Chapter 14 - The Night Julian Actually DiedGraham locked the front door.
Victor entered as if he owned the house.
Maybe he once thought he did.
Mia stood beside Anna.
Charlotte still held the bird key.
Lena's hand moved slightly toward her weapon.
Graham raised his gun.
“Don't.”
Lena stopped.
Victor looked at Mia.
“My granddaughter.”
Mia's stomach turned.
“Don't call me that.”
Victor smiled.
“Julian had the same temper.”
Anna stepped in front of Mia.
“What did you do to him?”
Victor ignored her.
His gaze went to Charlotte.
“You disappoint me.”
Charlotte laughed bitterly.
“I learned from you.”
“Give me the key.”
“No.”
Victor's expression changed.
Father to daughter.
Not love.
Ownership.
“Charlotte.”
“No.”
Graham moved toward her.
Charlotte backed up.
Mia realized something.
Charlotte had come knowing police were here.
She could have stayed away.
She brought the key.
Maybe she truly wanted the archive opened.
Even if it destroyed her.
Victor said,
“You think confession makes you brave?”
Charlotte stared.
“No.”
“Good.”
Anna demanded,
“What happened after the crash?”
Victor looked at her.
“You still need that?”
“Yes.”
“Julian was dying.”
“He was alive.”
“Barely.”
“What did you do?”
Victor's face remained calm.
“I spoke to my son.”
Mia's heart pounded.
“What did he say?”
Victor looked at her.
“He told me you existed.”
Anna froze.
“I was pregnant.”
“He knew.”
“How?”
“Julian told me.”
Anna stared at Charlotte.
Charlotte shook her head.
“I didn't.”
Victor continued.
“Julian said if he died, everything went to Anna and the child.”
There it was.
Money.
Power.
Again.
“What did you do?” Mia asked.
Victor studied her.
“Nothing.”
Anna laughed.
“Liar.”
Lena said,
“We can settle this at a station.”
Victor ignored her.
Anna stepped closer.
“Did you stop the ambulance?”
Silence.
Charlotte looked at her father.
“Dad?”
Victor's jaw tightened.
Anna understood.
“You did.”
Mia's skin went cold.
Victor said,
“Julian's injuries were catastrophic.”
“You don't know that.”
“I knew enough.”
“You let him die.”
Victor's expression sharpened.
“I prevented a scandal from destroying everything he was born to protect.”
Mia whispered,
“You killed him.”
Victor looked at her.
“No.”
“You didn't help.”
“That's not murder.”
Lena spoke quietly.
“It can be.”
Graham shifted.
Victor looked annoyed.
The situation was slipping.
“Key.”
Charlotte held it tighter.
“No.”
Victor's eyes hardened.
“Then Anna pays for your conscience.”
Graham aimed toward Anna.
Mia's breath stopped.
Charlotte immediately threw the key across the room.
It landed near Victor.
“Take it.”
Victor smiled.
Mia stared at Charlotte.
She had surrendered.
To save Anna.
Victor picked up the key.
Anna looked at Charlotte differently.
Not forgiven.
But changed.
Victor approached the wall box.
Inserted the bird key.
Turned.
Click.
The metal door opened.
Inside was not a drive.
It was a small digital recorder.
And a note.
Victor's face changed.
Anna smiled.
“You thought Julian trusted one copy?”
Victor grabbed the recorder.
Pressed play.
Julian's voice.
Weak.
Breathing badly.
Mia stopped breathing.
Recording from the crash.
Victor:
“Where is Anna?”
Julian:
“Safe.”
Victor:
“What did you take?”
Julian coughed.
“Enough.”
Victor:
“You're destroying this family.”
Julian:
“No. You did that years ago.”
Then another voice.
Charlotte.
Crying.
“Dad, call an ambulance.”
Mia looked at Charlotte.
Her face collapsed.
On recording, Victor said,
“No.”
Charlotte:
“He's alive!”
Victor:
“For now.”
Anna covered her mouth.
Graham's voice entered the recording.
“We need to move.”
Victor:
“Take Charlotte.”
Charlotte:
“I'm not leaving him!”
A struggle.
Then Julian's voice:
“Charlotte…”
She stopped.
Julian whispered,
“Don't become him.”
The recording ended.
Silence.
Charlotte was crying openly.
Victor looked at the device.
Not remorse.
Calculation.
“How was this recorded?”
Anna answered.
“Julian's dash system.”
Victor looked toward Graham.
Graham went pale.
Victor suddenly understood.
If this copy existed—
others might too.
Mia looked inside the box.
Beneath the recorder was another note.
She pulled it out before anyone stopped her.
One line.
THE REAL ARCHIVE IS WHERE MIA FIRST HEARD THE SONG.
Mia stared.
Anna went pale.
“No.”
June looked confused.
“Where?”
Mia remembered.
She was four.
Anna sitting beside her in a little yellow kitchen.
Rain outside.
The first time Anna taught her the melody.
Not Los Angeles.
Not Pasadena.
A cabin.
Northern California.
Anna whispered,
“Big Sur.”
Victor heard.
May you like
And smiled.
Now everyone knew where the final evidence was.
Related Stories
