Chapter 17 - The DinnerThe dining room lights came on.
Twenty-three chairs.
Twenty-three plates.
No food.
Everyone was there.
Mom.
Amanda.
My uncle.
Relatives.
Neighbors.
Several people I had never seen.
At the head of the table sat Victor.
He looked older than the photograph.
But calm.
Almost pleasant.
He smiled at me.
"Claire."
I walked in.
Dad remained behind the curtain.
"Where is your father?"
"Dead."
Victor laughed softly.
"Still?"
I said nothing.
He gestured toward the chair.
"Sit."
I sat.
"You've had a difficult week."
"You've had an interesting eight years."
His smile faded.
"You sound like him."
"Good."
Victor leaned forward.
"The document."
I placed a folder on the table.
He opened it.
"Is this everything?"
"Yes."
He looked toward Robert.
Robert stood beside him.
Robert read the first page.
Then froze.
"This isn't the transfer agreement."
"No."
Victor looked at me.
"What did you do?"
"I brought you the thing you were afraid of."
I opened the folder.
Inside were copies of every payment.
Every name.
Every bribe.
Every account.
Victor stared.
"You don't have the original."
"No."
"Where is it?"
"Somewhere you can't reach."
He smiled.
"You think you've won."
"No."
I looked at the cameras hidden in the room.
"I think you've already lost."
Victor stood.
"What?"
I nodded toward the ceiling.
The recording equipment was running.
Mara had wired the room.
Every word had been captured.
Victor looked at Robert.
Robert looked at Mom.
Chaos exploded.
My uncle ran.
Two officers burst through the side doors.
Then another.
Victor pulled a gun.
Dad stepped out from behind the curtain.
"Put it down."
Victor stared at him.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
"David."
"Hello, Victor."
Everyone froze.
Dad held a recording device.
"You spent eight years believing I was dead."
Victor's gun trembled.
Dad continued.
"You killed the wrong man."
Victor whispered:
"You should have stayed gone."
Dad smiled.
"And you should have remembered one thing."
"What?"
"My daughter."
Police surrounded him.
Victor dropped the weapon.
Robert raised his hands.
Mom collapsed into a chair.
Amanda started crying.
I stood perfectly still.
For the first time, the room was quiet.
Then an officer walked toward me.
"Claire Carter?"
"Yes?"
"We need to speak to you."
"About what?"
He handed me a document.
It was an arrest warrant.
My name was on it.
My blood froze.
"Why?"
The officer looked confused.
"This warrant was issued yesterday."
"By whom?"
He turned the page.
My name was listed as the primary suspect in the financial crimes.
Victor smiled.
Then I understood.
The warrant was part of the final trap.
Even if Victor was arrested, I was still legally responsible.
Unless we could prove the documents were forged.
Dad looked at me.
"There's one last file."
"Where?"
He pointed at Victor.
"Ask him."
Victor laughed.
"You think that file will save you?"
I stared at him.
"Where is it?"
He leaned closer.
"Somewhere your father never thought to look."
May you like
Then he smiled.
"Inside the grave."
