Chapter 12 - THE BROTHER WHO NEVER EXISTED
Claire laughed once.
The sound held no humor.
“No.”
Daniel did not move.
“You are mistaken.”
“I’m not.”
“Nathan had no brother.”
“He did.”
“I was married to him for nine years.”
“I know.”
“He told me everything about his family.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice was quiet.
“He told you everything his father allowed people to know.”
Claire stared at the photograph.
Nathan and Richard looked nothing alike.
Nathan had been fair-haired.
Richard had dark hair.
Nathan smiled easily.
Richard rarely smiled at all.
“They weren’t biological brothers?”
“They were half brothers.”
Laura sat down slowly.
“Same father?”
Daniel nodded.
“Arthur Parker.”
Claire’s mind raced.
Arthur Parker had died before she met Nathan.
Nathan described him as a brilliant but difficult businessman.
He had built the earliest version of Parker Meridian.
“Richard’s last name is Hale.”
“His mother’s name.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Why hide him?”
Daniel looked toward Ethan.
“Because Arthur abandoned Richard.”
Ethan listened silently.
Daniel continued.
“Arthur had an affair with Richard’s mother.”
“She became pregnant.”
“He paid her to disappear.”
“Richard grew up knowing exactly who his father was.”
“Did Nathan know?”
“Not until college.”
“How?”
“Richard found him.”
Claire looked at the photograph again.
“They became friends.”
“At first.”
“What changed?”
“Arthur died.”
“And left everything to Nathan.”
Claire understood.
“Nothing to Richard.”
“Nothing.”
Laura whispered.
“That’s why Richard hated Parker Meridian.”
Daniel nodded.
“Richard believed half the company should have been his.”
Claire’s anger sharpened.
“Then why marry me?”
“Because Nathan’s will made Ethan the beneficiary.”
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
Daniel turned toward him.
“Your father built safeguards because he was afraid Richard might try something.”
“Did Dad know Richard would hurt him?”
Daniel hesitated.
Claire noticed.
“Tell us.”
“Nathan believed Richard had become involved with Jonathan Vale.”
“When?”
“About a year before Nathan died.”
“What did Richard want?”
“Access to Parker Meridian’s logistics systems.”
“Why?”
“Government contracts.”
Laura frowned.
“Parker Meridian never handled government contracts.”
“Publicly.”
Claire stared.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel crossed his arms.
“Nathan discovered someone was using company software to reroute materials purchased through infrastructure programs.”
“Materials?”
“Steel.”
“Medical supplies.”
“Construction equipment.”
“Millions of dollars’ worth.”
Laura’s face tightened.
“Ghost shipments.”
Daniel nodded.
“Taxpayers paid for materials that never reached the projects.”
“Where did they go?”
“Private resale.”
“Overseas.”
“Sometimes nowhere.”
Claire felt sick.
“And Vale protected it.”
“Yes.”
“Richard managed it.”
“Yes.”
“Nathan found out.”
“Yes.”
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“Then Dad died.”
Nobody answered.
Ethan repeated it.
“Then Dad died.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
“Nathan’s boat exploded.”
Daniel looked down.
“The investigation called it a fuel leak.”
“You think Richard did it.”
“I know Richard was at the marina that morning.”
Claire stared.
“How?”
“I saw him.”
“You saw Richard at the marina the day Nathan died?”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing?”
Daniel’s face twisted.
“I confronted him.”
“What did he say?”
“That he was there to reconcile with Nathan.”
“Did you believe him?”
“At the time.”
Claire slammed the photograph down.
“You let me marry him.”
Daniel flinched.
“I didn’t recognize him when you introduced us.”
“That’s impossible.”
“He had changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Richard used to be thirty pounds heavier.”
“He wore glasses.”
“He had a beard.”
“He also used the name Richard Mercer.”
Laura looked sharply at Daniel.
“Mercer?”
Daniel nodded.
“No relation to me.”
“Richard chose different surnames over the years.”
Claire suddenly remembered.
Richard had once become furious when an old college acquaintance called him Rick Mercer at a charity dinner.
He had claimed the man confused him with someone else.
Claire had believed him.
Daniel continued.
“By the time I realized who he was, you were already engaged.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I tried.”
“No.”
“You told me Richard seemed controlling.”
“I couldn’t prove anything.”
“You could have shown me this photograph.”
“I promised Nathan.”
Claire shouted.
“Nathan was dead!”
Daniel’s face crumpled.
“I know.”
“Your promise protected the man who may have murdered him.”
“I know.”
Ethan stood.
“Stop.”
Claire looked at him.
He was crying.
“Please stop yelling.”
Claire immediately softened.
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan wiped his eyes angrily.
“I just want to know why Dad made you promise.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Because Nathan still loved Richard.”
Ethan frowned.
“After everything?”
“Richard saved Nathan’s life once.”
“When?”
“When they were nineteen.”
“From what?”
“A car accident.”
“Nathan never forgot it.”
Daniel sighed.
“He believed Richard could still be saved.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“He was wrong.”
“Yes.”
The landline rang.
Everyone jumped.
Lewis answered.
“Mara.”
He listened.
Then handed the phone to Claire.
“She needs you.”
Claire took it.
“What happened?”
Mara’s voice was tense.
“Richard is talking.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
Claire looked at Daniel.
“He says Jonathan Vale ordered Nathan’s death.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“And?”
“He says he tried to stop it.”
Claire almost laughed.
“Of course.”
“He claims Vale sabotaged the boat.”
“Do you believe him?”
“No.”
“But he gave us coordinates.”
“For what?”
“A storage unit.”
“What’s inside?”
“Evidence from Nathan’s death.”
Claire’s heart pounded.
“Have you opened it?”
“We’re there now.”
Mara paused.
Then Claire heard metal moving.
A storage unit door rolling upward.
Officers spoke in the background.
Then silence.
“Mara?”
No response.
“Mara?”
The detective whispered.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
Mara did not answer immediately.
Then she spoke.
“There’s a boat engine.”
Claire gripped the phone.
“What else?”
“Photographs.”
“Files.”
“And a recording.”
“Recording of what?”
Mara’s voice became strange.
“Richard and Nathan.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“Play it.”
“I don’t think Ethan should hear this.”
Ethan stood beside her.
“I want to.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Then nodded.
“Play it.”
Mara started the recording.
Static filled the line.
Then Nathan Parker’s voice came through.
Claire had not heard it in seven years.
Her knees nearly buckled.
“Richard, if anything happens to me, Claire gets everything.”
Richard answered.
“I know.”
“You stay away from her.”
Silence.
Nathan continued.
“And you stay away from Ethan.”
Richard’s younger voice became cold.
“You stole my life.”
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“Our father did.”
“Then hate him.”
“He’s dead.”
“And I’m not.”
Another pause.
Nathan spoke again.
“Vale is using you.”
Richard laughed.
“You think you’re better than me?”
“No.”
“I think you’re scared.”
A crashing sound followed.
Then Richard shouted.
“Give me the key.”
Nathan answered.
“No.”
“GIVE IT TO ME.”
“You will never control Parker Meridian.”
The recording ended abruptly.
Claire stared at the phone.
Laura whispered.
“The key.”
Daniel nodded.
“The same silver key Ethan hid.”
Then another sound came from the recording.
Very faint.
A third voice.
Mara replayed it.
Claire leaned closer.
A woman spoke in the background.
“Richard, we need to leave.”
Claire’s face drained of color.
She knew that voice.
Ethan did too.
“Aunt Rebecca.”
Claire stared toward the dark window.
Rebecca had been at the marina on the morning Nathan died.
May you like
And for seven years, she had never said a word.
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