Chapter 15 - THE EAST WALL
The old Mercer Textile Mill smelled of rust and rain.
Police entered first.
Abram waited beside Felix outside.
Felix looked toward the broken windows.
“We used to ride bikes here.”
Abram nodded.
“Dad hated that.”
“He thought we’d fall through the floor.”
Abram almost smiled.
Then Morgan appeared.
“We found the wall.”
The basement boiler room had partially flooded.
Behind a row of corroded pipes, investigators found a section of newer brick.
They removed it carefully.
Inside was a cavity.
The black metal safe sat inside.
Lake box.
Abram recognized it immediately.
Elias had kept it beneath the cabin desk when they were children.
Morgan wore gloves.
“Key?”
“No.”
Investigators opened it under warrant.
Inside were three envelopes.
A small handgun.
A stack of cash.
Two memory cards.
And an old video camera.
One envelope said FELIX.
One said ABRAM.
The third said DOREEN.
Abram stared at his mother’s name.
Morgan touched the camera.
“Battery is dead.”
They transported everything to the evidence lab.
Three hours later, the video was ready.
Abram.
Felix.
Margaret.
Samuel.
Morgan.
A prosecutor.
All watched together.
Celia joined through secure video from the hospital.
The footage began inside Lake Briar.
The camera had been hidden on a bookshelf.
Elias entered the frame.
Thin.
Pale.
But standing.
Doreen followed him.
She looked younger.
Still elegant.
Still controlled.
Elias placed papers on the table.
“You stole from Ruth.”
Doreen answered.
“I moved money.”
“You forged Margaret’s signature.”
“She was trying to take over.”
“You had her committed.”
“She needed help.”
“You paid Kessler.”
“He was useful.”
“You lied to our sons.”
“To protect them.”
Elias laughed.
Abram flinched.
His father sounded exhausted.
Doreen stepped closer.
“Do you think Abram could handle this?”
“Yes.”
“He can barely handle Celia.”
Abram leaned toward the screen.
Elias frowned.
“Leave her out of this.”
Doreen smiled.
“You like her.”
“She makes him happy.”
“She makes him independent.”
Elias stared at his wife.
“That is not a crime.”
“To you.”
Doreen picked up one of the papers.
“She has Evelyn’s eyes.”
Abram looked toward Celia’s image on the monitor.
Celia had gone completely still.
Elias answered.
“She is not her mother.”
Doreen’s face hardened.
“She will become her mother.”
“She already asks questions.”
Abram whispered.
“Dad knew.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
The video continued.
Elias stepped toward the camera.
“I am going to tell Abram everything.”
Doreen laughed.
“He will hate you.”
“He may.”
“He’ll know you helped me with Margaret.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll know you covered the transfers.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll know you let Felix believe the company saved him.”
“Yes.”
“He’ll know you lied for twenty years.”
Elias closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Doreen’s voice softened.
“Then why?”
Elias looked at her.
“Because I would rather lose my sons telling the truth than keep them by helping you lie.”
Abram looked away.
Felix began crying silently.
On screen, Doreen reached toward Elias.
“Sit down.”
“No.”
“You’re sick.”
“No.”
“You’re confused.”
“I’m clearer than I have been in months.”
“You stopped your medication.”
“I stopped drinking your tea.”
Doreen froze.
Elias continued.
“I had it tested.”
Abram’s heart pounded.
“What was in it?”
Felix whispered.
On screen, Doreen said nothing.
Elias answered his own question.
“Lorazepam.”
Dana’s voice came through the hospital speaker.
“That would explain some of the confusion.”
Elias continued.
“You made me think I was losing my mind.”
Doreen stepped forward.
“You were impossible.”
“So you drugged me.”
“I helped you rest.”
“Then you forged a power of attorney.”
“You were making reckless decisions.”
“I was refusing to obey you.”
Doreen slapped him.
Everyone watching froze.
Elias slowly turned back.
Doreen stared at her own hand.
Then Elias laughed.
“You finally did it where someone could see.”
Doreen looked around.
She did not know about the camera.
Elias stepped closer.
“I’m leaving.”
“No.”
“I’m going to Abram.”
“No.”
Doreen blocked him.
Elias moved around her.
She grabbed his arm.
He pushed her away.
Doreen picked up the fireplace poker.
Martin entered the frame.
“Doreen.”
Elias turned.
Doreen swung.
The poker struck Elias near the side of the head.
Celia gasped through the screen.
Felix stood so quickly his chair fell.
Elias collapsed.
Martin grabbed Doreen.
“What have you done?”
Doreen stared down.
Elias moved.
He was alive.
Martin knelt.
“Call an ambulance.”
Doreen grabbed his shoulder.
“No.”
“He’s bleeding.”
“No ambulance.”
“He needs help.”
Doreen looked toward the papers on the table.
“They’ll find everything.”
Martin stared at her.
“Doreen.”
“They’ll test him.”
“Doreen.”
“They’ll know about the medication.”
Martin stood.
“I don’t care.”
Doreen slapped him.
“You should.”
Then she said something the recording in the shed had never revealed.
“If I fall, you fall.”
Martin stopped.
Doreen pointed toward the papers.
“Margaret.”
“The transfers.”
“Kessler.”
“The false affidavits.”
“You signed all of it.”
Martin stared at Elias.
Elias groaned.
Doreen knelt beside her husband.
His eyes opened.
He looked toward the bookshelf.
Toward the hidden camera.
For one second, Abram felt as though his father was looking directly at him.
Elias whispered,
“Abram…”
Doreen stiffened.
Elias continued.
“Tell him…”
Martin bent closer.
Elias struggled.
“I was going to choose him.”
Abram covered his face.
The footage continued.
Doreen stood.
She walked toward the IV stand.
She filled a syringe.
Martin whispered,
“Don’t.”
Doreen looked at him.
“Then call the ambulance.”
Martin did not move.
Doreen waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Martin remained still.
Doreen injected the line.
Elias’s breathing slowed.
The room watching the video became completely silent.
Elias died on camera.
Doreen turned toward Martin.
“Now we protect the family.”
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Morgan stopped the playback.
Felix walked to the corner.
He pressed both hands against the wall.
Abram remained seated.
Celia’s image stayed on the monitor.
Tears ran down her face.
Margaret whispered,
“She killed him for the lie.”
Abram finally answered.
“No.”
Everyone looked toward him.
“She killed him because he stopped being afraid.”
The prosecutor closed the evidence folder.
“We have enough.”
Morgan nodded.
“For murder.”
“Yes.”
“For conspiracy.”
“Yes.”
“For Celia.”
“Yes.”
Abram looked at the three envelopes from the safe.
“What about those?”
Morgan examined them.
The envelopes had not been opened.
The prosecutor allowed copies after photographing everything.
Abram opened his.
Inside was one page.
Son,
If you see the video, then I am gone.
Do not spend the rest of your life fighting Doreen.
That is another way of letting her own you.
Protect your wife.
Protect your child.
Tell the truth.
Then go live.
Abram stared until the words blurred.
His father had finally given him the one instruction Doreen never could.
Go live.
Then Felix opened his envelope.
His face changed.
“What?”
Abram asked.
Felix shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Abram knew immediately.
“Felix.”
Felix folded the letter.
“Later.”
“Show me.”
Felix looked toward Morgan.
Then toward Abram.
Finally, he handed over the page.
Elias had written only four lines.
Felix,
Your debt did not destroy this family.
Your shame let Doreen control you.
Tell Abram what happened to the baby.
Abram looked up.
“What baby?”
Felix’s face collapsed.
Celia stared through the monitor.
Margaret closed her eyes.
Abram slowly stood.
“What baby, Felix?”
Felix whispered.
May you like
“Yours.”
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