Chapter 17 - THE FAMILY EVELYN NEVER NAMED.
That was mistake number one.
Her Boston townhouse was empty.
Mistake number two.
Her museum office claimed she had taken an unexpected international trip.
Mistake number three.
Roman checked airports.
No Celeste.
Private aviation.
No Celeste.
Border records.
Nothing.
“She knew we'd find the Reed connection,” Roman said.
Adrian stared through the windows.
“Or somebody warned her.”
Rebecca looked up.
“Careful.”
Adrian turned.
“With what?”
“Assuming every delay is betrayal.”
He almost snapped.
Then stopped.
Old Adrian would have accused first.
Destroyed relationships second.
Investigated third.
Evelyn had lived in fear of that man.
Adrian sat.
“Fine.”
Rebecca looked mildly surprised.
“Fine?”
“Investigate everyone.”
“Including me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
No offense.
No theatrics.
That was why Rebecca remained useful.
Gabriel Castillo finally agreed to appear in person.
He arrived at a neutral law office.
Older than Adrian expected.
Silver hair.
Weathered face.
No visible weapon.
Elena stared at him.
“You disappeared.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“I survived.”
“My mother told me you were gone.”
“She was trying to protect you.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“Apparently that was everyone's favorite excuse.”
Gabriel accepted it.
He clarified something Elena had misunderstood since childhood.
He was Margaret's half-brother.
Same mother.
Different fathers.
Margaret kept the Reed name until marriage.
Gabriel had used Castillo professionally after joining Elena's father's extended family business years later.
Messy.
But legal.
More importantly—
He knew Samuel Reed.
“He was brilliant,” Gabriel said.
“And naive.”
Adrian remained silent.
Samuel developed secure medical systems intended for wealthy patients, diplomats, abuse victims and witnesses requiring privacy.
Private clinics.
Protected pharmaceutical chains.
Confidential transport.
The early version of Blackbird.
Samuel called it the Reed Network.
Then corporations became interested.
Government contractors.
Private intelligence firms.
Organized families.
All saw the same possibility.
A medical system hidden from ordinary records could protect people.
Or control them.
Samuel refused to sell.
Then he died.
Official cause:
Cardiac arrest.
Gabriel shook his head.
“Helena didn't believe it.”
Evelyn's mother.
“What did she find?” Adrian asked.
“A toxicology report.”
“Poison?”
“Not exactly.”
Samuel had been given a medication capable of producing dangerous cardiac effects when combined with his prescription treatment.
Could have been accident.
Could have been deliberate.
The report disappeared.
Helena kept a copy.
“Where?”
Gabriel looked at Elena.
“Margaret had it.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“My mother is dead.”
“She hid things well.”
They searched Margaret's old storage unit.
Elena had kept it because grief made throwing things away difficult.
Boxes.
Winter coats.
Old photographs.
Kitchen equipment.
A child's wooden chair.
Nora's first baby blanket.
Then a metal sewing tin.
Inside:
Keys.
One photograph.
A cassette recorder.
And a handwritten family tree.
Samuel Reed.
His wife.
Two daughters.
Helena.
Margaret.
Under Helena:
Evelyn.
Under Margaret:
Elena.
Under Evelyn:
Nora.
Nothing surprising.
Until Adrian turned the paper over.
Four names.
Antonio Kane.
Grace Kane.
Victor Hale.
Celeste Kane.
Different symbols beside each.
Grace:
ALLY.
Victor:
UNKNOWN.
Antonio:
BUYER.
Celeste:
HALCYON.
Adrian stared.
Halcyon Trust.
The foundation receiving diverted Kane Biologic money.
Rebecca leaned over his shoulder.
“That's not coincidence.”
No.
It wasn't.
Inside the cassette recorder was a tape.
Margaret's voice.
Older.
Tired.
“Elena, if you ever hear this, then something went wrong.”
Elena began crying immediately.
Margaret continued.
“Helena died believing Celeste Kane ordered our father's death.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“But she could never prove it.”
Then:
“Celeste was twenty-two when Samuel died. Too young to control the operation alone.”
Adrian froze.
Another person.
Margaret continued.
“The man behind her called himself Mercer.”
Rebecca looked at Roman.
Roman was already searching.
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“I knew that name.”
Adrian turned.
“Who?”
“Dr. Elias Mercer.”
Medical investor.
Behavioral researcher.
Partner of Samuel Reed.
Adrian's face hardened.
“Alive?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Ninety-one.”
“Where?”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Kane Biologic retirement residence.”
Nobody spoke.
May you like
The man connected to Samuel Reed's death had spent decades living inside the medical network created from Samuel's stolen company.
And Celeste had apparently kept him there.
