Chapter 10 - The Son Who Was Never BuriedThe Dead Man Walked Through My Door
The man standing behind Trevor was in his thirties.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
A small scar near his jaw.
And something in his face was unmistakably Miller.
He looked at me.
“Mrs. Miller.”
I couldn't speak.
“You're Nathan.”
He nodded.
Trevor closed the door behind him.
“Where have you been?”
“Dead.”
The answer was so calm that it frightened me.
“What does that mean?”
“Nathan was legally declared dead eight years ago,” Trevor said.
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“To get away from the people hunting him.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“My father wanted me dead.”
“Gregory?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew where the money went.”
I looked at Trevor.
Nathan continued.
“Not Arthur.”
“Then who?”
“Your husband.”
My chest tightened.
Nathan looked at me.
“Arthur found me before I disappeared.”
“He knew you were alive.”
“Yes.”
“He protected you.”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
Nathan hesitated.
“Because I didn't trust you.”
The words hurt.
“Why?”
“Because I thought everyone close to Arthur could be compromised.”
Trevor looked down.
“I was.”
Nathan nodded.
“Trevor was.”
I looked between them.
“Then what do you want?”
Nathan reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a USB drive.
“This.”
“What is it?”
“The truth.”
I didn't take it.
“What truth?”
“Everything Arthur found.”
He placed the drive on the table.
“The missing money.”
“The shell companies.”
“Your son's debts.”
“Gregory's fraud.”
“Vincent Hale's revenge.”
“And Arthur's death.”
I stared at the drive.
“Who killed him?”
Nathan looked at Trevor.
Trevor whispered:
“She did.”
I looked at Nathan.
“Sloan's mother?”
Nathan nodded.
“Why?”
“Arthur discovered that Gregory wasn't the mastermind.”
I felt cold.
“Who was?”
Nathan answered:
“Rebecca.”
I stared.
“No.”
“She built the first shell company.”
“But she exposed Gregory.”
“Because Gregory betrayed her.”
I suddenly couldn't breathe.
Rebecca had told me a carefully selected version.
She hadn't lied.
She had simply omitted the part that made her guilty.
“Why did Arthur help her?”
“He didn't.”
Nathan's face hardened.
“Arthur was trying to expose both of them.”
“And then?”
“Rebecca killed him first.”
I sat down.
All these years, I had believed Arthur died from a heart attack.
Officially, that's what the doctor said.
Natural causes.
But Nathan handed me another document.
A medical report.
There had been traces of a sedative.
Not enough to be obvious.
Enough to make him collapse.
My hands shook.
“Why wasn't this discovered?”
“Because someone paid the coroner.”
I looked at Trevor.
“Who?”
Trevor whispered:
“Gregory.”
Nathan shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Sloan.”
I stared.
“She had access to the money.”
“How?”
“She stole it from you.”
The room went silent.
“What?”
Nathan pointed at the USB.
“Your authorized card.”
“The one I canceled?”
“Yes.”
“It was used to finance the entire operation.”
My stomach turned.
“She made it look like family expenses.”
“And some of it was.”
I swallowed.
“Why?”
Nathan's expression became grim.
“To gain access to the trust.”
I looked at Trevor.
He was crying.
“Mom, I tried to stop her.”
“You could have told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“You were afraid of your wife?”
“No.”
Trevor looked toward the window.
“I was afraid of Vincent.”
At that moment, every light in my house went out.
The security system died.
The windows became black mirrors.
Nathan stood.
“Don't move.”
A soft sound came from upstairs.
Footsteps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then the unmistakable click of a door opening.
Trevor whispered:
“She's here.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
May you like
He stared toward the stairs.
“My mother.”
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