Chapter 14 - The Duck at Greenbriar
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Greenbriar Park had three duck sculptures.
Arthur remembered that only after Ethan described them.
They were small bronze figures built into a children's fountain near the pedestrian bridge.
When Ethan was three, Elena used to let him toss coins into the fountain and tell him the ducks were guarding wishes.
One sculpture had a removable maintenance plate beneath its wing.
Arthur had never noticed it.
Ethan had.
"Mom put something in there once," he said. "She said the duck was keeping it until later."
Arthur crouched in front of him.
"When was that?"
"Before she went away."
The phrase still hurt.
"Did she tell you what it was?"
Ethan shook his head.
"A phone, maybe."
Detective Ortiz heard that over speakerphone and changed the search plan immediately.
"Arthur, you stay home."
"Again?"
"Again."
"Ethan knows exactly which sculpture."
"He can describe it. I am not taking an eight-year-old to a location Ronan Caine may also be approaching."
Arthur knew she was right.
He hated it anyway.
Ethan drew a quick picture of the fountain and marked the duck with a star.
Ortiz sent three officers to Greenbriar with a parks maintenance supervisor.
Arthur stayed in the living room watching the live call.
Maya colored beside Caroline.
Marcus monitored exterior cameras.
For several minutes, the only sounds were the children's crayons and Ortiz giving directions through the phone.
Then she said, "We found the fountain."
Ethan moved closer.
"The duck near the blue tile."
Ortiz relayed the instruction.
Metal scraped faintly over the speaker.
A maintenance worker removed the plate.
There was a waterproof cavity inside.
Ortiz went quiet.
Arthur's pulse pounded.
"What is it?"
"There's something here."
"A phone?"
"A sealed plastic pouch."
Ethan's shoulders dropped in relief.
Ortiz photographed the pouch before removing it.
Inside was an old smartphone wrapped in two layers of plastic, a microSD card, and a handwritten note.
The phone was dead.
The note was not.
Ortiz read it aloud.
ARTHUR, IF YOU FOUND THIS, THE TRUNK WAS COMPROMISED.
THE PHONE CONTAINS THE CALL VIVIAN WAS TOO AFRAID TO KEEP.
ASK NORA WELLS WHY SHE LEFT.
Arthur frowned.
"Nora Wells."
Caroline looked at him.
"Your old housekeeper?"
Arthur nodded.
Nora had worked for the family for six years.
She left one month after Elena died.
At the time, she told Arthur she needed to move closer to her sister in another state.
Arthur had believed her.
He had not spoken to her since.
Marcus began searching public records.
"I can probably find her."
Arthur looked at the note again through the video feed.
"Why would Elena tell us to ask Nora why she left?"
Caroline's expression became troubled.
"I remember something."
Arthur turned.
"What?"
"At the funeral, Nora tried to talk to you."
Arthur searched his memory.
The funeral was a blur of faces and condolences.
"I don't remember."
"Daniel stopped her."
Arthur stared at Caroline.
"How?"
"He told her you were overwhelmed and that any household matters should go through him."
Arthur felt anger rise again.
Daniel had positioned himself between Arthur and anyone who might disturb the version of events he controlled.
Marcus found an address for Nora in Vermont.
He also found a phone number.
Arthur called.
A woman answered after five rings.
"Hello?"
"Nora?"
Silence.
"This is Arthur Hale."
The line went so quiet Arthur thought the call had dropped.
Then Nora whispered, "How did you find me?"
"Elena left your name."
Nora began crying.
Arthur closed his eyes.
"Nora, I need to know why you left."
"I can't do this on the phone."
"A detective is with me."
Ortiz introduced herself through the call.
Nora remained afraid.
"Is Daniel Mercer there?"
"No," Ortiz said. "He is not part of this interview."
Nora exhaled shakily.
"Then I will talk."
Arthur sat down.
Nora told them that two days before Elena's crash, she overheard Daniel and Victoria arguing in the basement.
Victoria was crying.
Daniel told her she had one last chance to recover the blue trunk.
Victoria said Elena had moved it.
Daniel replied that Ronan would follow Elena until he knew where it was.
Nora heard Victoria say, "Don't scare her while she's driving."
Arthur's hand tightened around the phone.
"You heard those exact words?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell anyone?"
"I tried."
Nora's voice shook.
"After the crash, I told Mr. Mercer I had heard the argument."
Arthur stared at the floor.
"Why would you tell Daniel?"
"Because I thought he was your lawyer."
The answer was painfully reasonable.
Nora had made the same mistake Arthur had.
"What did he say?"
"He told me grief was making me remember things incorrectly."
The same phrase again.
"Then Ronan came to my apartment."
Ortiz leaned closer to the phone.
"When?"
"Three days after the funeral."
"What did he want?"
"He said wealthy families survive tragedy by keeping private things private."
"Did he threaten you?"
"Not directly."
Nora swallowed audibly.
"He put a photograph of my sister's house on the table."
Arthur felt cold.
"So you left."
"The next morning."
"Why didn't you call me?"
Nora began crying harder.
"I tried once."
"What happened?"
"Mr. Mercer answered your phone."
Arthur looked at Caroline.
Daniel had managed Arthur's calls constantly during the funeral week.
He told Arthur he was protecting him from reporters, vendors, and opportunists.
Arthur had thanked him.
"What did Daniel say?"
"He told me you did not want to hear from me again."
Arthur covered his face with one hand.
"Nora, I never said that."
"I know that now."
Ortiz asked if Nora would provide a sworn statement and speak to investigators in person.
Nora agreed on one condition.
"Keep my sister out of this."
Ortiz promised to discuss protective measures.
Then Nora remembered something else.
"The night Mrs. Hale died, she called me."
Arthur looked up.
"Elena called you?"
"At 5:37."
According to Ronan's incident report, Elena had become aware of surveillance around 5:31.
"What did she say?"
Nora's voice became very quiet.
"She said a dark SUV was following her."
Arthur stopped breathing.
"Did she say who was inside?"
"No."
"What else?"
"She told me not to call you because she thought your phone might be monitored."
Marcus glanced toward Arthur.
Daniel's firm had administrator access to Arthur's document systems.
Maybe Elena had suspected more.
"Then she said, 'If I don't make it to Greenbriar, the duck has the call.'"
Arthur looked at the old phone visible on Ortiz's evidence camera.
"What call?"
"I didn't know."
Nora paused.
"But I heard another voice before she hung up."
Arthur leaned forward.
"Whose?"
"A man's voice through her car speakers."
"What did he say?"
Nora's breathing trembled.
"He said, 'Elena, stop running and pull over.'"
Arthur's skin went cold.
"Did you recognize him?"
Nora whispered, "Yes."
"Who?"
May you like
"Daniel Mercer."
