Chapter 8 - THE COP WHO BURIED THE CASE
Lieutenant Pierce closed the hidden door behind him.
Ethan raised both hands.
Richard did the same.
Sophia stared at the pistol.
Pierce looked older than Richard remembered.
His hair had gone white.
But the calm arrogance in his face had not changed.
“You.”
Richard whispered.
Pierce smiled.
“You always did take too long to understand things.”
Richard’s eyes filled with rage.
“You investigated Thomas’s disappearance.”
“I did.”
“You told me there was no evidence of foul play.”
“There wasn’t.”
“You destroyed it.”
Pierce shrugged.
“That is a different statement.”
Ethan looked toward his father.
Richard continued staring at Pierce.
“The blood in the cabin.”
“Animal blood.”
“You told me the test was inconclusive.”
“It was very conclusive.”
Pierce smiled.
“I simply never showed you the report.”
Richard stepped forward.
Pierce raised the gun.
“Careful.”
Ethan moved between them.
“Dad.”
Pierce looked amused.
“The loyal son.”
His gaze moved toward Richard’s cheek.
“Although perhaps not that loyal.”
Ethan’s face tightened.
Pierce laughed.
“Mason told me about the hallway performance.”
He looked toward Sophia.
“Creative.”
Sophia glared.
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“You knew the camera was working?”
Pierce shrugged.
“I suspected.”
Sophia stared at him.
“You let me do it.”
“Mason wanted Richard distracted.”
“You could have warned me.”
Pierce laughed.
“You were never important enough to warn.”
Sophia looked as though she had been slapped.
Ethan noticed.
Richard did too.
Mason had used her exactly as Richard suspected.
Pierce motioned with the pistol.
“Phones.”
Nobody moved.
“Now.”
Ethan placed his phone on the table.
Richard followed.
Sophia hesitated.
Pierce pointed the weapon toward her.
She dropped hers.
Pierce picked them up.
“Good.”
Richard asked.
“What does Mason want with Thomas?”
“The same thing everyone wants.”
“The money?”
Pierce smiled.
“Forty-eight million dollars becomes a much larger number after fifteen years.”
Richard stared.
“How much?”
Pierce looked pleased.
“One hundred and thirty-seven million.”
Sophia stopped breathing.
Ethan slowly turned toward her.
She looked genuinely shocked.
“You didn’t know?”
Pierce asked.
Sophia said nothing.
He laughed.
“Mason told you forty-eight?”
Her face hardened.
Pierce continued.
“He always was good at choosing desperate people.”
Richard looked toward Sophia.
Her betrayal seemed to deepen by the minute.
Pierce gestured toward the door.
“Move.”
“Where?”
“Mason wants a family reunion.”
They left the utility room.
Pierce forced them toward the boathouse.
Rain hammered the roof.
The lake was black.
Thomas stood beside Lily.
Mason waited near the doorway.
When Richard entered, Thomas looked at him.
Fourteen years vanished.
Richard saw the younger brother-in-law he remembered.
The man who had laughed too loudly at Christmas.
The man who borrowed cars without asking.
The man who held Margaret’s hand during chemotherapy.
Then Richard saw what time had done.
“You’re alive.”
Thomas smiled sadly.
“Disappointed?”
Richard crossed the space between them.
Mason raised his hand.
Pierce pointed the gun.
Richard stopped.
“I mourned you.”
Thomas’s expression changed.
“For how long?”
“Fourteen years.”
“Not long enough.”
Richard stared.
“What happened to you?”
Thomas looked toward Mason.
“He happened.”
Mason smiled.
Thomas continued.
“And so did your wife.”
Richard frowned.
“Margaret saved you.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you blaming her?”
“I am not.”
Thomas’s voice became tired.
“I’m blaming you for never listening to her.”
Richard stared.
Thomas looked toward Ethan.
“You must be Ethan.”
Ethan nodded.
Thomas studied him.
“You look like your mother.”
Ethan’s throat tightened.
“I thought you were dead.”
“So did most people.”
“Why didn’t you come home?”
Thomas looked at Mason.
“Because every time I tried, someone found me.”
Pierce smiled.
Thomas continued.
“Argentina.”
“Chile.”
“Spain.”
“Twice in Canada.”
“I learned eventually.”
“Stop using my name.”
“Stop contacting family.”
“Stop trusting police.”
Richard looked at Pierce.
Thomas noticed.
“Yes.”
“Our friend Harold here was very effective.”
Pierce shrugged.
“It was profitable.”
Lily stood.
“Can I go now?”
Mason looked at her.
“No.”
Richard’s eyes hardened.
“She has nothing to do with this.”
Mason smiled.
“She is insurance.”
“Against what?”
“Your temper.”
Richard almost lunged.
Ethan stopped him.
Mason laughed.
“Very good, Ethan.”
He looked toward Sophia.
“You trained him better than expected.”
Sophia’s face became furious.
“I did what you asked.”
Mason’s smile disappeared.
“You failed.”
“You told me the camera system was disabled.”
“I said the remote system was disabled.”
“You knew there was backup storage?”
“Yes.”
Sophia stared.
“You wanted me exposed.”
Mason shrugged.
“I wanted Richard’s attention divided.”
“You used me.”
Mason laughed softly.
“What did you think this was?”
Sophia’s eyes filled with disbelief.
“Victor trusted you.”
“Victor was a fool.”
Sophia went still.
Richard watched her face.
Mason continued.
“Your father was brilliant with people.”
“Terrible with greed.”
Sophia whispered.
“He trusted you.”
“He needed me.”
“You told me Richard framed him.”
Mason smiled.
“Richard helped send him to prison.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“No.”
Mason looked toward Richard.
“But it was useful.”
Sophia stared.
Something inside her was collapsing.
Ethan saw it.
Mason turned toward Thomas.
“The bank.”
Thomas said nothing.
Mason held out his hand.
“Key.”
Thomas smiled.
“You still need the location.”
Mason nodded toward Pierce.
Pierce grabbed Lily.
Natalie’s daughter cried out.
Richard stepped forward.
“Don’t touch her!”
Pierce pressed the pistol against the side of Lily’s chair.
Thomas’s smile disappeared.
Mason spoke quietly.
“Bank.”
Thomas looked at Richard.
Richard saw terror in his face.
Not for himself.
For Lily.
Thomas finally answered.
“First Commonwealth Private Bank.”
Mason frowned.
“That bank closed twelve years ago.”
“The private vault didn’t.”
“Where?”
“New York.”
“Address.”
Thomas provided it.
Mason looked toward Pierce.
Pierce nodded.
Apparently he knew the place.
Mason smiled.
“Key.”
Thomas handed it over.
Mason studied the silver key.
Then he looked toward Sophia.
“Come here.”
Sophia did not move.
“I said come here.”
She stepped forward.
Mason handed her the key.
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Why?”
“Because if the police stop anyone tonight, they search Richard first.”
Sophia stared at the key.
Mason continued.
“You wanted your father’s name cleared.”
“This is your chance.”
Sophia looked at him.
“You said the box contains evidence.”
“It does.”
“Evidence that Victor didn’t steal the forty-eight million?”
“Yes.”
“Then why hide it?”
Mason smiled.
“Because it also proves who did.”
Everyone stared.
Richard’s voice became cold.
“You.”
Mason’s smile widened.
Thomas spoke.
“He thinks so.”
Mason turned.
Thomas smiled.
“But he still doesn’t know what Margaret put in that box.”
For the first time, Mason looked uncertain.
Richard noticed.
“What did she put there?”
Thomas looked at him.
“Something she never told me.”
Mason grabbed his coat.
“Then we’re going to find out.”
Ethan looked toward Lily.
“What about her?”
Mason nodded toward Pierce.
“She stays.”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
Mason looked amused.
“Not your decision.”
Richard stepped forward.
“It becomes my decision if you expect me to go anywhere.”
Mason studied him.
“You think you’re negotiating?”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
Richard pointed toward his own head.
“You need access to the Whitmore corporate records.”
Mason stopped smiling.
Richard continued.
“The numbered account may have been routed through one of my dormant companies.”
“You said you didn’t know.”
“I don’t know which one.”
“Thomas does.”
Thomas laughed.
“No.”
Mason looked at him.
Thomas pointed toward Richard.
“Margaret handled that part.”
Mason’s eyes narrowed.
Richard understood.
Margaret had apparently used a Whitmore entity to conceal the account.
Only Richard could identify it.
Mason looked toward Lily.
Then Richard.
“Fine.”
He nodded.
“Lily comes.”
Richard exhaled.
Mason added.
“But Pierce rides beside her.”
Richard’s jaw tightened.
They left the boathouse.
Rain continued falling.
Two vehicles waited outside.
Richard looked toward the distant road.
The police units that had followed them were nowhere visible.
Pierce noticed his glance.
“They were diverted.”
Richard looked at him.
“How?”
Pierce smiled.
“Radio call.”
“A reported shooting six miles east.”
Ethan stared.
“There was no shooting.”
Pierce shrugged.
“There may be one later.”
They were loaded into the vehicles.
Richard sat beside Thomas.
For the first time in fourteen years, they were alone enough to whisper.
Thomas stared ahead.
Richard leaned closer.
“Is Margaret’s letter true?”
Thomas did not answer.
“Did Mason steal the money?”
Thomas kept staring forward.
Richard repeated.
“Thomas.”
Thomas finally whispered.
“Mason started the transfer.”
Richard frowned.
“Started?”
Thomas looked at him.
“He never finished it.”
Richard’s pulse quickened.
“Who did?”
Thomas looked toward Ethan in the front seat.
Then back at Richard.
“Margaret.”
Richard’s breath stopped.
Thomas continued.
“She realized Mason was stealing the money.”
“So she moved it?”
“Yes.”
“To protect it?”
Thomas gave him a strange look.
“At first.”
Richard felt cold.
“What does that mean?”
Thomas leaned closer.
“Your wife had a plan.”
“What plan?”
“To return every dollar to the victims Mason and Victor had robbed.”
Richard stared.
“Then why didn’t she?”
Thomas looked out the rain-covered window.
“Because she discovered where part of the money came from.”
Richard waited.
Thomas whispered.
“Whitmore Holdings.”
Richard felt the world tilt.
“No.”
Thomas nodded.
“Your company was one of the sources.”
“That’s impossible.”
“You didn’t know.”
Richard stared at him.
Thomas continued.
“Someone inside Whitmore Holdings had been feeding Mason client money for years.”
Richard could barely speak.
“Who?”
Thomas looked toward Ethan again.
Then he said something Richard had never expected.
“Your brother.”
Richard froze.
Martin.
His own younger brother.
The man currently sitting inside Richard’s mansion with Natalie.
Richard grabbed his phone instinctively.
It was gone.
Pierce had taken it.
Richard looked toward the road.
Martin was alone with Natalie.
Thomas saw his terror.
“There’s more.”
Richard stared.
“What?”
Thomas swallowed.
“Mason never worked alone.”
Richard’s voice was barely audible.
“Pierce?”
Thomas shook his head.
“Pierce was muscle.”
“Then who?”
Thomas looked toward the front windshield.
“The person who designed the entire scheme was someone Richard Whitmore would never suspect.”
Richard’s heart hammered.
“Who?”
Thomas opened his mouth.
Before he could answer, the SUV exploded into violent movement.
A truck slammed into them from the side.
Glass shattered.
Lily screamed in the second vehicle.
The SUV spun across the wet road.
Richard struck the door.
Ethan shouted.
Sophia screamed.
The vehicle crashed into the guardrail.
Airbags erupted.
For several seconds there was only ringing silence.
Richard lifted his head.
Thomas was bleeding from his forehead.
Mason was unconscious.
The driver was slumped over the wheel.
Richard looked through the broken window.
A figure stepped from the truck.
The man approached slowly.
Richard recognized him.
Martin Whitmore.
His brother raised a gun.
May you like
Then he looked directly at Richard.
“I told Mason years ago that leaving Thomas alive was a mistake.”
