Chapter 5 - The Night My Wife Died
"Patrick Callahan is dead."
Arthur's voice barely sounded human.
The man on the other end laughed.
"Yes."
Arthur looked at Daniel and Nick.
Both men were watching him.
Arthur activated speaker.
"Then who is this?"
"You always were impatient."
Daniel's face changed.
Nick whispered, "No."
Arthur looked at him.
"You recognize him?"
Nick didn't answer.
The voice continued.
"Your father built a kingdom, Arthur. But kingdoms don't disappear because kings die."
Arthur's hand tightened around the phone.
"Where is Elena?"
"Busy."
"Leo?"
"Alive."
"If you touch my son—"
"I could have killed your son thirteen months ago."
Arthur went still.
"I chose not to."
"Who are you?"
The man sighed.
"Ask Nicholas."
Arthur looked at Nick.
Nick stared at the floor.
"Tell him."
Nick slowly sat down.
"His name is Conrad Vale."
Daniel cursed.
Arthur looked between them.
"Who?"
Nick answered.
"Your father's accountant."
Arthur remembered a thin man with rimless glasses.
Always behind Patrick.
Never speaking.
Arthur hadn't seen him in years.
"He died."
"Officially," Nick said.
Arthur almost laughed.
Apparently death meant very little in his family.
Conrad's voice continued.
"I served your father for twenty-eight years."
"Then you should know what happens to men who threaten my children."
"I know exactly what happens."
Conrad sounded calm.
"That's why you're useful."
Arthur looked toward Sarah's letter.
"What do you want?"
"The ledger."
"No."
"Then Lily disappears again."
Arthur's heart stopped.
Nick whispered, "He's bluffing."
Conrad heard him.
"Nicholas. Still wrong after all these years."
Nick leaned toward the phone.
"Where is she?"
"Closer than you think."
Arthur interrupted.
"Proof."
A message arrived.
Video.
A little girl sat in the back seat of a car.
Same face as the photograph.
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
She looked frightened.
A man's hand held a newspaper beside her.
Today's date.
Arthur couldn't breathe.
"Lily."
The girl looked toward the camera.
Then the video ended.
Arthur's vision narrowed.
Conrad said, "Bring me the drive."
"Where?"
"Not yet."
The call ended.
Arthur stood motionless.
Daniel spoke first.
"We can't give it to him."
Arthur turned.
"My daughter is alive."
"And if you hand him Sarah's evidence, he kills her afterward."
Nick nodded.
"Daniel's right."
Arthur laughed.
"Now you two agree."
He walked toward the door.
Nick blocked him.
"Where are you going?"
"To my son."
"Conrad expects that."
"I don't care."
"Arthur."
Arthur shoved him aside.
Nick grabbed his arm.
Arthur turned and punched him.
Nick didn't retaliate.
"You kept Lily from me."
"I helped keep her alive."
"You don't get credit for stealing five years from me."
Nick's eyes hardened.
"You think I don't know that?"
Arthur stopped.
Nick's voice broke slightly.
"Sarah made me promise."
"You loved her."
"Yes."
"And that makes it better?"
"No."
Nick swallowed.
"It makes it worse."
Daniel watched them.
Arthur looked away.
Every relationship in his life had become tangled around Sarah's secrets.
But one truth was becoming clear.
Sarah had not hidden Lily to punish him.
She had hidden Lily because she believed their daughter would die otherwise.
Arthur hated that.
But he understood it.
They returned to the gym through the rear alley.
Arthur entered first.
Gun raised.
"Elena?"
No answer.
The office was empty.
Leo's blanket lay on the floor.
Arthur's chest tightened.
Then a sound came from behind the ring.
Elena stepped out.
Gun in hand.
Leo behind her.
Arthur crossed the room.
He lifted his son.
Leo clung to him.
Arthur looked at Elena.
"Who came?"
"No one got inside."
"The voice?"
"Through the music box."
Arthur stared.
"Speaker?"
"Remote connection."
He exhaled.
Nick inspected the box.
Daniel checked entrances.
Arthur crouched in front of Leo.
"Buddy."
Leo looked at him.
"I'm going to find your sister."
No reaction.
Then Arthur remembered.
Leo might know.
Five years old.
Did he remember a twin?
"Leo."
Arthur pulled up Lily's photograph.
He showed it to him.
The boy stared.
His entire body went rigid.
Arthur noticed.
"You know her?"
Leo looked at Elena.
Then at the photograph.
His lips moved.
No sound.
Arthur's heart raced.
"Leo, who is she?"
The boy trembled.
Elena crouched.
"It's okay."
Leo touched the screen.
Then he pointed toward the wall.
Arthur frowned.
"What?"
The old gym wall held photographs.
Daniel and Arthur.
Boxers.
Patrick.
Old employees.
Leo pointed at a photo of Sarah.
Then Lily.
Then Sarah again.
Arthur's throat tightened.
"Mommy?"
Leo nodded.
Elena whispered, "He remembers."
"How?"
Daniel stepped closer.
"Sarah may have shown him pictures."
Arthur looked at him.
"When?"
"I don't know."
Nick opened the music box.
"There's something else."
Inside the base was a GPS chip.
Arthur looked at him.
"Tracker?"
Nick shook his head.
"Receiver."
"Meaning?"
"Someone's sending coordinates."
Numbers appeared on a tiny display.
Daniel recognized them.
"Lower Wacker."
Arthur's blood went cold.
The crash site.
Sarah.
Conrad wanted them there.
Elena stood.
"It's a trap."
Arthur looked at her.
"Of course."
"And you're going."
"Of course."
She sighed.
"Sarah really knew you."
Arthur almost smiled.
"Apparently."
Nick said, "We need a plan."
Arthur turned.
"You are not coming."
Nick stared at him.
"Arthur."
"I still don't know whether you're working with Conrad."
"Then keep a gun on me."
"I might."
"Fine."
Daniel said, "I'm coming too."
Arthur looked at his brother.
"Nine years ago, I lost you because I trusted Nick."
Daniel nodded.
"And thirteen months ago, you lost Sarah because nobody trusted you."
The words hurt.
But Arthur knew they were true.
He looked at Elena.
"Take Leo somewhere safe."
"No."
"Not negotiable."
"Then you misunderstand my job."
"Elena."
"If Conrad has Lily, he's going to anticipate every Callahan move."
Arthur waited.
She continued.
"He won't anticipate me."
Nick nodded.
"She's right."
Arthur hated that.
But he agreed.
They made a plan.
At 5:40 AM, Arthur drove toward Lower Wacker alone.
At least, that was what Conrad was supposed to believe.
Nick and Daniel followed separately.
Elena remained farther back with Leo in an armored vehicle and a former contact of hers named Mia Torres.
Arthur didn't ask who Mia was.
He had reached his limit for secret professionals.
The coordinates led beneath the city.
A tunnel.
Empty.
Arthur parked.
The music box began to play through his phone.
A soft melody.
Sarah used to hum it to Leo.
Arthur's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Then a projector switched on against a concrete wall.
Sarah appeared.
Not live.
Recording.
Arthur stepped out.
Her face filled the wall.
"Arthur."
He froze.
"I hope you never see this."
The date was the night she died.
His chest tightened.
Sarah continued.
"If you are watching, Conrad found the backup."
Arthur whispered, "Sarah."
She looked tired.
Scared.
"I made mistakes. I trusted Nick too long. I trusted Daniel too little. And I trusted your father because I wanted Leo and Lily to have a grandfather."
Arthur closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Sarah continued.
"But there is one thing I need you to understand."
A car engine sounded behind him.
Arthur turned.
Black sedan.
Doors opened.
Three men stepped out.
Then Conrad.
Older now.
Silver hair.
Calm eyes.
Arthur raised his gun.
Conrad smiled.
"Keep watching."
Arthur glanced toward Sarah's image.
She continued.
"Conrad did not create the network."
Arthur looked at him.
"He inherited it."
Conrad's smile faded slightly.
"Your father created it to control everyone around him."
Sarah's eyes seemed to look directly at Arthur.
"And when Patrick realized I had moved Lily somewhere he couldn't reach, he gave Conrad one final order."
Arthur's breathing slowed.
Sarah said:
"Kill me."
Arthur looked at Conrad.
Conrad gave a small nod.
"It was business."
Arthur raised his gun.
"No."
Conrad's men raised theirs.
Arthur stopped.
Conrad smiled.
"There's the famous self-control."
Arthur's eyes burned.
"You murdered my wife."
"I arranged the crash."
"Why didn't you kill Leo?"
"Patrick wanted the boy."
"Why?"
"An heir he could shape."
Arthur almost laughed.
"He was dying."
"Men like Patrick never believe death applies to them."
Sarah's video continued behind them.
"If Conrad reaches you, he will offer you a trade."
Conrad looked toward the projection.
For the first time, he seemed uncomfortable.
Sarah continued.
"He'll offer Lily for the ledger."
Arthur looked at him.
Conrad said, "She always was clever."
Sarah's voice continued.
"Don't give it to him."
Arthur looked at the drive in his hand.
Conrad's eyes narrowed.
Sarah said:
"Because Lily isn't where Conrad thinks she is."
Conrad's expression changed.
Arthur stared.
"What?"
Sarah continued.
"If he has a girl, she's not our daughter."
Conrad turned sharply toward one of his men.
Arthur understood.
The video he had seen.
The girl.
A decoy.
His daughter was somewhere else.
Conrad's calm vanished.
"Turn it off."
Sarah kept speaking.
"Arthur, Lily has been protected by someone Conrad would never suspect."
Conrad raised his gun toward the projector.
Arthur moved.
Gunfire exploded.
Arthur dove behind the car.
Nick fired from the upper ramp.
Daniel emerged from the opposite tunnel.
Conrad's men scattered.
Arthur fired.
One man fell.
Another surrendered.
Conrad ran.
Arthur chased him.
They moved deeper beneath the city.
Conrad disappeared through a maintenance door.
Arthur followed.
Behind him, Daniel shouted.
"Arthur!"
Too late.
The door slammed.
Arthur found himself in darkness.
A red emergency light flickered.
Conrad stood ten feet away.
Gun aimed.
"Your father was right about you."
Arthur raised his own.
"What did he say?"
"You love too much."
Conrad smiled.
"It makes you weak."
Arthur shook his head.
"No."
He thought of Sarah.
Leo.
Lily.
Daniel.
Even Nick.
"It gives me something you never had."
Conrad's finger tightened.
Arthur fired first.
Conrad dropped.
Not dead.
Shot through the shoulder.
Arthur kicked away the gun.
Conrad laughed through the pain.
"You still don't know where she is."
Arthur grabbed him.
"You will tell me."
"I don't have to."
"Why?"
Conrad smiled.
"Because Sarah already did."
Arthur frowned.
Conrad looked toward Arthur's jacket.
"The rest of the letter."
Arthur froze.
Sarah's letter.
He had never finished it.
He pulled it out.
His hands shook as he unfolded the final section.
Lily is with the one person Patrick could never control.
Arthur read the next line.
Then stopped breathing.
Because Sarah had written a name.
A woman Arthur had believed dead for six years.
His mother.
And beneath it was an address.
Arthur stared at the paper.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A woman's voice whispered:
"Arthur?"
His knees nearly gave out.
He knew that voice.
"Mom?"
May you like
A little girl spoke in the background.
"Grandma, is that Daddy?"
