Chapter 5 - THE PASSPORT
Nathan arrived at the police station shortly after two in the morning.
Jamie remained at the hospital with Nora and two uniformed officers.
Nathan had resisted leaving him.
Inspector Bennett finally convinced him that Adrian might know why Jamie’s passport had been in his luggage.
Nathan sat behind the observation glass.
His brother occupied the interrogation room on the other side.
Adrian looked furious.
He wore a charcoal sweater and expensive trousers.
A half-packed overnight bag rested on the evidence table.
Jamie’s passport lay beside it.
Nathan stared at the small blue booklet.
He remembered applying for it two years earlier.
It had been stored in the family safe.
Only three people knew the code.
Nathan.
Mrs. Harcourt.
And Amelia, before she died.
Adrian had never been given access.
Bennett entered the interrogation room.
Nathan listened through the speaker.
“Mr. Harcourt.”
Adrian leaned back.
“I’m waiting for my solicitor.”
“He is on his way.”
“Then we have nothing to discuss.”
Bennett placed Jamie’s passport on the table.
Adrian looked at it.
His expression flickered.
“Would you like to explain why your nephew’s passport was in your bag?”
“No.”
“You don’t know?”
“I said I’m waiting for my solicitor.”
“Were you planning to take Jamie out of the country?”
Adrian laughed.
“Of course not.”
“Then why did you have his passport?”
“I didn’t know I had it.”
Bennett stared at him.
“It was inside a zipped pocket beneath your clothing.”
“Someone put it there.”
“Who?”
“My mother.”
Nathan leaned forward.
Bennett remained expressionless.
“Why would she do that?”
“To make Nathan think I’m involved.”
“Are you involved?”
“No.”
“Yet you knew his medication had been altered.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“I suspected.”
“You knew his mother intended to make him sick tonight.”
“I knew she wanted him absent from Monday’s meeting.”
“That is not what you told your brother.”
Adrian looked toward the mirror.
He knew Nathan was probably behind it.
“Nathan.”
Bennett did not turn.
“He cannot answer you.”
Adrian continued looking at the glass.
“She is setting me up.”
Nathan’s hands curled into fists.
Bennett asked the obvious question.
“Why?”
“Because I told her I was finished.”
“With what?”
Adrian finally looked at Bennett.
“Cleaning up after her.”
Nathan felt sick.
Bennett sat opposite him.
“Start at the beginning.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“You would need thirty years.”
“We have time.”
“No, Inspector.”
Adrian’s eyes returned to the mirror.
“We don’t.”
Nathan frowned.
Adrian leaned forward.
“If Jamie is with Nora, move them.”
Nathan stood.
Bennett’s expression sharpened.
“Why?”
“Because my mother knows Nora has Amelia’s key.”
Nathan’s pulse raced.
“How do you know that?”
Adrian ignored the question.
“Move the boy.”
Bennett reached for her radio.
Nathan was already calling Nora.
She answered immediately.
“Nathan?”
“Where are you?”
“At the hospital.”
“Which room?”
“Private waiting room four.”
“Are the officers there?”
“Yes.”
“Stay with them.”
Nora lowered her voice.
“What happened?”
“Adrian says Mother knows about the key.”
Nora became silent.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
A sound interrupted her.
A knock.
Nathan heard it through the phone.
Nora turned.
“One second.”
“No.”
Nathan’s voice sharpened.
“Do not open anything.”
“It’s one of the nurses.”
“Let the officers handle it.”
He heard movement.
Then a man’s voice.
“Ma’am, we need to move you and the child.”
Nora spoke.
“Why?”
“Electrical issue on this floor.”
Nathan froze.
“Nora.”
She heard the tone.
“What?”
“Do not move.”
The officer’s voice came closer.
“Mr. Harcourt?”
Nathan recognized neither voice.
“Put the officer on.”
There was rustling.
“Sir?”
Nathan’s blood turned cold.
“You’re not one of Bennett’s officers.”
Silence.
The call disconnected.
Nathan spun toward the interrogation room door.
“BENNETT!”
She heard him through the observation system.
Bennett rushed out.
Nathan held up his phone.
“Someone is in the hospital.”
They ran.
Bennett called dispatch while moving.
“Units to St. Anne’s Hospital, fourth floor, immediately.”
Nathan barely heard the rest.
His mind filled with one image.
Jamie.
He reached the hospital nine minutes later.
Police cars blocked the entrance.
Nathan ran through the lobby.
An officer tried to stop him.
“My son is upstairs.”
“Sir—”
Nathan shoved past.
The fourth-floor corridor was chaos.
Nurses stood near the station.
One of Bennett’s assigned officers sat against the wall holding a bloodied forehead.
Nathan’s stomach dropped.
“Where is Jamie?”
Nora appeared at the far end.
“Nathan!”
He ran to her.
“Jamie?”
“He’s safe.”
Nathan almost collapsed.
“Where?”
“In a treatment room with an officer.”
He grabbed Nora’s shoulders.
“What happened?”
“A man in a police uniform tried to move us.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“The real officers challenged him.”
Nathan glanced toward the injured policeman.
“He ran.”
“Did he touch Jamie?”
“No.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Thank God.”
Nora’s face remained pale.
“He knew his name.”
Nathan looked at her.
“He called him Jamie?”
“Yes.”
“He said, ‘Come on, Jamie, your father sent me.’”
Nathan’s stomach turned.
“Did Jamie react?”
“He hid behind me.”
Nora swallowed.
“Then he said something strange.”
“What?”
“He looked at the man and said, ‘You were at Grandma’s door.’”
Nathan stared.
“Which door?”
“The blue room.”
Nathan felt ice spread through him.
Jamie had seen the man before.
Inspector Bennett arrived.
Nathan repeated what Nora said.
Bennett immediately ordered officers to retrieve security footage.
Nathan walked into the treatment room.
Jamie sat on a hospital bed holding Mr. Buttons.
His eyes lit up when he saw his father.
Nathan pulled him into his arms.
“Daddy.”
“I’m here.”
“The policeman was fake.”
“I know.”
Jamie looked proud.
“I remembered his shoes.”
Nathan pulled back.
“What shoes?”
“The man at Grandma’s blue room had shiny shoes.”
Nathan frowned.
“The fake officer?”
Jamie nodded.
“He had them before.”
“When?”
Jamie thought carefully.
“The day Mommy’s picture fell.”
Nathan’s heart skipped.
“What picture?”
“The big one.”
Nora entered quietly.
Nathan asked again.
“What big picture?”
Jamie pointed vaguely.
“Grandma got mad.”
“When?”
“A long time ago.”
Five-year-old time was imprecise.
Nathan forced himself to stay patient.
“What happened?”
“Grandma and Uncle Adrian were talking.”
Nathan’s pulse quickened.
“You saw them?”
Jamie nodded.
“And the man?”
“He was there.”
“What did they say?”
Jamie frowned.
“I don’t know.”
Nathan took his hand.
“Anything you remember.”
Jamie stared at Mr. Buttons.
“Grandma said Mommy should have stayed quiet.”
Nathan stopped breathing.
Nora closed her eyes.
Jamie continued.
“Then Uncle Adrian said, ‘You promised nobody would get hurt.’”
Nathan felt nausea rise.
“And the other man?”
Jamie looked toward the door.
“He said cameras don’t remember after you erase them.”
Nathan and Nora looked at each other.
Security.
The man knew cameras.
Nathan immediately thought of Graham.
But Jamie knew Graham.
“Was it Mr. Graham?”
Jamie shook his head.
Nathan’s confusion deepened.
“Do you know the man’s name?”
Jamie thought.
“Grandma called him Simon.”
Nathan went still.
Nora’s face changed.
“Simon?”
Nathan barely heard her.
Simon Kessler was the Harcourt family solicitor.
He had handled Nathan’s father’s estate.
He had drafted Nathan and Amelia’s wills.
He had managed the family trusts.
He had been at their wedding.
He had held Jamie during his christening.
And he knew every legal detail of Nathan’s inheritance.
Bennett entered as Nathan was calling him.
The number went directly to voicemail.
Nathan looked at her.
“Simon Kessler.”
Bennett immediately wrote the name down.
“Family solicitor?”
“Yes.”
“He is also company counsel.”
“Where does he live?”
“Chelsea.”
Bennett called her team.
Nathan stared at Jamie.
The conspiracy now involved his mother.
Dr. Vale.
Possibly Adrian.
And the man who controlled the family’s legal documents.
A sickening pattern appeared.
Doctor.
Lawyer.
Security access.
Family authority.
All the people Nathan had trusted to manage the parts of his life he considered routine.
A police technician entered.
“Inspector.”
Bennett turned.
“We have the hospital cameras.”
“Did you identify the man?”
“Not yet.”
The technician held up a tablet.
“But we have this.”
The video showed the fake officer entering through a side stairwell.
He wore a cap low over his forehead.
He knew exactly where the cameras were.
He avoided two.
At the third, his face became visible for less than a second.
Nathan leaned closer.
He had seen the man.
Not often.
But enough.
“That isn’t Simon.”
Bennett looked at him.
“Who is it?”
Nathan struggled to remember.
Then it came back.
“He works for Simon.”
“Name?”
“Peter Lang.”
“What does he do?”
“Private investigations.”
Bennett frowned.
“Your family solicitor employs a private investigator?”
“Apparently.”
Jamie pointed at the screen.
“That’s him.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
Bennett called officers to locate Peter Lang.
Then Nathan’s phone rang.
Simon Kessler.
Everyone froze.
Bennett nodded for Nathan to answer.
He placed the call on speaker.
“Simon.”
“Nathan.”
Simon sounded calm.
“I understand there has been some unpleasantness.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“My mother tried to put something in my food.”
“I heard.”
“My son’s passport was found in Adrian’s bag.”
“I heard that as well.”
“A man who works for you just tried to take Jamie from a hospital.”
Silence.
Simon’s voice changed.
“Who told you that?”
Nathan looked at Bennett.
“Jamie recognized him.”
Another silence.
“I think we should meet.”
Nathan’s grip tightened around the phone.
“So do I.”
“Not with police.”
Bennett shook her head.
Nathan ignored her.
“Why not?”
“Because your family situation is more complicated than you currently understand.”
Nathan stared ahead.
“Explain it.”
“Not over a telephone.”
“Then tell me where my mother is.”
Simon sighed.
“I can’t.”
“You mean you won’t.”
“No.”
“I mean I do not know.”
Nathan heard something in the background.
A chime.
Then an announcement.
Muffled.
Bennett leaned toward the speaker.
Simon was not at home.
He was somewhere public.
Nathan listened.
Another announcement.
The words were faint.
Platform twelve.
Nathan looked at Bennett.
Train station.
Simon spoke again.
“Nathan, listen carefully.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do not believe Adrian.”
“Why?”
“Because your brother has spent twenty years waiting for you to fail.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“And Mother?”
“Your mother is frightened.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing everything.”
“What exactly is everything?”
Simon paused.
Then he said a sentence that shifted the entire case.
“Your father’s will was never the document you were shown.”
Nathan stared.
“What?”
“There were two wills.”
Bennett leaned closer.
Simon continued.
“The one you know transferred controlling interest to you.”
Nathan could barely speak.
“And the other?”
“The other left control to a family trust.”
“Who controlled the trust?”
Simon did not answer.
Nathan already knew.
“My mother.”
“Yes.”
Nathan felt dizzy.
“Why was I shown the first will?”
“Because your father changed his mind.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
“When?”
“When you understand what happened the week before he died.”
Nathan’s skin went cold.
His father had died of a heart attack eleven years earlier.
Dr. Vale had signed the death certificate.
Simon had administered the estate.
Mrs. Harcourt had handled the funeral.
The same three people.
Nathan looked at Bennett.
She understood too.
“Simon.”
“Yes?”
“Did my father die naturally?”
A long silence followed.
Then Simon whispered.
“That is the wrong question.”
“What is the right one?”
“Ask why your mother needed everyone to believe he did.”
The line went dead.
Bennett immediately ordered the call traced.
Nathan stared at the phone.
Seconds later, an officer approached.
“Inspector.”
“What?”
“We traced it.”
“Where?”
“St. Pancras.”
Bennett swore.
“Get British Transport Police.”
The officer nodded.
Then his radio crackled.
He listened.
His expression changed.
“Inspector?”
Bennett turned.
“What now?”
“Chelsea unit reached Kessler’s residence.”
“And?”
“The front door was open.”
Nathan’s heart sank.
“Was anyone there?”
The officer looked toward him.
“One person.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Jonathan Vale.”
Nathan stared.
“Alive?”
The officer nodded.
“But he was tied to a chair.”
Nathan’s breath caught.
The officer continued.
“And there was a message written on the wall.”
Bennett’s eyes narrowed.
“What message?”
The officer read from his radio.
Nathan felt the world tilt beneath him.
It said:
May you like
NATHAN WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO INHERIT ANYTHING.
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