Chapter 8 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
Arthur positioned himself beside the staircase.
Daniel whispered, “Don’t be stupid.”
Arthur whispered back, “Helpful.”
Maya pulled Noah behind the steel cabinet.
Grant descended slowly.
He was older than Arthur expected.
Mid-fifties.
Tall.
Broad.
Gray at the temples.
He carried a pistol loosely by his leg.
No hurry.
No mask.
Grant reached the bottom.
Arthur stepped from behind the wall holding a metal pipe he had found beside the cabinet.
Grant raised the gun.
“Put it down.”
Arthur didn’t.
Grant smiled.
“You’re Samuel’s boy.”
Arthur’s chest tightened.
“You knew my father.”
“I knew everybody.”
“Did you kill him?”
Grant’s smile faded.
Daniel said, “Arthur, don’t.”
Grant glanced toward him.
“You’re still alive, Mercer. Impressive.”
“What happened to Samuel?”
Grant looked at Arthur again.
“Your father should have minded his own business.”
That was enough.
Arthur lunged.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the concrete wall.
Daniel tackled Grant from the side.
Arthur swung the pipe into Grant’s wrist.
The gun dropped.
Maya screamed.
Noah kicked it beneath the cabinet.
Grant punched Daniel and threw him backward.
Arthur drove him into the wall.
Grant was stronger.
Arthur was angrier.
They crashed into the cabinet.
Files spilled.
Grant reached for Arthur’s throat.
Then Maya appeared behind him holding a fire extinguisher.
She swung.
The metal cylinder struck Grant’s shoulder.
He turned.
Arthur hit him again.
Grant fell.
Daniel grabbed the gun.
“Don’t move.”
Grant laughed from the floor.
“You think you won?”
Daniel aimed.
“I think you’re about five minutes away from wishing you had stayed home.”
Arthur pulled out his phone.
No signal underground.
Maya said, “There’s a landline upstairs.”
Arthur looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Mom used it.”
Daniel zip-tied Grant’s wrists with plastic ties from the cabinet.
They moved upstairs.
Arthur called police.
Grant sat against the wall in the living room.
Blood ran from his lip.
He seemed strangely calm.
Too calm.
Arthur knelt in front of him.
“What happened to my father?”
Grant looked toward the lake.
“Samuel found things.”
“What things?”
“Same things Elena found.”
“Did Charles order his death?”
Grant smiled.
“You married the wrong woman.”
Arthur grabbed his shirt.
“Answer me.”
Grant leaned closer.
“Your wife knows more than you think.”
Arthur released him.
Victoria.
Always Victoria.
Maya brought Daniel one of the hard drives.
“What’s on these?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Hopefully everything.”
Grant laughed.
“You won’t open them.”
“Why?”
“Encrypted.”
“Password?”
Grant shrugged.
Noah, who had been unusually quiet, stared at him.
Then asked,
“Why did you leave us alive?”
Grant’s expression changed.
Maya grabbed Noah’s shoulder.
“What are you talking about?”
Noah looked at Grant.
“At the Briar Glen house.”
Grant said nothing.
Noah continued.
“You came into our room.”
Maya stared at her brother.
“When?”
“The night before we ran.”
“You never told me.”
“I thought you knew.”
Grant’s face hardened.
Noah said, “He stood by the bed and looked at us.”
Arthur moved toward Grant.
“What were you doing?”
Grant ignored him.
Noah whispered, “He told me to keep pretending I was asleep.”
Everyone went silent.
Maya looked confused.
“You helped us?”
Grant laughed softly.
“Don’t make me heroic.”
“Then why?”
Grant stared at the floor.
“Because I was tired.”
“Tired of what?” Arthur asked.
“Cleaning up Charles Vale’s mess.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You killed Elena.”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
“I forced her car off the road.”
Maya’s face twisted.
Grant looked at her.
“But I didn’t kill her.”
Victoria had said Elena survived.
Arthur remembered.
“Charles?”
Grant nodded.
“He finished it.”
Maya turned away.
Grant continued.
“I was supposed to handle Samuel too.”
Arthur froze.
“Supposed to?”
“I didn’t.”
Arthur grabbed him.
“Then who did?”
Grant looked directly at him.
“Victoria.”
Arthur stopped breathing.
“No.”
“She was twenty-four. Trying desperately to prove to Daddy she belonged in the family business.”
Arthur shook his head.
“You’re lying.”
“Ask her about the parking garage.”
Arthur’s father had been found in a parking garage.
Officially, he had been shot during a robbery.
Arthur felt sick.
“What did she do?”
Grant’s voice was cold.
“She followed Samuel.”
“Why?”
“Charles told her Samuel had stolen from him.”
Arthur’s fists clenched.
“What happened?”
“They argued.”
“Then?”
Grant looked toward the window.
“You should hear the rest from your wife.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Grant smiled.
“Assuming she lives long enough to tell you.”
Arthur stared.
“What does that mean?”
Grant nodded toward the road.
Arthur looked outside.
Police vehicles were approaching.
Grant whispered,
“Charles knows she betrayed him.”
Arthur’s phone rang.
Lieutenant Ruiz.
He answered.
Her voice was urgent.
“Arthur, where’s Victoria?”
“With your officers.”
“No. She isn’t.”
Arthur’s blood ran cold.
May you like
“What?”
“She disappeared from protective custody twenty minutes ago.”
