Chapter 14 - What Clara SawNo one spoke.
Evelyn looked at the child.
“Clara...”
“You pushed Daddy.”
“I didn't mean to.”
Clara's face twisted with fear.
“He fell down the stairs.”
Evelyn sank into a chair.
“I was trying to stop him.”
Stone stared.
“What happened?”
Evelyn whispered:
“Samuel discovered Crowe's plan.”
She looked toward Daniel.
“He was going to expose everyone.”
“So you stopped him?”
“No.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Crowe arrived first.”
She explained.
“Samuel tried to run.”
“He fell.”
“You pushed him?”
“I reached for him.”
“He fell.”
Stone said nothing.
Evelyn continued.
“I thought he was dead.”
Daniel's expression cracked.
“He wasn't.”
Evelyn nodded.
“I know that now.”
Stone understood.
Daniel had been manipulated into believing he had killed Samuel.
Crowe had built the lie.
Evelyn had helped bury it.
And Samuel had survived long enough to hide the evidence.
Then a gunshot came from the tree line.
Evelyn fell.
Stone caught her.
Blood spread across her coat.
Clara screamed.
Stone shouted:
“GET DOWN!”
Jax fired toward the trees.
The shooter ran.
Stone saw the silver ring.
Crowe.
He chased him into the forest.
Branches tore at his jacket.
Crowe ran toward an old service road.
Stone caught him near a bridge.
They faced each other.
Crowe raised his gun.
Stone raised his.
Crowe laughed.
“You really think this ends with me?”
“No.”
Stone looked toward the road.
Police lights appeared in the distance.
Crowe smiled.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand plenty.”
Crowe's smile faded.
“The blue box was never the final evidence.”
Stone looked at him.
“What is?”
Crowe pointed at Noah.
“The boy.”
Stone turned.
Noah stood on the bridge holding the memory card.
Crowe laughed.
“He has the real ledger.”
Stone froze.
Noah looked terrified.
Crowe continued.
“Victor took the wrong card.”
Stone slowly lowered his weapon.
“Victor thought Noah stole the documents.”
Crowe nodded.
“But Noah copied them.”
Stone looked at Noah.
“Where?”
Noah pointed to his backpack.
“I didn't know what they were.”
Crowe's face changed.
“You little liar.”
Stone stepped between them.
Crowe fired.
Stone moved.
The bullet struck the railing.
Jax and two deputies tackled Crowe from behind.
He was handcuffed.
But before they took him away, Crowe looked at Clara.
“You think you're safe?”
Clara hid behind Stone.
Crowe smiled.
“Ask your mother what happened eight years ago.”
Mara went pale.
Stone turned.
“What happened?”
Mara whispered:
“I made a deal with Elias.”
Stone stared at her.
“What deal?”
“To keep Clara alive.”
“And what did you give him?”
Mara looked toward the burning estate.
“Your father's location.”
Stone closed his eyes.
Then his phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
VICTOR HALE IS IN ROOM 17.
Stone looked toward the road.
Room 17 was gone.
Burned.
Empty.
Or so they thought.
May you like
Until another message arrived.
HE'S WAITING FOR YOU UNDER THE FLOOR.
