Chapter 18 - The Cliff
Warren ordered Evelyn to place the ledger on the road.
Vanessa moved away from him.
“You said we had a deal.”
“We did.”
Warren smiled.
“Until Charles Whitmore’s old partners decided you knew too much.”
Vanessa went pale.
Clara reached Evelyn.
Evelyn pulled her close.
Warren wanted the ledger.
Vanessa wanted escape.
Evelyn wanted Clara alive.
Three separate plans collided on the rain-soaked road.
Warren stepped closer.
“Put it down.”
Evelyn obeyed.
The ledger landed on the pavement.
Warren bent to pick it up.
Vanessa suddenly kicked it toward the guardrail.
Warren lunged.
Thomas’s vehicle appeared around the curve.
Police lights erupted in the distance.
Warren panicked.
He grabbed Vanessa.
She fought.
Clara screamed.
Evelyn pulled Clara behind the SUV.
The ledger slid beneath Warren’s car.
Warren shoved Vanessa away.
Then reached for the vehicle.
Vanessa screamed, “He’ll destroy everything!”
She threw herself against him.
Both stumbled against the guardrail.
The old metal groaned.
For one terrible second, Evelyn saw the past repeating itself.
She rushed forward.
Vanessa slipped.
Evelyn grabbed her wrist.
Vanessa dangled above the embankment.
Rain ran across both women’s faces.
Vanessa stared upward.
“Why are you helping me?”
Evelyn struggled to hold her.
“Because Clara is watching.”
Police reached them.
Two officers pulled Vanessa to safety.
Warren tried to run.
Thomas tackled him before he reached the woods.
Within minutes, the road filled with law enforcement.
Vanessa sat against the guardrail in handcuffs.
She stared at Evelyn.
“You should have let me fall.”
“No.”
“After everything I did?”
Evelyn looked toward Clara.
“My daughter has already seen enough people choose cruelty.”
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
For the first time, she had nothing to say.
Then she began laughing.
Softly.
Evelyn frowned.
“What?”
Vanessa looked toward the recovered ledger.
“You still think Warren was the top of it.”
Evelyn said nothing.
Vanessa leaned closer while an officer pulled her to her feet.
“Ask Daniel why he married you.”
Evelyn froze.
Vanessa smiled.
“Not why he married me.”
A pause.
May you like
“Why he married you.”
Then police took her away.
