Chapter 9 - Beneath Carter TowerCarter Tower looked different at night.
Forty-two floors of glass and steel.
My husband's name still stood above the entrance.
CARTER HOLDINGS.
I had spent eleven years avoiding the executive floor.
Now I walked into the building at midnight.
Ethan was beside me.
Vanessa followed.
Victor remained at the hospital under police protection.
The security guard at the lobby recognized Ethan.
But he didn't recognize me.
That was exactly what I wanted.
We took the service elevator.
Floor B3.
The elevator doors opened to a dark corridor.
Vanessa pointed toward a concrete wall.
“There.”
A keypad.
She entered a code.
Nothing.
She tried another.
Still nothing.
Then she looked at me.
“Your birthday.”
I entered it.
The wall opened.
A hidden staircase descended.
We walked for several minutes.
At the bottom was a steel door.
Behind it was a room filled with documents.
And a woman sitting at a table.
Evelyn Cross.
Older.
Thin.
Her hair almost completely gray.
But her eyes were sharp.
She looked at me.
“You finally came.”
I stepped forward.
“You know me.”
“I knew your husband.”
“You were his trustee.”
“Yes.”
“Did you help kill him?”
Her face crumpled.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
She stared at Ethan.
“Not who.”
“What?”
“What you believe about your family is wrong.”
She pulled a file from the table.
Inside were original stock certificates.
Carter Holdings had not belonged entirely to Richard.
Half had belonged to Clara Morgan.
My mother.
I stared.
“Why?”
Evelyn explained.
Years ago, Clara had invested in Richard's first company.
The business grew.
When the shares were consolidated, Clara's ownership was secretly moved into a trust.
The trust was supposed to protect me.
Instead, Richard transferred the shares after my mother's death.
“I didn't know.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Richard ordered me not to.”
“Why?”
Evelyn looked at Ethan.
“Because someone inside your family was already threatening him.”
“Who?”
She reached for another file.
Then the lights went out.
Ethan cursed.
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Don't move.”
A metallic sound came from behind us.
A gun being cocked.
We froze.
A flashlight flickered.
A man's voice echoed through the room.
“Evelyn.”
She closed her eyes.
The voice continued:
“You should have stayed buried.”
Victor's warning returned to my mind.
Someone inside the family.
Someone close enough to manipulate every piece.
I whispered:
“Who are you?”
The flashlight moved.
A face appeared.
Daniel Mitchell.
He was holding a gun.
But he wasn't looking at me.
He was looking at Evelyn.
“You've caused enough damage.”
Evelyn whispered:
“Daniel.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“My father trusted you.”
Daniel laughed.
“Your father was a fool.”
Vanessa shouted:
“You killed him!”
Daniel looked at her.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Daniel smiled.
And the answer was far worse.
“I didn't kill Richard Carter.”
May you like
He pointed the gun at me.
“Your mother did.”
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