Chapter 9: The Night Thomas Whitmore Died
Beth had been twenty-six when Thomas Whitmore died.
She was working late at the mansion because Evelyn was hosting a private dinner.
Daniel Cross attended.
So did Dr. Hale.
Beth remembered hearing an argument inside the study.
Thomas accused Evelyn and Daniel of stealing from the trust.
He threatened to contact federal investigators the next morning.
Shortly after dinner, Thomas became ill.
He collapsed beside the fireplace.
Beth called for an ambulance.
Evelyn took the phone from her and ended the call before it connected.
“She said Dr. Hale was already coming,” Beth explained.
“Why didn’t you call again?”
“Mr. Cross locked the doors.”
Ryan struggled to remain still.
“What happened to my father?”
“Your mother sent the staff away. I hid in the service pantry.”
Through a narrow opening, Beth saw Thomas lying on the study floor.
He was conscious.
He begged Evelyn to call for help.
Instead, Daniel removed papers from the desk while Evelyn stood over her husband.
“She told him Ryan wasn’t ready,” Beth said. “She said the company would collapse if he exposed everything.”
Thomas tried to reach the phone.
Evelyn kicked it away.
By the time Dr. Hale arrived, Thomas was no longer moving.
“Hale knew?”
“He knew the timeline was false. I don’t know whether he knew everything.”
Beth left the mansion the next morning.
Evelyn paid her to remain silent.
Years later, Beth tried to contact Ryan.
Daniel discovered the message before it reached him.
He threatened to accuse her of theft and destroy her family.
“Why come back now?” Ryan asked.
“Because your mother used my name in those custody papers. She was preparing to make me a witness without my consent.”
Beth removed a small envelope from her coat.
Inside was a brass key.
“Your father gave me this before dinner. He said that if anything happened, I should give it to you.”
The key belonged to a private vault in an old Whitmore bank building.
Before Ryan could ask another question, glass shattered above them.
A shot struck the concrete pillar beside Beth.
Ortiz shouted through Ryan’s hidden earpiece.
“Get down!”
Another shot came from the opposite building.
Ryan pulled Beth behind a wall.
Police rushed toward the sniper’s position.
A dark figure fled across the roof.
Officers pursued him but lost him near the river.
They found a rifle, gloves, and a discarded phone.
One number had been called repeatedly.
Evelyn’s private attorney line.
But Evelyn was already in custody.
Someone outside jail was still following her instructions.
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Ryan stared at the key in his hand.
Whatever his father had hidden in the vault was important enough to kill for.
