Chapter 14 - The Night Claire Disappeared
The truth about Rebecca was somehow more cruel because it was smaller than murder.
Vincent had not caused her cancer.
He had simply used it.
He had taken a dying woman's weakness and turned it into camouflage.
He had used sedatives to blur her memory.
He had used her diagnosis to make her warnings sound irrational.
He had waited for nature to do the killing while he made sure the truth died with her.
Claire could not stop thinking about that.
Neither could Adrian.
For two days, the mansion remained quiet.
Too quiet.
No messages arrived.
No shots were fired.
No one approached the gates.
Vincent obeyed the no-contact order.
Julian remained missing.
Elias Voss remained a ghost.
The silence made Marcus more nervous than the attacks had.
"They're changing tactics."
Claire stood in the kitchen while Lily decorated cookies beside Mrs. Callahan.
"Maybe they're scared."
Marcus shook his head.
"Men like Vincent don't get scared."
Claire glanced toward Adrian, who was speaking to Rachel by the window.
"Everyone gets scared."
Marcus followed her gaze.
"Some people just get meaner when it happens."
That evening, Claire received a call from her mother's assisted-living facility.
Her mother had been admitted there six months earlier after financial problems made independent housing impossible.
Claire answered immediately.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice said, "Ms. Bennett, your mother has fallen."
Claire's heart stopped.
"Is she hurt?"
"She is conscious, but we're sending her to St. Anne's."
Claire grabbed her coat.
Adrian saw her crossing the foyer.
"Where are you going?"
"My mother fell."
"I'll have Marcus take you."
"No."
He frowned.
"Claire."
"You need Marcus here."
"Then another driver."
"Adrian, my mother is being taken to the hospital."
"Which is exactly why you shouldn't drive upset."
She stopped.
He was right.
She hated that he was right.
"Fine."
A security driver named Owen took her.
Claire texted Adrian when they reached St. Anne's.
The emergency department receptionist searched the system.
Then searched again.
"I don't have a patient under that name."
Claire's pulse changed.
"She was brought from Brookside Living Center."
The receptionist called intake.
No ambulance had arrived from Brookside.
Claire called the facility.
The night supervisor answered.
"Your mother is asleep in her room."
Claire's blood turned cold.
"Did someone call me from there?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
Claire looked toward the hospital entrance.
Owen was gone.
The SUV was gone.
Her phone showed no signal.
A man in hospital scrubs stepped behind her.
"Claire Bennett?"
She turned.
A cloth covered her mouth before she could scream.
When Claire woke, her wrists were tied to a metal chair.
Her head throbbed.
The room smelled like salt water and machine oil.
Somewhere nearby, a foghorn sounded.
She was near the harbor.
A bare lightbulb hung from the ceiling.
A man sat across from her.
He looked to be in his late sixties.
Thin.
White hair.
A scar ran from his jaw to his collar.
Claire knew before he introduced himself.
"Elias Voss."
He smiled.
"Thomas's girl."
Claire's stomach tightened.
"Where is Owen?"
"Alive."
"My mother?"
"Sleeping comfortably."
"What do you want?"
Elias leaned back.
"You sound like your father."
Claire pulled against the restraints.
"You knew him."
"Better than Adrian did."
"Did you kill him?"
Elias looked at her for a long time.
"No."
"Did Vincent?"
"Not directly."
"Stop playing games."
His smile vanished.
"Your father was supposed to be frightened."
Claire went still.
"Vincent ordered Julian to follow him."
"Elias was supposed to take the recorder and the shipping copies."
"Thomas saw them coming."
"He ran."
"On an icy road."
Claire's throat closed.
"They chased him."
Elias looked away.
"Yes."
"And he crashed."
"Yes."
Rage shook her entire body.
"Then you killed him."
"We caused the chase."
"You killed him."
Elias did not argue again.
Claire forced herself to breathe.
"Why are you telling me?"
"Because Vincent will kill me if he finds me first."
She laughed bitterly.
"That sounds like a you problem."
For the first time, Elias almost smiled.
"Definitely Thomas's girl."
He leaned forward.
"I want protection."
"From Adrian?"
"From federal prosecutors."
"Then call them."
"I need something to trade."
"You have testimony."
"Not enough."
"Vincent has judges, retired cops, union men, accountants."
"He has survived forty years by making sure every witness looks dirty."
Claire stared at him.
"And I'm supposed to help you?"
"You have Rebecca's recorder."
Her face gave nothing away.
Elias smiled.
"Good."
"Thomas taught you something."
Claire's heart pounded.
"What do you want from it?"
"The final file."
"There wasn't one."
"There is."
"How do you know?"
"Because Rebecca recorded Vincent himself."
Claire stopped breathing.
"Where?"
"At Julian's house."
"The hard drive didn't have it."
"Because Julian removed it."
Elias leaned closer.
"He kept a copy for insurance."
"Where is Julian?"
Elias smiled sadly.
"If I knew, I wouldn't need you."
A door opened behind Claire.
Mara Voss entered.
Claire stared.
"You were arrested."
Mara touched a bruise on her wrist.
"Hospitals have doors."
Claire's blood turned cold.
Mara walked to her father.
"We have to move."
Elias frowned.
"Why?"
"Adrian found the hospital camera."
Claire felt a spark of hope.
Mara looked at her.
"Don't look so pleased."
"He still has to find this place."
Claire lowered her eyes.
On the concrete floor beneath the chair lay a small metal washer.
She moved one shoe over it.
Elias and Mara argued near the door.
Claire bent her wrist against the zip tie.
The edge cut her skin.
She kept working.
Mara returned.
"Where is the recorder?"
Claire looked up.
"In a place you'll never reach."
Mara slapped her.
Claire's head snapped sideways.
Elias said sharply, "Enough."
Mara glared at him.
"You spent my entire childhood protecting strangers."
"Now you're protecting her?"
Elias's face hardened.
"I'm protecting the deal."
"There is no deal."
"Vincent will never let you walk."
Mara laughed.
"He already did."
Elias went still.
Claire saw it.
"What did you do?"
Mara looked at him.
"I told Vincent where you were."
Elias's face emptied.
A gunshot exploded outside.
Then another.
Mara dropped behind a crate.
Elias drew a pistol.
Claire sawed harder against the zip tie.
The plastic snapped.
She pulled one hand free.
Mara turned.
Claire grabbed the metal chair and drove it into her.
Both crashed to the floor.
Elias shouted.
More shots erupted outside.
Claire ran.
She reached a side door and burst into freezing night air.
The harbor spread black beyond the warehouse.
Shipping containers formed narrow corridors.
Men shouted behind her.
Claire ran between containers.
Her phone was gone.
Her coat was gone.
Snow soaked through her shoes.
She heard footsteps gaining.
A hand caught her shoulder.
Claire spun and struck blindly.
The man grunted.
She hit again.
"Claire!"
She froze.
Marcus.
He caught both her wrists.
"It's me."
Claire stared at him.
Then her knees gave way.
Marcus caught her.
"Adrian!"
Adrian appeared from between two containers.
The moment he saw Claire, everything in his face changed.
He crossed the distance fast.
Marcus released her.
Adrian pulled her into his arms.
Claire stood rigid for one second.
Then she broke.
She buried her face against his chest and shook.
His arms tightened.
"I have you."
Claire could barely breathe.
"Elias is inside."
"Police have the building."
"Mara told Vincent."
"I know."
"Julian has a recording."
Adrian pulled back.
"What recording?"
"Rebecca recorded Vincent."
"Julian kept the file."
Adrian's face hardened.
A shot cracked from the warehouse.
Marcus turned.
Then his radio came alive.
"Suspect down."
"Which one?"
Static.
"Male."
Claire's heart stopped.
"Elias?"
Marcus listened.
"Yes."
Claire closed her eyes.
Elias Voss had survived twelve years in hiding only to be shot minutes before he could trade the truth.
Then another voice came over the radio.
"We found a phone on him."
Marcus answered, "Bring it."
The phone contained one unsent text message addressed to Claire's number.
Elias had typed it moments before the shooting.
JULIAN IS NOT RUNNING FROM ADRIAN.
May you like
HE IS RUNNING FROM VINCENT.
FIND THE FUNERAL PHOTO.
