Chapter 4 - The Name They Buried
Julian fired once.
Not at the door.
At the chandelier switch beside it.
Glass exploded downward as the room dropped into confusion.
“Move!”
His guards pulled Elena and Lily behind the marble service counter.
Gabriel dragged Marcus toward the pantry.
Sebastian remained near the wall.
Julian crossed the room as the dining room door burst inward.
Two men entered.
Black jackets.
Masks.
Suppressed pistols.
Julian shot the first in the shoulder.
His guard tackled the second.
The entire confrontation lasted less than ten seconds.
Then silence.
Julian stood over the first intruder.
“Who sent you?”
The man groaned.
Julian removed his mask.
He did not recognize him.
Sebastian did.
Julian saw it immediately.
“Who is he?”
Sebastian looked away.
Julian grabbed the attacker’s collar.
“Name.”
The man laughed.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Julian pushed the barrel against the floor beside his head.
“Try again.”
“Julian.”
Elena’s voice stopped him.
He looked back.
Lily was watching.
He lowered the gun.
He hated that Sebastian noticed.
The attacker noticed too.
“You’ve changed.”
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“You have no idea.”
He signaled his guards.
“Take them downstairs. Alive.”
The men were dragged away.
Julian turned to Sebastian.
“Now.”
Sebastian said nothing.
Julian held up the phone again.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE CHILD.
“Who is he?”
Sebastian exhaled.
“His name is Adrian Cross.”
Gabriel frowned.
“I don’t know that name.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
Julian approached.
“Who is he?”
Sebastian glanced toward Lily.
Julian stepped between them.
“Stop looking at her.”
Sebastian’s voice lowered.
“Adrian was your father’s accountant.”
Julian almost laughed.
“My father had six accountants.”
“Not like Adrian.”
Sebastian walked toward the table.
“Anthony trusted him with the things he never trusted me with.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
“Such as?”
“Contingencies.”
Marcus appeared from the pantry doorway.
He had heard everything.
“Insurance.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Information.”
Julian looked at the flash drive.
“Valmere?”
“Partly.”
Elena spoke.
“What does he want with Lily?”
Nobody answered.
Her voice rose.
“What does he want with my daughter?”
Sebastian looked at Julian.
“You need to understand what Daniel found.”
Julian’s patience vanished.
“He found fraud.”
“No.”
Sebastian shook his head.
“He found a ledger.”
Marcus went still.
“What ledger?”
Sebastian ignored him.
“It belonged to Adrian.”
Julian waited.
“It tracked every payment your father made for seventeen years.”
Gabriel’s face tightened.
“Bribes?”
“Bribes. Judges. Police commanders. Dock supervisors. Union bosses.”
Julian’s eyes hardened.
“And murders?”
Sebastian did not answer.
That was answer enough.
Elena clutched Lily.
“Daniel saw it?”
“He saw part of it.”
“Why?”
“Valmere was moving money through accounts listed in the ledger.”
Julian finally understood.
“Daniel wasn’t killed because he refused to sign a report.”
Sebastian shook his head.
“He was killed because he copied a page.”
Elena stared.
“One page?”
“One page was enough.”
“What was on it?”
Sebastian looked toward Lily.
Julian stepped forward.
Sebastian spoke quietly.
“Her name.”
Elena looked down at her daughter.
“What?”
“Not Lily’s name.”
Sebastian swallowed.
“Yours.”
Elena froze.
Julian looked between them.
“Explain.”
Sebastian sat.
“Daniel discovered payments made to someone named Elena Marquez before he ever married you.”
Elena shook her head.
“That’s impossible.”
“Not you.”
Julian frowned.
Sebastian continued.
“Your mother.”
Elena stared.
“My mother was named Sofia.”
“After she changed it.”
The room became quiet.
Elena whispered, “No.”
Sebastian looked genuinely tired now.
“Your mother worked for Anthony Hale.”
Julian’s father.
Elena took a step backward.
“No.”
“She kept books in the old East River office.”
“My mother was a waitress.”
“She became a waitress after she ran.”
Elena’s voice cracked.
“Ran from what?”
Sebastian looked at Julian.
“Your father.”
Julian felt something cold move through him.
“What did he do?”
“Not what you think.”
Sebastian rubbed his forehead.
“Anthony discovered money disappearing. Adrian blamed Sofia. Sofia blamed Adrian. Then Sofia vanished.”
Elena shook her head repeatedly.
“She died when I was twelve.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Yes.”
“Car accident.”
“Yes.”
“Was it?”
Sebastian did not answer.
Elena began to cry.
Lily touched her arm.
“Mommy.”
Julian looked at Sebastian.
“Did my father kill her?”
“No.”
“Adrian?”
“I don’t know.”
Elena wiped her face angrily.
“Then why does Adrian want my daughter?”
Sebastian looked at Lily.
“Because he thinks Daniel gave you the missing page.”
Elena stared.
“I don’t have it.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
Marcus spoke.
“The safe-deposit box.”
Everyone turned.
Marcus looked at Elena.
“Daniel said he left something for Lily.”
Elena frowned.
“You told me it was evidence.”
“I assumed.”
Julian looked at the silver key.
“When does the bank open?”
“Nine.”
“We go at nine.”
Sebastian shook his head.
“No.”
Julian turned.
“Why?”
“Because Adrian will expect that.”
“So?”
“So if you arrive at First Commonwealth tomorrow morning, you’ll walk into a trap.”
Julian almost smiled.
“Then we won’t arrive tomorrow morning.”
Sebastian frowned.
Julian looked at Gabriel.
“The bank manager owes us.”
Gabriel nodded.
“I can get us inside before sunrise.”
Elena looked uncertain.
Julian turned to her.
“You and Lily stay here.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“If that box belonged to my husband, I’m coming.”
Julian studied her.
He could order men.
He could intimidate contractors.
He could frighten politicians.
But the woman in front of him had survived her husband’s murder, raised a child alone, hidden inside the home of the family responsible, and kept evidence that could destroy them.
He suspected ordering her would accomplish nothing.
“Fine.”
Gabriel spoke.
“And Lily?”
Elena looked down.
Lily yawned.
Julian’s answer surprised everyone.
“She stays with Rosa.”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
Elena knelt.
“Baby.”
“No.”
“You have to sleep.”
Lily pointed at Julian.
“I sit with Mister Julian.”
Julian looked at her.
The child had recovered from the earlier violence faster than he had.
He crouched.
“You need sleep.”
“You don’t sleep.”
Gabriel looked away.
Julian frowned.
“How do you know that?”
“Mommy says your light stays on.”
Elena went red.
“I never—”
Lily continued.
“And you walk downstairs at nighttime.”
Julian stared.
She was right.
He had insomnia.
He walked the house.
Lily leaned toward him.
“You’re scared too.”
Julian felt the room disappear.
For one second, he was not thirty-six.
He was twelve.
Standing beside his father’s study.
Listening to Anthony Hale scream at someone behind a closed door.
Waiting for his mother to come home.
She never did.
Julian stood.
“Rosa.”
The housekeeper approached.
“Take Lily upstairs.”
Lily frowned.
Julian added, “Bring her hot chocolate.”
She considered.
“With marshmallows?”
“Yes.”
“Two?”
“Three.”
She smiled.
“Okay.”
Elena kissed her.
Rosa led Lily away.
Julian watched until she disappeared.
Then he turned to Sebastian.
“My mother.”
Sebastian looked exhausted.
“What about her?”
“How did she die?”
Sebastian said nothing.
Julian stepped closer.
“I was told she overdosed.”
Sebastian looked down.
“That was the story.”
“What happened?”
Sebastian slowly met his eyes.
“Anthony found out she was helping Sofia.”
Elena froze.
Julian felt his heart stop.
“What?”
“Your mother knew Sofia was trying to expose Adrian.”
Julian’s breathing changed.
Sebastian continued.
“She helped her copy records.”
“And?”
“Then both women disappeared within six months.”
Elena whispered, “My mother died.”
Julian stared at his uncle.
“And mine?”
Sebastian looked away.
“Vanished.”
Julian grabbed his arm.
“You told me she was dead.”
“I believed she was.”
“You let me bury an empty coffin.”
“Anthony ordered it.”
Julian nearly lost control.
Gabriel stepped between them.
“Julian.”
Julian released Sebastian.
He walked to the window.
Thirty seconds passed before he spoke.
“Where did you last see her?”
Sebastian hesitated.
“East River station.”
“When?”
“Fourteen years ago.”
Julian turned.
“The night my father died?”
Sebastian nodded.
Julian stared.
His father had died at 11:40 p.m.
His mother had supposedly died six months earlier.
None of it matched.
Marcus stood.
“There’s one more thing.”
Julian looked at him.
“What?”
Marcus reached inside his coat.
This time nobody raised a weapon.
He removed a photograph.
Old.
Creased.
Two women stood outside an office building.
One was young Elena’s mother.
The other—
Julian took the photograph.
His hand began to tremble.
His mother.
Alive.
On the back was a date.
Three days after her supposed death.
And beneath it, one handwritten address.
Julian recognized the city.
Baltimore.
Gabriel leaned closer.
“What’s the address?”
Marcus answered.
“A nursing home.”
Julian looked up.
“Current?”
Marcus nodded.
“I checked last week.”
Julian’s voice disappeared.
“Who lives there?”
Marcus met his eyes.
“A woman registered under the name Anna Cross.”
Julian stared at him.
Cross.
Adrian Cross.
The mansion phone rang.
Nobody moved.
It rang again.
Gabriel answered.
His face changed.
“Julian.”
“What?”
“The security team found something outside Lily’s bedroom.”
Elena grabbed the table.
“What?”
Gabriel listened.
Then slowly looked at Julian.
“A red stone ring.”
May you like
Julian turned toward the staircase.
From upstairs came the sound of a child screaming.
