Chapter 11 - The Black Box
Betsy did not go alone.
She was angry.
Not stupid.
She called Evelyn.
Then Cole.
Then Daniel.
But she told them one thing clearly.
“I’m walking in first.”
Cole objected.
Daniel objected.
Evelyn used language Betsy had never heard from a retired prosecutor.
Betsy went anyway.
The old cabin stood dark.
She carried Arthur’s letter.
Inside, Darwin sat tied to a chair.
Graham Pike held a gun.
“You came.”
“You kidnapped my fiancé.”
Darwin looked up.
“Fiancé?”
Betsy glared.
“Not now.”
Even bleeding, he smiled.
Graham demanded the letter.
Betsy held it up.
“Let him go.”
“First the letter.”
“No.”
Graham pointed the gun at Darwin.
Betsy remained still.
“You won’t shoot him yet.”
“Why?”
“Because then you lose leverage.”
Graham’s expression changed.
Darwin looked almost proud.
Betsy continued.
“You spent a year blaming everyone else. Arthur. Darwin. Me. But your brother took money. Silas ordered murders. You chose violence.”
“Arthur destroyed my family.”
“No. He wrote it down.”
That enraged Graham.
He stepped closer.
Exactly what Betsy wanted.
Darwin kicked the chair forward.
Betsy dropped.
Gunshot.
Cole’s men entered.
Graham ran through the rear door.
Daniel pursued.
Darwin struggled with the ropes.
Betsy cut him free.
“You came.”
“Of course.”
“You took off the ring.”
“I was mad.”
“Past tense?”
“Don’t push it.”
They followed the others outside.
Graham reached the frozen river.
Agents approached from the opposite bank.
Trapped.
He raised his gun.
Daniel shouted.
Graham fired.
Darwin pushed Betsy behind a tree.
Agents returned fire.
Graham fell.
Silence.
The final surviving attacker was taken away alive.
No dramatic death.
No revenge.
Just handcuffs.
Betsy preferred that.
Dead men became legends.
Living men answered questions.
Back at Oak Haven, Darwin sat in the rear booth.
Betsy cleaned the cut above his eye.
“I’m sorry.”
“For kidnapping me?”
“For the fire.”
She stopped.
Darwin looked at her.
“I should have told you immediately.”
“Yes.”
“I thought rebuilding it would fix what I did.”
“It fixed the building.”
“Not the lie.”
“No.”
He nodded.
“I don’t deserve another chance.”
Betsy sat opposite him.
“That isn’t your decision.”
He looked up.
She placed the ring between them.
Darwin did not touch it.
“I loved Arthur for twenty-six years.”
“I know.”
“I will love him until I die.”
“I know.”
“And somehow, annoyingly, I love you too.”
Darwin stared.
Betsy continued.
“That doesn’t erase what you did.”
“No.”
“It means if we do this, we do it honestly.”
“Yes.”
“No secret fires.”
“Reasonable.”
“No criminal empires.”
“I’m dismantling mine.”
“No guns at breakfast.”
“That remains difficult.”
“Darwin.”
“Yes.”
She pushed the ring toward him.
He picked it up.
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Good enough.”
He slipped it onto her finger again.
Then reached inside his jacket.
Another black box appeared.
Betsy stared.
“You cannot be serious.”
“This one is different.”
“You have a disturbing relationship with black boxes.”
Darwin opened it.
Inside was not jewelry.
It was a key.
“What does it open?”
Darwin looked nervous.
“A place.”
“What place?”
“One Arthur wanted you to have.”
Betsy frowned.
“Arthur?”
Darwin nodded.
“He left instructions.”
“Where?”
Darwin stood.
“Come with me.”
They drove into the mountains.
Snow began falling.
Eventually they reached a gated property.
Darwin handed her the key.
Betsy approached the front door.
She inserted it.
Before turning, she noticed words carved beneath the lock.
Arthur’s handwriting had been copied into the wood.
FOR BETSY, WHEN SHE’S READY TO LIVE AGAIN.
Her eyes filled.
She turned the key.
May you like
The door opened.
Someone was standing inside...
