Chapter 13 - Twenty-Four Hours
Someone had sent only part of the recording.
That meant the complete version existed.
Elena examined the package again.
A small card had fallen beneath the cassette.
It contained a phone number.
She called.
A man answered.
“You have something that belongs to my family.”
“Who is this?”
“Daniel Keane.”
Elena stood.
The doctor’s son.
“My father treated Charles Ashford.”
“I know.”
“He kept the original recording.”
“Why?”
“Because he was scared.”
Elena tightened her grip on the phone.
“Where is it?”
“Safe.”
“What do you want?”
“Protection.”
“For your father?”
“For both of us.”
Elena looked toward Richard.
“What are you afraid of?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then whispered.
“Eleanor knows we found you.”
The call ended.
Thirty seconds later, another message appeared.
24 HOURS.
NO POLICE.
COME TO PHOENIX.
Richard immediately shook his head.
“You’re not going alone.”
“I know.”
“Elena, this could be a trap.”
“It probably is.”
“Then why go?”
“Because Eleanor has spent fourteen years believing fear makes everyone predictable.”
Elena looked at the cassette.
“I want her to continue believing it.”
Meanwhile, Eleanor had launched her own counterattack.
By morning, financial reporters received anonymous documents accusing Elena of orchestrating a hostile takeover of Ashford Global.
Television networks showed photographs of Elena leaving the lake house.
Online headlines called her a secret billionaire who had infiltrated the Ashford family through marriage.
Julian watched the coverage from his apartment.
He called Elena.
“You need to respond.”
“No.”
“She’s destroying your reputation.”
“She’s trying to make me emotional.”
“You’re just going to let her?”
“For twenty-four hours.”
Julian fell silent.
“Why twenty-four hours?”
Elena did not answer.
Instead, she asked something unexpected.
“Would you testify against your mother?”
Julian went silent for several seconds.
“If I do, I lose everything.”
Elena almost smiled.
“You already lost everything.”
“What happens to me afterward?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether, for once in your life, you tell the truth before someone forces you.”
Julian looked through his apartment window toward Boston.
Then he made a choice Elena had stopped believing he was capable of making.
“I’ll testify.”
But before Elena could answer, Julian added something.
“There’s one more account.”
Elena froze.
May you like
“What account?”
“The one Mother never knew I found.”
