Chapter 16 - THE MAN GIDEON BROUGHT HOME
By four-thirty, Alonzo no longer knew which betrayal hurt most.
Cedric had known about the wedding-china crate for a week.
He had known Daniel was alive since at least that morning.
He had known the storage unit mattered.
He had still told his son almost nothing.
Flora watched Alonzo absorb each fact without defending his father.
That frightened her more than anger would have.
Anger meant there was still something to argue with.
Silence meant Alonzo had run out of excuses for Cedric.
They returned to the estate with Daniel in an unmarked police vehicle.
Daniel entered through the service garage so Portia would not immediately see him.
Ramirez wanted to preserve the surprise.
Portia was in the west drawing room with Gideon's associates preparing documents for the next trust hearing.
Gideon himself was gone.
No one knew where.
The moment Flora heard that, Lenora's torn warning returned to her.
DO NOT TRUST THE PERSON WHO BRINGS CEDRIC BACK.
She found Alonzo near the stairs.
"Where is Gideon?"
"Portia says he left for court."
"At four in the afternoon?"
"Exactly."
Daniel joined them.
"He is moving Cedric."
Alonzo looked toward the front windows.
"Then we find him before he gets here."
They never had the chance.
At 4:52, the front gates opened.
A dark town car drove up the circular drive.
Gideon Shaw stepped out first.
Then he opened the rear door.
Cedric emerged slowly.
Flora's stomach dropped.
He was alive.
He was upright.
He looked physically unharmed except for exhaustion.
Tomas was not with him.
Alonzo ran down the steps.
"Dad."
Cedric looked at him.
For one second, relief crossed his face.
Then Gideon placed a hand on Cedric's shoulder.
The relief vanished.
Flora saw it.
So did Daniel, who remained hidden behind the foyer wall.
"Where were you?" Alonzo demanded.
Cedric opened his mouth.
Gideon answered.
"Your father was taken to an abandoned office property outside the city."
Alonzo stared at him.
"By whom?"
Gideon looked grave.
"Daniel Mercer."
Flora almost laughed at the timing.
"Of course."
Gideon's eyes moved to her.
"This is not funny."
"No."
Flora descended one step.
"It is just very convenient that the dead man everyone discovered today suddenly becomes the kidnapper you rescue Cedric from."
Gideon's face tightened.
"I followed a location tip."
"From whom?"
"Anonymous source."
"Another one?"
Alonzo moved between them.
"Dad, tell me what happened."
Cedric looked at his son.
His lips moved.
No words came.
Gideon's hand tightened slightly on his shoulder.
Flora noticed.
"Take your hand off him."
Gideon looked at her.
"Excuse me?"
"Take your hand off Cedric."
Cedric glanced toward her.
There was fear in his eyes.
Gideon removed his hand.
Detective Warren stepped out of the foyer.
"Mr. Vale, I need to speak with you privately."
Gideon's expression hardened.
"He has counsel."
Cedric suddenly spoke.
"Daniel took me."
The sentence sounded flat.
Too flat.
Alonzo stared at him.
"What?"
Cedric repeated it.
"Daniel Mercer took me from the warehouse."
Flora looked at Warren.
Warren looked troubled.
Gideon relaxed slightly.
"You see?"
Alonzo shook his head.
"Where is Tomas?"
Cedric blinked.
"I don't know."
"You left with him."
"We were separated."
"By Daniel?"
Cedric looked toward Gideon.
Gideon gave the smallest nod.
Flora saw it.
"Stop."
Everyone looked at her.
She descended the stairs fully.
"Cedric, look at me."
He did.
"Did Daniel Mercer take you?"
Cedric's eyes filled with something close to shame.
"Yes."
"Did you see him?"
"Yes."
"Describe what he was wearing."
Gideon stepped forward.
"This is absurd."
Warren blocked him.
"Let him answer."
Cedric swallowed.
"A dark jacket."
Flora's pulse quickened.
"What color shirt?"
"White."
Behind the foyer wall, Daniel looked down at his clothes.
He wore a pale blue shirt.
Flora continued.
"Was he limping?"
Cedric hesitated.
"No."
Alonzo's face changed.
Daniel's limp was obvious.
Cedric had known Daniel years ago.
He would remember it.
Gideon stepped forward again.
"Shock affects memory."
Flora looked at him.
"You seem very interested in answering for him."
Portia entered the foyer.
She saw Cedric and stopped dramatically.
"Oh my God."
Then she crossed the floor and embraced him.
Cedric's arms remained at his sides.
Portia whispered something near his ear.
Flora could not hear it.
Cedric went even paler.
Alonzo pulled Portia away.
"Do not touch him."
Portia looked offended.
"He is family."
"So was my mother."
Portia recoiled.
Warren separated everyone and took Cedric into the library with Ramirez.
Gideon insisted on attending.
Cedric did not object.
That worried Flora.
Daniel remained hidden in the service wing under police supervision.
If Cedric was being coerced, showing Daniel too early could make him shut down completely.
Flora paced the hallway with Alonzo.
"He is lying."
"I know."
"He looked at Gideon before every important answer."
"I know."
"Why?"
Alonzo stared at the library door.
"Because Gideon has something."
Flora remembered Evelyn's warning.
The confession Gideon had been trying to make Cedric sign for twelve years.
"Maybe he finally has the confession."
Alonzo looked at her.
"Or he has whatever Portia used to blackmail him."
The library door opened after thirty minutes.
Cedric came out first.
Gideon followed.
Warren looked frustrated.
Cedric had repeated the same story.
Daniel intercepted him near the warehouse.
Tomas resisted.
Cedric was taken to an empty office.
Gideon found him after an anonymous tip.
He never saw Tomas again.
No location details matched anything police could immediately verify.
No witness confirmed Gideon's rescue.
No camera had yet been found.
Portia immediately demanded that Daniel Mercer be arrested.
Warren told her Daniel had not even been publicly located.
Portia realized she had said too much.
"Then find him."
Flora looked at her.
"You sounded very sure he was nearby."
Portia ignored her.
Cedric walked toward the stairs.
Flora followed at a distance.
Halfway up, he stumbled.
She caught his arm.
"Careful."
Cedric looked at her.
His hand closed around hers.
Something small pressed into her palm.
He did not look down.
"Thank you."
Flora felt metal.
A key.
Cedric released her.
Then he said four quiet words.
"The china remembers October ninth."
Flora stared at him.
Gideon appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
Cedric immediately continued walking.
Flora closed her fingers around the key.
She returned to the guest room and locked the door before opening her hand.
The key was tiny and silver.
A number was engraved on it.
109.
October ninth.
Alonzo entered through the connecting door.
Flora showed him the key.
"He gave me this."
"What does it open?"
"I don't know."
Maisie looked up from the sofa where she was coloring again.
"It looks like the key from Grandpa's little music box."
Flora turned.
"What music box?"
Maisie pointed toward the hallway.
"The blue room."
Alonzo stared at her.
"You were in the blue room?"
"Before the wedding."
Flora crouched beside her.
"With who?"
"Grandpa."
Maisie smiled.
"He showed me the dancing lady."
Alonzo closed his eyes.
"Mom's music box."
They returned to the blue room with Ramirez.
On top of the piano sat a silver mechanical music box shaped like a small theater.
The key marked 109 fit a lock hidden beneath the velvet base.
The compartment opened.
Inside was a folded note written by Cedric that morning.
IF I RETURN WITH GIDEON, DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I SAY UNTIL YOU FIND TOMAS.
Beneath the note was a memory card.
Ramirez inserted it into a forensic reader.
The first file was a video recorded at 6:47 that morning inside Cedric's car.
Tomas had apparently activated a body camera before leaving Briar Storage.
The video showed Cedric driving.
Three archive boxes sat in the rear.
A black sedan appeared behind them.
Then another vehicle blocked the road.
The video shook as Tomas got out.
A man's voice shouted from outside.
"Mr. Vale, Mr. Shaw wants the ledger."
Cedric said one word.
"Never."
The recording ended there.
Flora looked at Ramirez.
"Gideon lied."
Ramirez nodded.
Then she opened the second file.
It had been recorded less than an hour earlier.
Cedric's voice whispered in darkness.
"If Flora finds this, tell Alonzo that Gideon has the third page."
A pause followed.
Cedric's breathing sounded strained.
"And tell him Portia was never the one who designed this."
Another voice entered the recording from somewhere nearby.
Gideon's voice.
"Cedric, are you ready to sign?"
May you like
The file ended.
