Chapter 14 - Julian’s Final Secret
The account was in Switzerland.
It held forty-two million dollars.
Eleanor was not listed as beneficiary.
Neither was Julian.
The account belonged to the Eleanor Ashford Charitable Foundation.
Except the charity had never existed.
Julian had discovered it eighteen months earlier.
He had quietly transferred five million dollars out.
Elena stared at him.
“You stole from stolen money.”
Julian nodded.
“I thought it gave me leverage over her.”
“It made you exactly like her.”
“I know.”
For once, Julian did not defend himself.
Elena pushed the account statements back.
“Why tell me now?”
“Because Mother knows I’m talking to you.”
“How?”
Julian gave a humorless laugh.
“She always knows.”
Then he placed his wedding ring on the table.
“I spent six years convincing myself that because I eventually loved you, the way our marriage began didn’t matter.”
Elena said nothing.
“It mattered.”
“Yes.”
“I lied to you before our first date.”
“Yes.”
“I forged your credentials.”
“Yes.”
“I stole.”
“Yes.”
Julian looked at her.
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
“Good.”
His eyes dropped.
Elena felt sadness.
But not weakness.
There was a difference.
She had loved him.
Perhaps part of her always would.
But love could survive inside a person without deserving another chance.
Julian stood.
“I’ll give the investigators everything.”
“Why?”
“Because you were right.”
Elena looked at him.
“About what?”
“Tomorrow I’d be begging for forgiveness.”
A small bitter smile crossed his face.
“I just didn’t understand what I’d be begging forgiveness for.”
He left.
Elena flew to Arizona that evening.
Federal agents traveled separately.
At 9:40 p.m., she entered the retirement community where Dr. Keane supposedly lived.
Room 314 was empty.
The bed had been stripped.
The drawers were open.
Someone had removed everything.
Marcus checked the bathroom.
“Nothing.”
Elena noticed something beneath the bedside table.
A small medical identification bracelet.
CHARLES ASHFORD.
Her heart stopped.
Charles had died fourteen years earlier.
Why was his hospital bracelet here?
She turned it over.
A number had been written on the back.
A storage locker.
They reached the facility forty minutes later.
Inside locker 227 sat one cardboard box.
No money.
No recording.
Only an envelope addressed to Elena.
She opened it.
May you like
The first line read:
ELENA, IF YOU ARE READING THIS, ELEANOR HAS ALREADY FOUND ME.
