Chapter 13 - Arthur Crane
Camille could not move.
Arthur descended the narrow gallery stairs slowly.
Every officer surrounding the chapel waited for Brooks’s command.
She gave none.
Naomi watched father and daughter stare at each other.
Fifteen years.
Grief.
Rage.
Abandonment.
All inside one silence.
Camille whispered.
“You’re alive.”
Arthur nodded.
She slapped him.
Hard.
He did not react.
Then she hit his chest with both fists.
“You’re alive!”
Arthur caught her wrists.
“I’m sorry.”
Camille broke.
She collapsed against him.
Naomi looked away for a moment.
Some reunions were too private even in a crime scene.
Then Camille shoved him backward.
“You left us.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice.”
“They would have killed you.”
“Who?”
“Theodore.”
“Marcus?”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“Both.”
Camille wiped her face.
“Celeste thinks Evelyn did it.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you tell her?”
“I tried.”
“No.”
“You contacted me.”
“Not her.”
Arthur looked ashamed.
“Celeste was already close to Marcus.”
“You thought I wasn’t?”
“I thought you might still listen.”
Camille laughed bitterly.
“Wrong daughter?”
Arthur flinched.
Naomi stepped in.
“Rachel is running out of time.”
Arthur looked at her.
“You’re Naomi.”
She nodded.
“Evelyn told me about you.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
Naomi frowned.
Arthur continued.
“She sent letters twice a year through an intermediary.”
“You were in contact.”
“Not direct.”
“Did she know where you were?”
“No.”
“Did you know what was happening here?”
“Not until three months ago.”
“How?”
“Marcus searched for me.”
Naomi understood.
The old case was waking.
“Why now?”
Arthur looked toward Camille.
“Because Evelyn found the Larkspur ledger.”
“Marcus knew she was close.”
“Yes.”
“So he needed you dead.”
“Or discredited.”
Naomi looked at Arthur.
“Celeste wants Evelyn to tell her where you are.”
“I know.”
“Then we use you.”
Camille turned.
“No.”
Arthur answered.
“Yes.”
“No.”
He looked at his daughter.
“Your sister is holding an innocent woman hostage because of me.”
“She’s holding her because of them.”
“Celeste chose what she did.”
Camille’s eyes filled.
Arthur’s expression was devastated.
“But she chose with lies in her ears.”
Naomi understood exactly what he meant.
Responsibility and manipulation could coexist.
Brooks entered from the side door.
“We have movement.”
Naomi turned.
“Where?”
“Rachel’s photograph.”
“Our image team identified mold patterns on the wall.”
“That sounds impossible.”
“It’s not.”
Brooks handed her a tablet.
“The pipes match a decommissioned water treatment facility owned by Vale Meridian.”
Adrian arrived behind her.
“Where?”
“Bridgeport.”
His face hardened.
“We sold that property.”
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“To whom?”
Adrian thought.
Then went pale.
“Larkspur.”
Naomi almost laughed from frustration.
The shell company had bought the perfect holding site.
Brooks issued orders.
Arthur stopped her.
“If Celeste sees police, she’ll panic.”
Brooks stared.
“She already tried to murder someone.”
“Yes.”
“That’s why I’m warning you.”
Arthur looked toward the chapel window.
“My daughter has spent fifteen years believing everyone betrayed her.”
“If she feels trapped, she won’t surrender.”
“What will she do?”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“Burn everything.”
Naomi remembered the blue room fire.
Not Marcus perhaps.
Camille spoke.
“The fire.”
Everyone turned.
“I set it.”
Naomi stared.
“You?”
Camille nodded.
“Marcus told me to destroy the ledger.”
“You locked us inside.”
“I didn’t know you were in there.”
Naomi’s anger flashed.
“You bolted the door.”
“I saw shadows.”
“You knew someone was inside.”
“I thought it was security.”
Naomi stepped toward her.
“You were willing to burn whoever it was.”
Camille looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Arthur looked devastated.
Camille whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Naomi stared.
“Save it.”
She turned toward Brooks.
“Rachel first.”
Brooks nodded.
They drove toward Bridgeport.
Arthur came.
Adrian came.
Camille was taken into custody but agreed to cooperate.
Evelyn remained protected at the hospital.
At the water treatment facility, tactical officers surrounded three buildings.
Thermal imaging detected two people inside the central pump station.
Only two.
Celeste.
Rachel.
No Voss.
No Marcus.
Naomi listened through Brooks’s radio.
Negotiators called.
No answer.
Called again.
No answer.
Arthur stood beside the command vehicle.
“Let me talk.”
Brooks shook her head.
“She doesn’t know you’re here.”
“Exactly.”
“That could destabilize her.”
“Or end it.”
Naomi looked at Arthur.
“If she sees you.”
“She’ll stop.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
He looked toward the building.
“But I have to try.”
Brooks hesitated.
Then approved a controlled video connection.
Celeste finally answered.
Her face appeared on the negotiator’s tablet.
“Where is Evelyn?”
The negotiator stepped aside.
Arthur sat down.
Celeste froze.
The tablet nearly fell from her hands.
“Hello, Celeste.”
Her mouth opened.
Nothing came.
“Dad?”
Arthur’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Celeste shook her head violently.
“No.”
“It’s me.”
“No.”
“Your seventh birthday.”
Arthur’s voice broke.
“You wanted a red bicycle.”
“Your mother bought blue.”
“You cried for three hours.”
Celeste’s face collapsed.
“No.”
“You hid my car keys in the freezer when I said I wouldn’t repaint it.”
Celeste lowered the tablet.
Then raised it again.
Tears streamed down her face.
“You left me.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You left us.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You let me think Evelyn killed you.”
“She saved me.”
Celeste shook her head.
“No.”
“She did.”
“No!”
Arthur leaned closer.
“Marcus stole the money.”
“I know.”
“Theodore tried to kill me.”
Celeste stared.
Arthur continued.
“Evelyn got me out.”
“She didn’t clear you.”
“No.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“She was wrong.”
Celeste stopped.
He continued.
“But what you did to her is not justice.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You don’t know what I did.”
“Yes.”
Celeste’s eyes changed.
Arthur swallowed.
“I know about the pillow.”
She looked away.
“Release Rachel.”
Celeste shook her head.
“No.”
“Please.”
“You choose them.”
“No.”
“You always choose somebody else.”
“Celeste.”
“You chose hiding.”
“You chose Evelyn.”
“You chose Camille.”
Her voice broke.
“You contacted Camille.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
There it was.
The deepest wound.
“I was afraid.”
“Of me?”
“Of what Marcus had turned you into.”
Celeste stared.
Arthur immediately knew it was the wrong sentence.
Naomi did too.
Celeste’s face hardened.
“Turned me into?”
“Celeste, I didn’t mean—”
“You think he made me?”
“No.”
“You think I’m stupid?”
“No.”
“You think everything I did is because some man manipulated me?”
“No.”
Arthur’s voice became desperate.
“You made choices.”
“Yes.”
“And I’m begging you to make one more.”
She stared.
“Let Rachel go.”
Celeste looked offscreen.
Rachel.
Then back.
“Will you come inside?”
Brooks shook her head.
Arthur answered.
“Yes.”
“No.”
Brooks hissed.
Arthur ignored her.
“If Rachel walks out.”
Celeste considered.
Then nodded.
“Come alone.”
Arthur stood.
Naomi grabbed his arm.
“She may kill you.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
“Then don’t be stupid.”
Arthur smiled sadly.
“My daughters inherited enough stupidity from me already.”
He walked toward the building.
Brooks placed a concealed microphone on him.
At thirty yards, the side door opened.
Rachel stumbled out.
Hands bound.
Officers rushed forward.
Arthur kept walking.
Rachel passed him.
She stared.
Arthur whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Rachel did not know who he was.
She kept going.
Arthur entered.
The door closed.
Naomi watched the thermal screen.
Two figures.
Then one moved toward another.
A third.
Celeste.
Arthur.
And someone else.
Naomi frowned.
“Brooks.”
“What?”
“You said two heat signatures.”
“Yes.”
“There are three now.”
Brooks looked.
A figure emerged from behind industrial insulation.
Naomi’s stomach dropped.
The third person stepped into view on the interior camera feed.
Dr. Malcolm Voss.
He held a syringe against Arthur Crane’s neck.
Celeste backed away.
Shock filled her face.
She had not known he was there.
Then a fourth figure appeared.
Marcus Vale.
Celeste turned.
“No.”
Marcus smiled.
“Family reunion.”
And Naomi understood too late.
Celeste had not chosen the water plant.
Marcus had led her there.
The hostage crisis had been bait.
Not for Evelyn.
May you like
For Arthur.
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