Chapter 14 - THE MAN BEHIND EVERY DOORThe estate was surrounded.
Michael, Jonah, Sophie, Lucas, Emily, Victoria, Thomas, and Daniel were trapped inside.
Rain hammered the windows.
Thomas turned off every light.
“He won't shoot immediately.”
Michael stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because he wants the children alive.”
Victoria looked horrified.
“For the trust.”
Thomas nodded.
“And because Jonah knows what happened that night.”
Jonah frowned.
“I was a baby.”
“You were there.”
Jonah shook his head.
“I don't remember.”
Thomas looked at him.
“You don't remember with your mind.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your mother left a recording.”
Thomas took out a small cassette.
Rachel's voice.
Again.
But this time she sounded calmer.
“Jonah, if someone ever makes you listen to this, tell Michael about the car.”
Jonah stared.
“What car?”
Thomas looked at him.
“Think.”
Jonah closed his eyes.
A memory surfaced.
Headlights.
Rain.
A woman's voice.
Rachel.
And another voice.
A man.
“You should never have gone to Kane.”
Jonah opened his eyes.
“I remember.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Tell me.”
Jonah's hands shook.
“Mom was in the car.”
“What else?”
“Another car.”
“What color?”
“Black.”
Michael remembered the SUV.
“Who was driving?”
Jonah swallowed.
“I couldn't see.”
Rachel's voice came from the recording.
“Michael, the driver wasn't Elliot.”
Michael stared.
The tape continued.
“It was someone you would never suspect.”
The estate lights suddenly flickered.
The front door opened.
A man walked in.
Gray coat.
White hair.
Calm expression.
Elliot Ward.
Everyone froze.
Elliot smiled.
“Michael.”
Michael stepped forward.
“You killed Rachel.”
Elliot looked almost amused.
“No.”
“You ordered it.”
“No.”
“Then what did you do?”
Elliot turned toward Victoria.
“She did.”
Victoria screamed:
“That's a lie!”
Elliot nodded toward her.
“She switched the cars.”
Michael stared.
Victoria's face collapsed.
“I didn't know she would die.”
“What did you think would happen?”
“She was supposed to be stopped.”
Elliot laughed.
“You locked her brakes.”
Victoria began crying.
“I only wanted to scare her.”
Michael felt sick.
Rachel had discovered the shell companies.
Victoria had tampered with the car.
Elliot had arranged the cover-up.
But one question remained.
“Who poisoned her?”
Elliot looked at Thomas.
Thomas lowered his head.
Michael's face changed.
“No.”
Thomas whispered:
“She survived the crash.”
“You poisoned her?”
“I didn't know it would kill her.”
Michael stared at him.
“Then why?”
Thomas finally broke.
“Because Rachel had proof.”
He pointed at Daniel.
“She found out Daniel was alive.”
Daniel said nothing.
Thomas continued:
“She threatened to expose everyone.”
Michael's voice cracked.
“You betrayed me.”
Thomas nodded.
“Yes.”
He lowered the gun.
“But Elliot betrayed all of us.”
Elliot's smile disappeared.
Then police sirens sounded outside.
Kane had arrived.
Elliot suddenly grabbed Sophie.
Michael lunged.
A gunshot exploded.
Sophie screamed.
Elliot fell backward.
The room went silent.
Michael caught Sophie.
Then looked at Elliot.
The bullet had hit him in the shoulder.
Kane stood at the doorway.
But Elliot was smiling.
“You think this is over?”
Michael stared.
Elliot looked directly at him.
“Ask who changed Rachel's final call.”
Michael's face went blank.
May you like
Because the final recording had never been complete.
And someone had deliberately erased the last eleven minutes.
