Chapter 10 - The Father Who Lied
Julian Cross arrived at Hale House at 6:10 the next morning.
He came voluntarily.
That was almost more unsettling than if the police had dragged him there.
He was sixty-three.
Tall.
Silver hair.
Perfect suit.
The kind of man whose calm made everyone else feel unnecessarily emotional.
I had met him dozens of times.
He drafted documents at our wedding.
He handled Margaret’s charitable foundation.
He had sent flowers when Daniel and I announced the pregnancy.
Now I couldn’t stop thinking about the photograph of him holding Vanessa’s newborn son.
Detective Cole conducted the interview in Arthur’s old library.
Daniel and I watched from another room through the restored surveillance feed.
Marcus sat beside Evan.
Vanessa still hadn’t answered anyone.
Margaret remained under medical observation.
Richard had disappeared.
Julian crossed one leg over the other.
“Detective, I have represented the Hale family for thirty-one years.”
“I know.”
“You could have called me.”
“I did.”
“You said you wanted a formal statement.”
“I do.”
Julian smiled.
“Then ask.”
Cole placed the photograph on the table.
Julian’s smile vanished.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
“Do you recognize this?”
“Yes.”
“Who is the baby?”
Julian looked at the image.
“My grandson.”
Daniel whispered.
“There it is.”
Evan stared at the screen.
His face had gone completely still.
Cole continued.
“Your son Adrian was the father?”
“Yes.”
“And Vanessa Hale was the mother?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you tell investigators Adrian had never fathered a child?”
Julian looked toward the camera.
For one strange second, I felt like he was looking directly at us.
“Because Richard told me the baby died.”
Evan stood.
“Liar.”
Marcus touched his arm.
Julian continued.
“I saw him alive after birth.”
“So you knew Richard lied.”
“I knew something was wrong.”
“Why didn’t you report it?”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“My son begged me not to.”
“Why?”
“He believed Vanessa was in danger.”
“From Richard?”
“Yes.”
Cole leaned forward.
“Did you alter Arthur Hale’s will?”
Julian didn’t answer.
“Mr. Cross?”
“I drafted an amendment.”
“Was Margaret Hale competent when she signed it?”
Julian’s expression changed.
“I believed she was.”
“You were present?”
“Yes.”
“Who else?”
“Richard.”
“Was she medicated?”
“I don’t know.”
“That seems difficult to believe.”
Julian folded his hands.
“Detective, I was a lawyer.”
“Were?”
Julian smiled faintly.
“I imagine my career is about to change.”
Cole placed another page down.
A transfer authorization.
“Did you prepare this?”
“Yes.”
“It moved voting control from Margaret to Richard.”
“Temporarily.”
“The document was witnessed by Dr. Harold Wynn.”
“Yes.”
“Who was being paid through an account controlled by you.”
Julian looked up.
The room became quieter.
Cole pushed bank records toward him.
My father’s records.
“Your firm transferred money to Dr. Wynn nineteen times.”
Julian didn’t touch the pages.
“What was the money for?”
“Consulting.”
“What kind?”
“Medical.”
“You’re a corporate attorney.”
“Yes.”
“Why were you paying Margaret Hale’s physician?”
Julian said nothing.
Cole leaned back.
“Let’s talk about Arthur’s death.”
Something changed.
Tiny.
But visible.
Julian’s left thumb stopped moving.
“You told police you were in Washington.”
“I was.”
“We have video indicating otherwise.”
Julian looked at Cole.
“That is impossible.”
Cole displayed the enhanced image of the ring and tattoo.
For the first time, Julian lost control.
Only for a second.
But enough.
“You were there.”
Cole said.
Julian looked toward the camera again.
Then he smiled.
“I would like my attorney.”
The interview ended.
Daniel cursed.
Evan walked away from the monitor.
Marcus followed him.
I stayed seated.
Julian knew we were watching.
I was sure of it.
Daniel came beside me.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
I looked at him.
“We still haven’t found Richard.”
“Marcus has people searching.”
“Richard knew about the hidden room.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about the music box.”
“Yes.”
“He knew Evan would matter.”
“Yes.”
Daniel sighed.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“If Richard planned all this, why would Julian walk into the house willingly?”
I had been wondering the same thing.
“He isn’t afraid.”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe because he knows we don’t have enough.”
“Or because Richard isn’t the person he’s afraid of.”
My phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
A photograph appeared.
Vanessa.
She was sitting in a car.
Alive.
Holding a newspaper.
Today’s date.
Under the photograph:
JULIAN IS LYING.
I typed back for the first time.
WHO ARE YOU?
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
Then appeared again.
The reply came.
ASK DANIEL ABOUT HIS FATHER’S OTHER CHILD.
I looked at Daniel.
He noticed.
“What?”
I locked the phone.
“Nothing.”
He stared at me.
“Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Saying nothing when it is obviously something.”
I wanted to tell him.
But before I could, Detective Cole entered.
“We found Richard.”
“Where?”
Daniel asked.
Cole’s expression was strange.
“At his house.”
“What?”
“He never disappeared.”
“But the calls.”
“He made them.”
“And Evan?”
“He says he never took Evan.”
Marcus came back into the room.
“Do you believe him?”
Cole hesitated.
“His home security footage shows him inside during the entire window when Evan was taken.”
Daniel frowned.
“Could be manipulated.”
“Possibly.”
“But?”
“But we have three witnesses.”
“Then who kidnapped Evan?”
Nobody answered.
Cole looked at me.
“There is more.”
“What?”
“Richard says he knows who sent you the messages.”
My pulse quickened.
“Who?”
“He won’t tell us unless Margaret is present.”
“Why?”
“He says the person is connected to Arthur.”
Daniel looked at me.
I thought about the message.
Ask Daniel about his father’s other child.
Then I remembered what Daniel said Richard showed him when he was sixteen.
Photographs of Arthur with a pregnant woman.
Richard claimed Arthur had another child.
“What was the woman’s name?”
I asked Daniel.
“What woman?”
“The woman in Richard’s photographs.”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ever see her face clearly?”
“Yes.”
“Would you recognize her?”
“I think so.”
I turned to Marcus.
“Get me every staff photograph from twenty-five years ago.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why?”
“Because if Arthur had another child, somebody has spent a long time making sure nobody asked where that child went.”
We found the photograph fourteen minutes later.
Annual Hale Foundation dinner.
Arthur stood beside Margaret.
Richard stood beside Vanessa and Daniel.
Three feet behind them was a young woman in a black staff uniform.
Daniel went pale.
“That’s her.”
Marcus zoomed in.
The staff roster identified her.
Elena Marquez.
I stared.
“No.”
Daniel whispered.
“The woman Richard told me was carrying my father’s child was Elena.”
Then the door opened behind us.
Elena stood there.
She had heard everything.
Her face told us the answer before she spoke.
“Yes.”
May you like
She whispered.
“Arthur and I had a daughter.”
