Chapter 16 - The Truth About Roman's Father
Richard's letter had been written two weeks before his death.
It was addressed to my mother and contained instructions for preserving the evidence she had collected. He promised that once the financial crimes were exposed, Victor would lose the power to threaten either of us.
But the final paragraph was different.
There is one person you must never allow to see the complete records until the danger has passed.
My son, Roman.
My mother watched me read.
"Richard believed Roman was being manipulated by people inside the family," she explained. "He was afraid Victor would use the evidence to turn father against son."
I lowered the letter.
"Then why didn't Richard tell Roman the truth?"
"He planned to. He asked me to meet him at the estate the night before he died."
"What happened?"
My mother closed her eyes.
"Victor arrived first."
She described hearing an argument in Richard's study. Victor demanded the original documents. Richard refused. Their voices rose until a crash echoed through the hallway.
When my mother reached the door, Richard was on the floor.
Victor stood over him.
He told her that Richard had suffered a heart attack.
Then he threatened to blame her for the death unless she disappeared and remained silent.
My mother fled.
For years, she believed she had witnessed a murder.
But she had never seen Victor strike Richard.
She had never seen a weapon.
She had only heard the argument and found Richard dead moments later.
"Why didn't you go to the police?" I asked.
"Victor controlled the records. Malcolm controlled the lawyers. And the people I approached disappeared."
I thought of the warehouse bookkeeper.
Of Lydia.
Of the years I had spent hiding.
"Did Roman know?"
"No. Richard's death was presented as a medical emergency. Victor made certain the official investigation ended quickly."
I looked at the letter again.
Richard had wanted to protect his son.
But by keeping the truth from him, he had left Roman to inherit a criminal empire without understanding how it had been built.
I returned to Blackmere House the following morning.
Roman was waiting in the library.
I handed him the letter.
He read it in silence.
When he finished, he sat down heavily.
"My father knew."
"He knew Victor was dangerous."
"And he kept it from me."
"He was trying to protect you."
Roman laughed once, without humor.
"Everyone keeps telling me that."
I sat across from him.
"Your father made a choice. My mother made a choice. They were frightened, and they believed silence would protect the people they loved."
"And look what it cost."
I had no argument.
For a long time, we sat without speaking.
Then Roman asked, "Do you think my father killed the bookkeeper?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think he deserved what happened to him?"
I considered the question carefully.
"I think he deserved the chance to tell the truth."
Roman looked at me.
Something in his expression shifted.
For the first time, he seemed ready to stop defending his father's memory and begin investigating the man himself.
That afternoon, he arranged for an independent forensic team to examine the surviving records.
The results arrived two days later.
Richard's death certificate listed natural causes.
But the original medical file contained an unexplained discrepancy.
The time of death had been altered.
And the doctor who signed the report had received a large payment from one of Victor's companies.
Roman stared at the document.
"Someone covered up what happened that night."
Before he could say more, the front gate alarm sounded.
A vehicle had arrived.
Inside it was Victor Sloane.
He had come to Blackmere House without an invitation.
May you like
And he was asking to see me.
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