Chapter 6 - The Photograph That Could Destroy Him
Elara stared at the photograph.
Julian stood beside Rebecca’s wrecked car.
A gun was visible in his hand.
Caldwell watched her.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
“You're loyal. Admirable, but misplaced.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“Because Julian has manipulated you.”
Elara looked again.
Something was wrong.
The photograph showed Julian wearing a black coat.
Blood on his shirt.
A gun.
But his attention was not on Rebecca’s car.
He was aiming behind the photographer.
“Where's the rest?”
Caldwell smiled.
“Rest?”
“The sequence.”
His smile faded slightly.
“You don't take one photograph during something like this.”
Cross looked at Caldwell.
Elara continued.
“There are more.”
Caldwell leaned back.
“Your mother died because Julian Vane chose violence.”
“My mother died because someone cut her brakes.”
Silence.
Caldwell’s eyes changed.
Tiny.
Almost nothing.
But Elara saw it.
He had not expected her to know.
“You've been speaking with Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“Daniel is a liar.”
“So are you.”
Cross struck the side of her seat.
“Careful.”
Caldwell raised a hand.
“No.”
He smiled at Elara.
“She has her mother’s courage.”
“You knew her.”
“Briefly.”
“You ordered her death.”
“No.”
But he answered too quickly.
Elara looked toward the window.
They were heading north.
She needed time.
“Why do you need the ledger if you can simply call it fake?”
“Because truth is inconvenient even when people doubt it.”
“And Julian?”
“Useful villain.”
“You added his name.”
Caldwell said nothing.
Elara smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
His expression hardened.
“For what?”
“My apron.”
Cross looked down.
Elara was still wearing part of her waitress uniform beneath her coat.
A tiny black button was attached near her collar.
Caldwell ripped it away.
A microphone.
Elara smiled.
“Marco gave it to me.”
Cross crushed it.
“Signal blocker!”
Too late.
At the warehouse, Julian heard every word.
So did Daniel.
So did two federal agents monitoring remotely.
Julian looked at Marco.
“Location?”
“Transmission ended near Sheridan.”
“Track vehicle cameras.”
Daniel grabbed his coat.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“And you’re injured.”
“I lost twenty years.”
Daniel looked directly at Julian.
“I’m not losing another minute.”
They left.
Caldwell’s vehicle entered an underground garage beneath a private mansion near Lake Michigan.
Elara was taken upstairs.
Cross locked her inside a study.
“You think Julian will rescue you.”
“I think you’re afraid he will.”
Cross laughed.
“You don't know him.”
“Neither do you.”
“I've watched men like Julian my whole life.”
“No.”
Elara looked at the ring.
“You watch what they do when everyone is looking.”
Cross followed her gaze.
“That ring doesn't make you his wife.”
“I know.”
“It doesn't make you untouchable.”
“I know.”
“Then why keep wearing it?”
Elara looked up.
“Because it makes you nervous.”
Cross’s smile vanished.
He left.
Elara immediately searched the room.
Desk.
Books.
Locked cabinet.
Fireplace.
Then she noticed framed photographs.
Caldwell with presidents.
Governors.
Police chiefs.
One older photograph showed Caldwell beside Julian’s father.
Behind them stood Rebecca.
Elara removed the frame.
Writing covered the back.
Meeting 12/24.
D.M. has copies.
R.V. knows.
Elara’s heart pounded.
Evidence.
She hid the photograph inside her coat.
Downstairs, an alarm sounded.
Cross shouted.
Julian.
Elara grabbed a brass fireplace tool and struck the door handle.
Once.
Twice.
The lock cracked.
She ran into the hallway.
Gunfire echoed downstairs.
She headed toward the rear staircase.
A man appeared.
Elara swung the fireplace tool.
He ducked.
She ran.
“ELARA!”
Julian.
She stopped.
He appeared at the bottom of the staircase.
For one second neither moved.
Then she ran toward him.
He caught her.
“You’re hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He touched her face as if confirming she was real.
Then Caldwell stepped onto the balcony above them.
He held a gun.
“Touching.”
Julian moved Elara behind him.
Caldwell laughed.
“You really did inherit your father’s weakness.”
“My father had many weaknesses.”
“Women were one.”
“No.”
Julian looked at Elara.
“Thinking love made him weak was.”
Caldwell aimed.
Daniel appeared behind him.
“Drop it.”
Caldwell turned.
For twenty years, Daniel Mercer had run.
Now he stood three feet from the man who destroyed his family.
Caldwell smiled.
“Daniel.”
“Put the gun down.”
“You won't shoot.”
Daniel’s hand trembled.
“You’re right.”
He lowered it.
Caldwell laughed.
Then federal agents entered from both corridors.
“Federal agents! Drop the weapon!”
Caldwell froze.
Marco appeared behind them.
Elara removed the photograph from her coat.
“And I found this.”
Caldwell looked at it.
For the first time, fear appeared.
The rest happened quickly.
Weapons down.
Hands raised.
Cross arrested in the garage.
Caldwell handcuffed in his own home.
Evidence seized.
Elara stood beside Julian as agents led Caldwell away.
It should have been over.
But Daniel looked troubled.
“What?”
Elara asked.
“The ledger.”
“What about it?”
“Caldwell didn't create the new pages.”
Julian turned.
“How do you know?”
“Different handwriting.”
Marco frowned.
“Then who did?”
Daniel looked toward Julian.
“Someone who had access to the original records.”
Julian’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A familiar voice spoke.
Julian’s face drained of color.
Elara touched his arm.
“Who is it?”
The voice said one sentence.
“You really thought your father died eighteen years ago?”
The call disconnected.
Julian slowly lowered the phone.
Then someone knocked on the mansion’s open front door.
An elderly man stepped inside.
Julian stared at him.
The silver compass fell from his hand.
May you like
And he whispered:
“Father?”
