Chapter 6 - My Father’s Last Lie
Tomas reached for his weapon.
“Don’t,” Elias said.
A red laser appeared on Tomas’s chest.
Another appeared on mine.
We froze.
Elias stepped from behind a row of shelves.
He looked older than the surveillance footage.
Tired.
Not frightened.
“Sit.”
I remained standing.
“You threatened a four-year-old.”
“No.”
“The rabbit?”
“Victor.”
“The hospital message?”
“Me.”
“Then you threatened her.”
“I warned you.”
“You photographed a child and told me she looked tired.”
His jaw tightened.
“That was the fastest way to make you move.”
I took one step forward.
The laser rose to my throat.
“Careful,” Elias said.
“You stole medical money.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To expose the transfer routes.”
“You took money from sick employees to prove a financial system existed?”
“I returned most of it.”
“Not to them.”
“No.”
“Then spare me whatever justification comes next.”
Elias looked down.
For the first time, shame appeared.
“I underestimated the damage.”
“Sophie’s brace was held together with tape.”
“I know.”
“Her mother thought I denied surgery.”
“I know.”
“You knew everything.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to kill him.
Perhaps he saw it.
“Your father built the system,” he said.
“My father is dead.”
“So is Noah.”
“Because of you?”
“No.”
“Victor?”
“No.”
I stared.
“Who?”
Elias looked toward the recorder.
“Listen.”
My father’s voice continued.
“Adrian, there are things I did when the company was young that I told myself were necessary. We paid officials. We moved money. We destroyed competitors. Victor enjoyed it. I tolerated it. Elias documented it.”
I felt nothing at first.
Then too much.
The voice went on.
“When you came into the company, you started removing the old systems. You believed I supported you. I didn’t. I was afraid you would uncover what we had done.”
Tomas looked at me.
My father continued.
“I ordered Elias to create reserve channels.”
Elias closed his eyes.
“Victor believed the channels were for him. He began using them after my death.”
The recording clicked.
Then my father said something that changed everything.
“Noah Alvarez discovered one of those channels during a renovation. He contacted me.”
I stared at the machine.
Impossible.
Noah died two years ago.
My father died six years ago.
Unless—
My father had known Noah earlier.
The tape continued.
“Noah was an apprentice then. He found records hidden inside a wall. I paid him to remain silent.”
I looked at Elias.
“You bought him.”
“Your father did.”
“Why would Noah keep working for us?”
“He had a baby coming.”
Sophie.
My stomach turned.
My father’s voice returned.
“Years later Noah discovered Victor had reactivated the system. He came to Elias instead of Adrian because he believed Adrian would protect the family name.”
I whispered, “He didn’t trust me.”
Elias answered.
“No.”
That hurt more than it should have.
“Why did you fake your death?”
“Your father ordered it.”
“What?”
“He knew federal investigators were closing in.”
“So you murdered Samuel Price?”
Elias’s expression hardened.
“No.”
“The body in your car.”
“Victor killed him.”
I stared.
“Victor offered me a way out. I didn’t know what he intended. He brought Samuel drugged. By the time I understood, it was too late.”
“You let an innocent man burn.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
At least he did not offer one.
“Why come back?”
“Because Victor started stealing through the channels.”
“You could have gone to police.”
“Some were paid.”
“Federal authorities.”
“I had evidence tying me to decades of crimes.”
“So you protected yourself.”
“Yes.”
Again.
No excuse.
I almost respected the honesty.
Almost.
“What happened to Noah?”
Elias sat down.
“He came to me with the drive. I told him to give it to you.”
“Then?”
“Victor learned we met.”
“And?”
“He took Noah.”
“Daniel drove.”
“Yes.”
“Victor shot him?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Elias looked at me.
“I did.”
The warehouse disappeared for a moment.
All sound seemed distant.
Rosa’s grief.
Sophie’s rabbit.
The request beneath the marble.
Everything narrowed to Elias.
“You murdered him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Victor had Noah’s wife’s address. Sophie’s daycare. Photographs. He told Noah he would kill them unless Noah gave up the drive.”
“So you shot him?”
“Noah asked me to.”
I stared.
“Don’t.”
“He knew Victor would torture him.”
“Don’t turn murder into mercy.”
“I’m not.”
“You expect me to tell Rosa her husband requested his own execution?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I recorded it.”
He placed another drive on the table.
I did not touch it.
“Why?”
“Because Noah insisted.”
My hands were shaking.
I hated that.
“Play it.”
Elias did.
Noah’s voice.
Weak.
Terrified.
“Rosa, if you ever hear this, I’m sorry.”
Then breathing.
“I hid everything in Sophie’s rabbit.”
I closed my eyes.
“I thought I could fix this. I couldn’t.”
His voice broke.
“Victor said he’ll go after you and Sophie if I don’t tell him where it is.”
Then Elias.
“There may be another way.”
“No.”
Noah again.
“He’ll make me talk.”
A long pause.
“Promise me they live.”
Elias whispered from the recording.
“I promise.”
Then Noah said:
“Do it.”
The recording ended before the gunshot.
I opened my eyes.
Elias was crying.
“I kept the promise badly,” he said.
“You stole from Rosa.”
“I was trying to recreate the money trail so Victor would expose his network.”
“You used them.”
“Yes.”
“You’re no better than him.”
“No.”
That answer stopped me.
No defense.
No righteous speech.
Just no.
“I’m going to prison,” Elias said.
“Yes.”
“But Victor is not your last problem.”
“What now?”
“Your father’s reserve system had one final beneficiary.”
“Who?”
Elias looked at Tomas.
Then me.
“Someone currently controlling almost thirty percent of Vale Holdings.”
I knew every major shareholder.
My blood turned cold.
“No.”
Elias nodded.
“She has been waiting for Victor to fall.”
The warehouse lights shut off.
Gunfire erupted.
Tomas shoved me down.
Glass shattered.
Elias shouted.
A vehicle crashed through the side loading door.
Federal agents stormed the warehouse.
When the lights returned, Elias lay bleeding.
Alive.
Barely.
I grabbed his jacket.
“Who?”
He coughed.
“Board.”
“Who?”
“Look at… your father’s trust.”
Then his eyes closed.
Paramedics rushed in.
Rachel appeared minutes later.
“We found a corporate filing submitted thirty minutes ago.”
“What filing?”
She handed me her phone.
A special emergency board meeting had been called for 8:00 a.m.
Purpose:
REMOVAL OF ADRIAN VALE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
Petitioner:
May you like
MARGARET VALE.
My mother.
