a private side agreement connected to Winslow Advanced Systems.”
Arthur frowned.
A side agreement seven years ago?
Titan Ridge only entered negotiations this year.
Elise continued.
“Someone is trying to accumulate proxy rights quietly.”
“The buyer is not named.”
“But Marcel Keene’s name appears in the correspondence.”
Arthur stared.
Marcel had been circling the company for years.
Not months.
Grant looked at his father.
“You’ve known him forever.”
“Longer than I should have.”
The video continued.
“If they ever gain Grant’s voting rights and the children’s trust, they can override Arthur.”
There it was.
The same strategy.
Years in preparation.
Then Elise’s voice softened.
“I have moved the original trust amendment out of Simon’s control.”
“The physical document is in a private vault.”
“Grant has the map.”
Grant frowned.
“I have no map.”
Elise smiled faintly on-screen.
“You do.”
She held up a photograph.
Grant and Elise on their honeymoon.
Venice.
Standing beside a clock tower.
Grant stared.
“San Giorgio.”
Arthur looked at him.
“What?”
“She gave me that photo.”
“Where is it?”
Grant’s face changed.
“In the frame on my desk.”
The same office Vivienne had torn apart.
They ran upstairs.
The framed photograph was gone.
Grant searched drawers.
Nothing.
Owen appeared in the doorway.
“Looking for the Italy picture?”
Grant turned.
“Yes.”
“I took it.”
“Why?”
“Vivienne was looking at it.”
Owen disappeared into his bedroom.
Returned with the frame.
Grant opened the backing.
Nothing.
Owen shook his head.
“Not there.”
He pointed at the clock tower in the image.
“There’s writing under it.”
Grant peeled back a small label.
Tiny numbers.
A Greenwich bank address.
Vault 314.
Arthur exhaled.
Elise’s “map.”
But before they could go, Arthur’s phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
This time the message contained no photograph.
Only:
Do not go to Vault 314 tonight. Simon already knows Owen found the photo.
Arthur stared.
Then a second message.
Check Clara’s old staff phone. You’ll know who I am.
Everyone turned toward Clara.
She looked confused.
“My old phone?”
“The one you used before this one.”
Her face changed.
“I still have it.”
“Where?”
“In my room.”
They retrieved an old iPhone from a drawer.
Dead battery.
Julian from corporate IT—Arthur had called him in—charged it.
The device turned on.
One unread voicemail from six years earlier.
Caller:
MIRIAM KENT.
Arthur froze.
Miriam had been Elise’s personal assistant.
She disappeared from the Winslows’ lives shortly after Elise died.
They were told she moved to California.
Arthur had not thought about her in years.
Clara whispered:
“She used to know everything Elise was doing.”
Arthur pressed play.
Miriam’s voice filled the room.
“If anyone ever hears this, tell Mr. Winslow I didn’t leave because I wanted to.”
Arthur’s pulse jumped.
“I left because Simon Vale threatened my daughter.”
Silence.
Then:
“And Vivienne March knows exactly where I am.”
Arthur looked at the unknown messages.
The sender had just led them to Miriam.
Was Miriam still alive?
Was she the one texting?
Arthur typed a reply.
Miriam?
For almost a minute, nothing happened.
Then the answer appeared.
Yes.
May you like
And underneath:
I have been waiting seven years for someone in that house to finally believe Elise.
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