Chapter 4 - The Man Behind Forty-Seven
Eleanor Blackwood descended slowly.
Her hair was silver now.
Her face carried twenty years Adrien had never seen.
But she was his mother.
There was no doubt.
Adrien stared.
Eleanor stopped halfway down.
“My God.”
He could not find a sentence.
So many had existed once.
Where were you?
Why did you leave?
Did you ever think about me?
Did you know Dad was murdered?
Did you choose to disappear?
But when the moment arrived, all he managed was:
“You’re alive.”
Eleanor’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
The second shadow moved.
Marcus stepped forward.
A tall older man emerged.
Maya gasped.
“No.”
She knew him.
“Uncle Thomas?”
Thomas Bennett.
Her father’s older brother.
A man Maya had believed died eight years earlier.
Thomas looked at her.
“Maya.”
She backed away.
“No.”
“Maya, listen.”
“You’re dead.”
“I needed everyone to believe that.”
“My father went to your funeral.”
Thomas lowered his head.
“I know.”
Maya’s anger exploded.
“You let him bury an empty coffin?”
“I was protecting him.”
“He died believing you were gone!”
“Maya.”
“No.”
Adrien stepped between them.
“Who is behind Forty-Seven?”
Thomas looked at Eleanor.
She nodded.
Thomas spoke.
“Samuel Crane.”
Adrien knew the name.
Everyone in American finance knew Samuel Crane.
Investor.
Philanthropist.
Chairman of Crane Meridian.
He had been Charles Blackwood’s closest business ally.
He had also given the eulogy at Charles’s funeral.
Adrien felt cold.
“Crane killed my father?”
“We believe so.”
“Believe?”
Eleanor moved closer.
“Your father discovered Samuel had been siphoning money through Blackwood companies.”
“Forty-seven million.”
“Yes.”
“Why did Dad hide it?”
“Because Samuel had evidence of what Charles did to David Bennett.”
Maya looked away.
Thomas continued.
“He threatened to expose both families. Charles would lose Blackwood. David could be prosecuted using documents Samuel forged. Everyone was trapped.”
Adrien’s voice was quiet.
“And you disappeared because?”
“Samuel came after me,” Eleanor said. “After Charles died, I found proof that his heart attack had been induced.”
“How?”
“A drug.”
Marcus asked, “Digitalis?”
Eleanor nodded.
“Small dose over time. Hard to detect after burial.”
Adrien swallowed.
“He poisoned him.”
“Yes.”
The room fell silent.
Maya looked at Eleanor.
“Why involve me?”
“We didn’t.”
“Someone put that key in my apron.”
Thomas frowned.
“That wasn’t us.”
Adrien’s eyes sharpened.
“Then who?”
“No idea.”
Thomas walked toward the window.
“We wanted the archive to remain hidden until Samuel died or lost power.”
“But someone opened the trail.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Eleanor looked terrified.
“Because Samuel knows we’re alive.”
Adrien’s phone—Marcus’s spare—rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Samuel Crane’s voice came through.
“Adrien.”
Adrien looked at everyone.
“You have excellent timing.”
Samuel chuckled.
“So did your father.”
“You killed him.”
“Careful.”
“Is that a denial?”
“It is a reminder that grief creates reckless accusations.”
Adrien walked toward the window.
“What do you want?”
“Dinner.”
Adrien laughed once.
“Of course.”
“Tomorrow. My home.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been opening boxes that belong closed.”
Maya whispered, “Don’t.”
Samuel heard her.
“Is Maya there?”
Adrien’s face changed.
“How do you know her name?”
“Adrien, please. She paid your bill. Half the restaurant saw it.”
“That’s not how you know.”
Samuel paused.
“No.”
Maya went still.
Adrien asked, “Did you take my wallet?”
“No.”
“Phone?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Samuel’s tone changed.
“Now that is the interesting question.”
“You expect me to believe you’re not behind this?”
“I’m behind many things. Not that.”
“Why would someone want me to find Case Forty-Seven?”
Samuel breathed slowly.
“Because someone wants us to destroy each other.”
“Who?”
“Come tomorrow.”
The call ended.
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Adrien looked at him.
“We need information.”
“We have information.”
“We have allegations.”
“From your mother.”
“My mother vanished for two decades.”
Eleanor flinched.
Adrien immediately regretted it.
But the truth remained.
Thomas said, “Samuel will kill you.”
“Then why hasn’t he?”
No one answered.
The next evening Adrien went.
Not alone.
Marcus placed security teams throughout the neighborhood.
Maya insisted on coming despite Adrien’s objections.
“Your family destroyed mine,” she said. “Now someone is using my name in this. I’m not sitting in a hotel waiting.”
Samuel Crane’s mansion stood behind iron gates.
He received them in a dining room built for twenty.
Only four places were set.
Samuel looked seventy.
White hair.
Perfect posture.
Calm eyes.
He smiled at Maya.
“Ms. Bennett.”
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but apparently you already know me.”
Samuel smiled.
“Your father had your temper.”
Adrien’s voice hardened.
“Don’t.”
Samuel sat.
Dinner remained untouched.
Adrien wanted answers.
Samuel gave him one.
“Yes. I stole money from Blackwood.”
Maya stared.
Adrien said nothing.
Samuel continued.
“Yes, I used Charles’s betrayal of David Bennett to keep both men quiet.”
“Did you kill Charles?”
Samuel took a sip of water.
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expected Charles to expose me.”
“Why would he?”
“Because he grew a conscience.”
Maya laughed bitterly.
“Convenient.”
Samuel looked at her.
“Your father and Charles reconciled before Charles died.”
She froze.
“What?”
“David forgave him.”
“No.”
“He did.”
Samuel reached under the table.
Marcus shifted immediately.
Samuel slowly produced an envelope.
Inside was a letter.
David Bennett’s handwriting.
Maya recognized it.
Charles,
What you did cannot be undone.
But I will not let Samuel use my anger to destroy our children.
We end this together.
Maya’s eyes filled.
Samuel said, “Your fathers planned to expose me.”
Adrien asked, “Then one died and the other stayed silent.”
“Because someone killed Charles and threatened David.”
“You.”
Samuel shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Samuel leaned forward.
“Your mother.”
Adrien stood.
“Be careful.”
“I told you this meeting would hurt.”
“My mother spent twenty years hiding from you.”
“That’s what she told you.”
Samuel slid another document across the table.
A transfer.
Twenty-five million dollars.
The missing portion.
Transferred three days after Charles died.
Beneficiary:
Eleanor Blackwood.
Adrien stared.
“That can be forged.”
“Of course.”
“Was it?”
Samuel sat back.
“Ask her.”
Maya examined the paperwork.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying Case Forty-Seven was never one crime. It was three.”
Samuel raised one finger.
“I stole forty-seven million.”
A second.
“Charles discovered it.”
A third.
“And someone else stole twenty-five million from me after Charles died.”
Adrien’s voice was low.
“You think my mother killed him.”
“I think your mother knows who did.”
“Why contact us now?”
“I didn’t.”
“The messages?”
“Not mine.”
“The key?”
“No.”
“Photographs?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Samuel looked toward the doorway.
“I invited that person to dinner too.”
Adrien turned.
The door opened.
Eleanor entered.
She looked directly at Samuel.
“You always did enjoy theater.”
Adrien stared.
“Mom?”
She walked to the table.
Samuel smiled.
“Tell him.”
Eleanor’s hands trembled.
“There was another person working with Samuel.”
“Who?”
She looked at Maya.
Then at Adrien.
“Someone both your fathers trusted.”
Maya stood slowly.
“Thomas?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“No.”
She reached into her purse.
A photograph landed on the table.
Adrien stared.
It showed Charles Blackwood.
David Bennett.
Samuel Crane.
And Marcus Reed.
Twenty-four years old.
Standing together.
Adrien turned.
Marcus had gone pale.
May you like
Samuel whispered:
“Ask your best friend where your father really died.”
