Chapter 4 - The House Beyond the City
Victor was already reaching for his coat when Adrian stopped him.
"Think."
"My wife is in that house."
"And someone wants you there."
Victor stared at the photograph.
The gray-coated man stood behind Nora.
But something bothered him.
Nora wasn't frightened.
She wasn't restrained.
She wasn't looking behind her.
"She doesn't know he's there," Victor said.
"Or the photograph is designed to make you believe that."
Victor zoomed in.
Snow outside.
Window reflection.
Timestamp.
Eight minutes ago.
"I'm going."
Adrian nodded.
"So am I."
Sylvia remained behind.
For once, Victor did not argue.
The drive took nearly two hours.
Victor barely spoke.
His childhood lake house stood outside the city, surrounded by trees and winter silence.
His father had bought it when Victor was nine.
After his father's death, Thomas managed the property.
Victor hadn't visited in years.
They parked down the road.
Victor approached on foot.
No dramatic charge.
No threats.
Only a man walking toward the possibility that everything he believed about his family was wrong.
He reached the porch.
Before he knocked, the door opened.
Nora stood there.
Victor stopped.
She looked exhausted.
Beautiful.
Angry.
Alive.
Behind her, Leo began crying.
Victor's face broke.
"Nora."
She stepped outside and closed the door.
"You shouldn't have come."
"Someone sent me a photograph."
Her expression changed.
"What photograph?"
He showed her.
Nora stared.
"That was taken here?"
"Minutes ago."
She looked toward the window.
Fear entered her eyes.
Victor lowered his voice.
"Who's inside?"
"My mother. The twins."
"The man?"
"What man?"
Victor showed her the background.
Nora went pale.
"I've seen him."
"Where?"
"Outside the hospital."
Victor looked toward Adrian.
"When?"
"The day Leo was discharged."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Nora laughed bitterly.
"When? During one of your meetings?"
Victor absorbed it.
No defense.
No excuse.
"You're right."
Nora looked surprised.
Victor continued.
"I wasn't there."
Snow collected on his shoulders.
"I should have been."
Nora looked away.
"I found the surveillance records."
Her eyes returned to him.
"You know?"
"Thomas authorized them."
Nora nodded.
"I thought you did."
"I didn't."
"I know that now."
Victor stepped closer.
"Why?"
"Because I found something else."
She led him inside.
Victor saw his children.
Everything else disappeared.
Leo slept against Nora's mother's chest.
Mia lay in a portable crib.
Victor moved toward them, then stopped.
He looked at Nora.
"May I?"
The question stunned her.
Victor Rinaldi rarely asked permission.
Nora nodded.
He approached Mia.
His hand trembled as he touched her tiny fingers.
Mia curled them around one of his.
Victor lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
He wasn't sure whether he meant for waking her, leaving her, failing her, or all of it.
Nora watched silently.
Then she placed a folder on the table.
"Thomas wasn't watching me because of you."
Victor opened it.
Inside were copies of medical records.
The twins' records.
"Why would Thomas want these?"
"He didn't."
Nora turned a page.
There was a handwritten note from Victor's father.
Victor recognized the handwriting.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, PROTECT THE CHILDREN FROM MERIDIAN.
Victor stared.
"This was written years before Leo and Mia existed."
"Exactly."
Nora sat opposite him.
"Your father wasn't talking about our children."
Victor looked up.
"Then whose?"
Nora slid another photograph toward him.
Two boys.
Victor recognized himself at approximately six years old.
Beside him stood another boy.
Victor stared.
"I don't remember him."
"Look at the back."
Victor turned it over.
VICTOR AND GABRIEL — 1994.
His hands became cold.
"I don't have a brother."
Nora said nothing.
Victor looked at Adrian.
Adrian's face revealed something.
"You knew."
Adrian slowly sat.
"Not everything."
"Who is Gabriel?"
Adrian hesitated.
"Your father's first son."
Victor stood.
"My brother?"
"Half brother."
"Where is he?"
"I was told he died."
Victor stared at the gray-coated man in the security photograph.
Something inside him connected.
Age.
Eyes.
Jaw.
Impossible.
Nora whispered:
"I don't think Gabriel died."
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Everyone stopped.
Nora's mother held Leo tighter.
Adrian stood.
Victor looked toward the staircase.
Another creak.
Someone was inside the house.
Victor moved toward the stairs.
Nora caught his arm.
"Don't."
Victor looked at her.
For once, he listened.
Adrian called out:
"Who's there?"
Silence.
Then footsteps.
Slow.
Descending.
A man's shoes appeared first.
Gray trousers.
Gray coat.
Silver ring.
Victor stared upward.
The stranger reached the final step.
He looked directly at Victor.
May you like
And said:
"Hello, little brother."
