Chapter 13 - Samuel
Samuel did not kill Arthur.
That was the first surprise.
The second was worse.
Arthur had invited him.
The recovered footage continued.
Arthur looked at Samuel.
“You weren’t supposed to come here.”
Samuel closed the study door.
“You stopped answering.”
“Because Wynn compromised Margaret.”
Samuel looked toward the doctor.
“I told you not to touch her.”
Wynn shrugged.
“She was useful.”
Samuel crossed the room and struck him.
Once.
Hard enough to send him into the desk.
Margaret stared at the screen in horror.
“I don’t remember any of this.”
Daniel put an arm around her.
Arthur tried to stand.
His legs failed.
Samuel caught him.
“What did he give you?”
Arthur pointed toward the glass.
Wynn laughed.
“Nothing dramatic.”
Samuel grabbed him.
“What?”
“A change.”
“What change?”
“His regular medication.”
Arthur’s face twisted.
Samuel turned toward him.
“How long?”
Arthur understood first.
“Days.”
Wynn smiled.
“Maybe weeks.”
Samuel looked furious.
This wasn’t a murderer watching his plan succeed.
This was a man realizing someone else had hijacked it.
“Who ordered you?”
Wynn didn’t answer.
Samuel slammed him against the wall.
“Who?”
Wynn looked toward the camera.
Then laughed.
“You really don’t know.”
The study lights flickered.
The footage jumped.
Not because of deletion.
Power failure.
When the image returned, Wynn was gone.
Margaret was unconscious.
Samuel was kneeling beside Arthur.
Arthur was dying.
Samuel held his hand.
“Call an ambulance.”
Arthur whispered.
“No.”
“Arthur.”
“No.”
“You need a hospital.”
“He’ll know.”
“Who?”
Arthur grabbed Samuel’s jacket.
“Not Richard.”
Samuel leaned closer.
“Then who?”
Arthur’s voice was barely audible.
“Julian.”
The room went silent.
Daniel stared.
“But Julian had left.”
Yes.
He had.
Which meant Arthur wasn’t saying Julian poisoned him.
Maybe he was warning Samuel about something else.
Arthur continued.
“The boy.”
Samuel frowned.
“What boy?”
“Adrian’s son.”
“Vanessa’s child?”
“Yes.”
“What about him?”
“Julian found him.”
My eyes moved to Evan.
He looked stunned.
Arthur whispered.
“He’s using him.”
The footage ended thirty seconds later when Samuel carried Margaret out of the study.
The final timestamp was 9:06 P.M.
Arthur’s official time of death was 10:14.
Someone entered the room during that missing hour.
But no camera recorded it.
Marcus searched the system.
The hallway cameras had been disabled.
“Whoever came after Samuel knew the blind spots.”
Daniel looked at Richard.
“You?”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
“Prove it.”
“I was at the hospital with Vanessa.”
“What?”
Margaret asked.
Richard looked at her.
“Vanessa attempted to harm herself that night.”
Daniel froze.
“No.”
Richard nodded.
“She had been struggling for months.”
“Why didn’t we know?”
“She begged me.”
Margaret laughed bitterly.
“Everyone begged you to hide everything.”
Richard looked ashamed.
Maybe for the first time.
Detective Cole focused on the footage.
“Arthur says Julian found Evan.”
Evan stood.
“I was four.”
Marcus frowned.
“That matches the photograph Daniel saw.”
Daniel nodded.
“Julian knew where Marcus lived.”
Marcus looked at Richard.
“How?”
Richard answered.
“The adoption agency.”
“You controlled it.”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Richard looked toward Julian’s empty chair.
“Cross Foundation.”
Evan’s face hardened.
“Julian’s charity.”
“Yes.”
The adoption had not been random.
Julian Cross had arranged for his own biological grandson to be placed with Marcus Reed.
Why Marcus?
Arthur’s trusted security officer.
Maybe because Julian wanted Evan close to Hale House.
Maybe because he wanted someone competent protecting him.
Or maybe because Evan was never hidden from Richard.
Maybe he had been planted.
My phone vibrated.
Samuel.
At least I assumed it was Samuel now.
One message.
DON’T TRUST THE ADOPTION FILE.
I typed.
WHY?
The answer came.
BECAUSE EVAN REED WASN’T THE ONLY BABY BORN THAT NIGHT.
I stared.
Daniel read over my shoulder.
“What does that mean?”
Elena gasped.
Everyone turned toward her.
Her face had gone white.
“Elena?”
She sat down.
“I forgot.”
“What?”
“The second woman.”
“What second woman?”
“At the clinic.”
My heartbeat accelerated.
“There was another mother?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I never knew.”
“Another baby?”
“Yes.”
“Boy or girl?”
“A boy.”
Evan stared at her.
“Two boys were born?”
“Yes.”
“Same night?”
“Yes.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why does that matter?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because Richard left with one.”
“Vanessa’s son.”
“I thought so.”
“What do you mean, thought?”
“I never saw his face.”
The room became silent.
Marcus looked at Evan.
Then at Elena.
“Are you saying I may not have adopted Vanessa’s child?”
“I don’t know.”
Richard whispered something.
“No.”
We turned.
He looked terrified.
“What?”
Daniel demanded.
Richard backed away.
“No.”
“What is it?”
Richard looked at Evan.
“When I reached Albany, the baby was already gone.”
“What?”
“I didn’t give a child to anyone.”
Elena stared.
“I saw you carrying one.”
“A nurse handed him to me.”
“Whose baby?”
“I thought Vanessa’s.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did you do?”
Richard sat down.
“I drove him to Albany.”
“To the church?”
“Yes.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“I saw you.”
“I know.”
“You saw me?”
“Yes.”
“Then who were the couple?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“People Julian arranged.”
Marcus grabbed the back of a chair.
“So Julian controlled the adoption.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you leave the baby?”
Richard looked at him.
“With Julian.”
Evan stared.
“You gave me to my grandfather?”
Richard’s face twisted.
“I don’t know if it was you.”
The room went silent.
Then Samuel sent another message.
THERE WERE TWO INFANTS.
May you like
ONLY ONE WAS A HALE.
JULIAN SWITCHED THEM.
