Chapter 12 - The Night the Truth Came Out|
"Put the weapon down," Marcus ordered.
Peter laughed.
"Still giving orders, Marcus?"
Thomas Reed stood behind him.
His silver watch caught the light.
Norah immediately recognized the figure from Lily's drawing.
Marcus moved slightly in front of her.
"Why did you come here?"
Peter glanced at the ledger.
"Because you found something that doesn't belong to you."
"My father left it to me."
"Your father left a lot of things behind."
Thomas stepped forward.
"Give us the documents. Nobody needs to get hurt."
Daniel quietly moved toward the investigators' emergency radio.
Peter noticed.
"Don't."
Daniel stopped.
Marcus looked at Thomas.
"You're not an attorney."
"No."
"Who are you?"
"Someone who has spent years cleaning up your family's mistakes."
Peter raised his weapon.
"Enough talking."
Norah looked toward the basement window.
It was narrow, but large enough for Lily if she had been there.
She was not.
Thank God.
"Did you follow Evelyn that night?" Marcus asked.
Peter's face tightened.
"I was ordered to bring her back."
"By whom?"
Peter glanced at Thomas.
Thomas answered.
"Richard Voss."
Marcus felt the pieces connect.
Voss had been using the family business to conceal fraudulent transactions. Evelyn had discovered the scheme. Arthur had begun cooperating with investigators. Peter had arranged the accident, and Thomas had helped destroy the evidence.
But something still didn't make sense.
"Why did you keep Lily alive?" Marcus asked.
Peter's expression changed.
"Because she saw something."
"What?"
"The driver."
Norah felt a chill.
Peter continued.
"She saw Thomas behind the wheel of the second vehicle. She was too young to understand what happened, but she remembered him."
Thomas turned sharply.
"Shut up."
Peter laughed.
"You think I'm taking the blame for everything?"
Marcus looked at Thomas.
"Did you drive the car?"
Thomas raised his weapon.
Then a loud crash sounded upstairs.
Everyone turned.
Raymond had activated the estate's emergency security system.
The investigators moved in.
Peter dropped his weapon.
Thomas tried to run.
But he was stopped at the basement entrance.
Within seconds, the room was filled with officers.
Thomas struggled as they handcuffed him.
Peter remained motionless.
Marcus stood over him.
"Did you kill my wife?"
Peter looked at the floor.
"I caused the accident."
"That's not an answer."
"I was driving the first car. Thomas was supposed to block the road. He lost control."
Marcus's face became expressionless.
"And Evelyn?"
Peter swallowed.
"She didn't survive."
Marcus turned away.
Norah touched his arm.
He didn't move.
Then, slowly, he looked at her.
"I believed I knew everyone in my family."
Norah's voice was gentle.
"Sometimes the people closest to us are the ones who know how to hide the most."
Outside, the investigators removed the ledger and the recording.
The case that had remained buried for years was finally moving into the light.
But the most important discovery had not been made in the blue room.
It had been made in Lily's drawing.
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The little girl had remembered the man who was never supposed to be seen.
And now, for the first time, she was no longer being asked to forget.
