Chapter 11 - VANESSA WAS ALIVEI almost dropped the phone.
“Where are you?”
“Don't say my name.”
“Vanessa, what happened?”
“I had help.”
“Who?”
“Daniel.”
I looked at Claire.
She already knew.
“Why did he fake your death?”
“To make Victor believe I was gone.”
“Why?”
“Because I stole something.”
“What?”
“The master key.”
I stared.
“What key?”
“The encryption key to the Carter accounts.”
Claire grabbed my arm.
“Where are you?”
Vanessa gave us an address.
Thirty minutes later, we arrived at an old warehouse.
Vanessa stood inside.
She looked exhausted.
One side of her face was bruised.
But alive.
I stared at her.
“You lied to me.”
She nodded.
“I did.”
“You slept with me while working for my father.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
“I know.”
“You were planted in my life.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor threatened my brother.”
I froze.
“What brother?”
“Lucas.”
I looked at Claire.
Vanessa began crying.
“I knew Lucas was alive when your father told you he was dead.”
“What?”
“He escaped.”
“Where is he?”
Vanessa looked at the door.
“Here.”
A man stepped out.
Older.
Scar across his face.
Same eyes as my father.
He looked at me.
“Hello, Ethan.”
I couldn't speak.
Lucas walked toward us.
“Your father tried to kill me.”
“Why?”
“Because I found the ledger.”
“The one Claire has?”
“No.”
He pointed at the flash drive.
“That is only a copy.”
He reached into his coat.
Pulled out a black notebook.
“The original is here.”
Claire stepped forward.
“What did you find?”
Lucas opened it.
Names.
Payments.
Dates.
Murdered witnesses.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police officers.
Doctors.
Bankers.
All connected.
Then I saw one name.
My mother's.
Beside it:
REMOVED.
I stared.
My mother hadn't simply been killed.
She had been erased.
Lucas turned another page.
“Noah is next.”
Claire's face went white.
“How soon?”
“Tonight.”
I looked at him.
“Where is Victor?”
Lucas laughed without humor.
“He's already here.”
The warehouse lights went out.
A gunshot cracked through the darkness.
Vanessa screamed.
Claire grabbed Noah.
May you like
And someone whispered from across the room:
“Family reunion.”
