Chapter 10 - RICHARD’S VERSION OF THE TRUTH
Richard surrendered his phone and the small handgun hidden beneath his coat.
Detective Ortiz placed him in restraints.
He agreed to lead them through the convent tunnel.
The passage descended beneath the chapel and emerged near the northern shoreline.
An empty boat trailer stood beside fresh tire tracks.
Celeste and Lydia had taken Sophie across the narrow channel toward Saint Agatha’s.
Richard claimed the original plan had never included Amelia’s death.
He and Celeste intended to gain control of Sophie’s trust through forged guardianship documents.
They expected Amelia to be discredited, not killed.
“Lydia weakened her with sedatives,” Richard said.
“The plan was to make everyone believe Amelia was unstable.”
“She discovered the transfers before we finished.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You knew she was being drugged.”
“I knew Lydia was giving her something.”
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
Richard’s voice became quieter.
“I told myself it was temporary.”
“What happened to the car?”
“Pike arranged it.”
“Celeste ordered Pike to make Amelia’s death look accidental.”
“Did you know before she drove away?”
Richard did not answer.
Ethan stepped closer.
Detective Ortiz moved between them.
Richard lowered his eyes.
“I knew the company sedan had been altered.”
“You let her enter it.”
“I believed Lydia would stop her.”
“You watched my wife drive toward her death.”
Richard’s silence became an admission.
He had not cut the brake line.
He had not driven the car.
He had simply allowed the plan to continue because Amelia threatened the life he had built.
Richard claimed Celeste had become increasingly dangerous after Amelia’s death.
She married Ethan because she needed direct access to the Whitmore accounts.
Richard remained in the background, pretending to support his grieving friend.
Once Celeste obtained emergency guardianship over Sophie, Pike would file documents declaring Ethan mentally incompetent.
Lydia would provide medical testimony.
Richard would transfer the trust to Blue Harbor Holdings.
They would leave the country.
“What happens to Sophie after the verification?” Ethan asked.
“Saint Agatha’s would keep her.”
“For how long?”
“Until she turned eighteen.”
“Without her real name?”
“Yes.”
“She would believe I abandoned her.”
Richard looked away.
“That was Celeste’s plan.”
“It was your plan too.”
Richard had turned against Celeste only after discovering she changed the offshore account passwords.
She intended to escape with Lydia and leave Richard to face the investigation.
He offered to help locate Sophie in exchange for protection.
Detective Ortiz made no promises.
Richard gave them a map of Saint Agatha’s underground service corridors.
Blackstone used a medical transport tunnel beneath the lakeside clinic.
Celeste planned to take Sophie through the tunnel to a private seaplane dock.
A pilot waited to fly them into Canada.
From there, forged documents would identify Sophie as Celeste’s biological daughter.
Ethan looked toward the distant institute.
“How much time do we have?”
“The plane leaves at eight.”
It was six forty-five.
Detective Ortiz contacted federal border agents.
The coast guard sealed the lake.
Richard looked at Amelia’s photograph in Ethan’s hand.
“There is something else.”
“Celeste was not searching for that photograph only because of the bank code.”
“What else is inside it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Amelia told Celeste the photograph contained proof of who created Blackstone.”
“Wasn’t it you?”
Richard shook his head.
“Blackstone existed before I met Celeste.”
“Who created it?”
May you like
Richard looked toward the convent.
“Ethan, your father did.”
