Chapter 12 - The Doctor Who Lied
The box contained Elaine Blake’s final letters.
Norah had never opened its false bottom because she never knew one existed.
Father Gabriel did.
Elaine had confessed everything she knew to him before her death.
He had hidden the letters for twenty years.
Not to protect Gideon.
To protect Malcolm.
Gabriel had been Malcolm’s closest friend.
The conspiracy was older than Arthur.
Older than Gideon's leadership.
Older than Norah's adulthood.
But Gabriel made one mistake.
He believed Norah would come alone.
She didn't.
Gideon refused to let her.
At her apartment, Gabriel held no gun.
He sat calmly with the letters.
“I wanted you to understand.”
Norah stared at him.
“You tried to kill him.”
“I tried to correct what your mother interrupted.”
Gideon's expression became lethal.
Gabriel continued.
Elaine had discovered Malcolm intended to seize control after Gideon's father died.
Saving teenage Gideon ruined the timeline.
For two decades, Gabriel believed Elaine had condemned the organization to Gideon's leadership.
“Why now?” Norah asked.
“Because Gideon wants legitimacy.”
Gabriel almost spat the word.
Gideon had begun dismantling criminal businesses.
Trafficking routes had been closed.
Extortion crews removed.
Dirty officials cut off.
Malcolm and Gabriel believed Gideon was destroying his inheritance.
Norah looked at Gideon.
“You never told me that.”
“You never asked.”
Despite everything, she nearly smiled.
Gabriel noticed.
His expression darkened.
“You trust him?”
“No.”
Gideon glanced at her.
Norah continued.
“Not completely.”
Gabriel smiled.
“Good.”
“But I trust what I've seen him do.”
That erased the smile.
Police arrested Gabriel using evidence Arthur had already provided to federal investigators.
Gideon had made a decision.
The old empire would end.
Not with another murder.
With testimony.
Records.
Names.
Consequences.
Mercer agreed to cooperate.
Samuel did too.
Caleb followed.
Thomas resisted.
Norah confronted him.
“You spent my whole life teaching me that we were poor because the world was cruel.”
Thomas cried.
“The truth would have destroyed you.”
“No. Your lies did that.”
He eventually signed a statement.
One question remained.
Who had made the final unauthorized change to Gideon's medication?
Gabriel denied it.
Malcolm denied it.
Dominic didn't.
Samuel didn't.
Elias reconstructed the electronic logs.
The change came from Mercer’s credentials.
Mercer insisted they had been stolen.
Elias examined the audit trail.
Then he went pale.
“What?”
“The credentials weren't stolen.”
He turned the laptop.
“They were authenticated biometrically.”
Mercer had made the change.
Norah stared at him.
Mercer backed toward the door.
“I can explain.”
Gideon rose.
May you like
Mercer reached inside his coat.
And Norah saw the syringe in his hand.
