Chapter 6 β Blood on the Cufflinks
Daniel drove to the hospital faster than he had ever driven in his life.
The letter from Monica lay on the passenger seat beside him, its single sentence replaying in his mind.
Ask who benefits if her daughter never inherits.
His father.
William Carter.
The answer was so obvious now that Daniel hated himself for never seeing it.
When he reached Evelyn's room, he found two uniformed police officers already taking her statement.
Detective Sarah Brooks, a veteran investigator with twenty years on the force, stood quietly beside the bed, taking notes.
She looked up as Daniel entered.
"Mr. Carter."
Daniel nodded.
"Evelyn."
She looked exhausted but determined.
"I need to show you something."
He handed her Monica's letter.
She read it silently before looking back at him.
"I think your father visited me for a reason."
"You called the police?"
"I had to."
She told everyone in the room about William's visit.
How he had asked about the recorder before anyone else should have known it existed.
How he had shown almost no concern for her injuries.
How she had noticed the fresh scratches on the back of his hand.
Detective Brooks stopped writing.
"Scratches?"
Evelyn held up her own right hand.
"My nails broke when I grabbed whoever pushed me."
The detective exchanged a glance with her partner.
"Do you still have those broken nails?"
A nurse stepped forward.
"They were collected during surgery because of the blood underneath."
Brooks' eyes widened.
"They were preserved?"
"Standard procedure."
The detective immediately turned to her partner.
"Get them to the crime lab."
"If the blood isn't Mrs. Carter's..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
She didn't have to.
Across town, William Carter sat alone in the executive boardroom of Carter Industries.
The meeting had already ended.
The city skyline reflected in the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him.
He calmly poured himself another glass of whiskey.
His phone buzzed once.
MONICA HAS BEEN DETAINED.
He stared at the message.
Then calmly deleted it.
No panic.
No anger.
Only disappointment.
He pressed another contact.
Victor Hale answered immediately.
"Sir?"
"It's time."
Victor hesitated.
"Already?"
"We're out of time."
"And Monica?"
William looked toward the dark skyline.
"She's survived longer than expected."
"So...?"
William's voice became ice.
"Loose ends don't stay loose."
Victor understood immediately.
"I'll handle it."
The call ended.
Back at the hospital, Detective Brooks received an urgent call.
She answered.
Her expression changed instantly.
"What?"
Daniel stood.
"What happened?"
Brooks lowered the phone slowly.
"The patrol officers transporting Monica..."
She swallowed.
"...never made it to the station."
The room went silent.
"Car accident?" Daniel asked.
The detective shook her head.
"No."
She looked him directly in the eyes.
"Someone opened fire on the transport vehicle."
Evelyn felt her heart stop.
"Monica?"
Brooks took a deep breath.
"The driver is dead."
"The second officer is in surgery."
"And Monica..."
She paused.
"...is gone."
"Escaped?" Daniel asked.
"We don't know."
The detective's voice was grim.
"Whoever attacked that vehicle wasn't trying to rescue witnesses."
"They were trying to erase one."
Thirty minutes later, crime lab technician Lisa Moreno rushed into the hospital carrying a sealed evidence envelope.
She looked directly at Detective Brooks.
"We rushed the DNA comparison."
Brooks stood.
"And?"
Lisa opened the file.
"The blood under Mrs. Carter's fingernails..."
She looked toward Daniel.
"...belongs to a close biological relative."
Daniel frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"There are too many shared genetic markers."
She turned the page.
"We compared it with samples already on file from the Carter family charity DNA registry."
Silence filled the room.
Lisa looked at Daniel with disbelief.
"The blood under Evelyn's fingernails..."
"...belongs to William Carter."
No one spoke.
Evelyn slowly closed her eyes.
She hadn't imagined it.
The man she had clawed while falling...
Had been standing behind her on that staircase.
Not watching.
Not arriving afterward.
But present...
The very moment she was pushed.
Outside the hospital, unnoticed by everyone inside, a black sedan idled across the street.
Behind the tinted rear window sat William Carter.
He lowered a pair of binoculars.
Then spoke quietly to the driver.
"They know."
The driver nodded.
"What now?"
William's expression never changed.
"Now..."
May you like
He watched the lights glowing in Evelyn's hospital room.
"...we finish what should have happened on those stairs."
