Chapter 10 - Locker 17The restaurant had been closed for nearly two days.
Police surrounded the building.
Valerie stood beside Thomas while Harris unlocked the back entrance.
Nick remained close.
Michael watched every window.
They entered the basement.
Thomas held the key tightly.
"What does seventeen mean?"
Nick shook his head.
"I didn't know."
The basement contained old storage lockers.
Rows of numbered metal doors lined the wall.
Harris followed the numbers.
He stopped.
Thomas inserted the key.
It fit.
The lock clicked.
Inside was a small black case.
Valerie's breath caught.
Michael whispered,
"Don't touch it."
Harris put on gloves and opened the case.
Inside were dozens of documents.
Bank transfers.
Photographs.
Names.
Dates.
And a handwritten list.
Valerie leaned closer.
She recognized several names immediately.
One was a judge.
One belonged to a police captain.
Another belonged to a city councilman.
But the last name made her blood freeze.
CLAIRE BENNETT.
Beside it was a payment total.
$2,400,000.
Valerie stepped backward.
"No."
Michael looked at the documents.
"That's the proof."
Harris photographed everything.
Then he found another envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Valerie.
Taken twelve years earlier.
Pregnant.
Standing beside Michael.
On the back were three words.
SHE KNOWS NOTHING.
Valerie's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't remember this photograph."
Michael looked at it.
"I took it."
She stared at him.
"You were watching me?"
"From a distance."
"Why?"
"Because I was trying to protect you."
Valerie shook her head.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
A noise came from upstairs.
Footsteps.
Everyone froze.
Harris signaled silence.
The footsteps continued.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then the basement lights turned on.
Claire stood at the top of the stairs.
Two armed men stood behind her.
She smiled.
"Thank you."
Valerie stared.
"For what?"
"For opening the locker."
Michael stepped forward.
"Claire."
She smiled at him.
"You always were too dramatic."
Harris raised his weapon.
"Stay where you are."
Claire laughed.
"Detective, do you really think you're clean?"
Harris froze.
Claire held up a folder.
"Because I have your name too."
Harris's face changed.
Valerie looked at him.
"What does she mean?"
Claire smiled.
"You see the problem?"
She slowly descended the stairs.
"Everybody believes Daniel was the mastermind."
Michael whispered,
"He wasn't."
Claire stopped.
"Exactly."
Valerie stared.
"Then who was?"
Claire looked directly at her.
"You."
Valerie recoiled.
"What?"
Claire smiled.
"Not because you planned any of this."
She lifted the folder.
"Because the company you built is the key."
Valerie's mind raced.
"My company?"
"Your company has been processing money for twelve years."
"What are you talking about?"
Claire's smile disappeared.
"Your father founded it."
Valerie froze.
"My father died before I started the company."
"No."
Claire took another step.
"Your father disappeared."
Valerie stared.
Like Michael.
Like Nick's father.
Like everyone else who had gotten too close.
Then Claire whispered:
"He didn't die."
The lights suddenly went out.
A gunshot exploded.
Someone screamed.
And when the emergency lights came back on...
May you like
Claire was gone.
So was the black case.
