Chapter 11
Andrew died three weeks after the lake warehouse.
Claire knew the date.
Now she wanted the missing twenty-one days.
Thomas gave her twelve.
Gabriel gave her four.
Julian gave her none.
Because he had not known Andrew was alive.
That hurt him visibly.
Victoria enjoyed that.
“He didn’t trust you.”
Julian ignored her.
Claire said:
“Stop.”
Victoria smiled.
“Truth hurts?”
Claire looked at her.
“No.”
“Your enjoyment is boring.”
That shut her up for a moment.
Thomas explained.
After the warehouse, Andrew disappeared into a Bennett safe apartment.
Thomas found him.
Not because Andrew trusted him.
Because Thomas controlled most Bennett safe routes.
“What condition?”
“Bad.”
“Injuries?”
“Yes.”
“From Gabriel?”
Gabriel shrugged.
“Some.”
Claire stared.
He smiled.
“Your brother fought.”
Then:
“Badly.”
Claire almost moved.
Stopped herself.
Gabriel looked disappointed.
Thomas continued.
“Andrew told me he wanted out.”
“Out of what?”
“The investigation.”
Claire frowned.
That didn’t fit Andrew.
Thomas corrected:
“He wanted you out.”
Silence.
“He said the network was too deep.”
“He wanted to destroy the copies.”
Claire looked at the envelope.
“Did he?”
“No.”
“He lied to me.”
There.
Andrew had learned.
“What happened next?”
Thomas hesitated.
“He contacted someone outside both families.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
“No idea.”
Gabriel laughed.
“Yes, you do.”
Thomas turned.
Gabriel continued.
“You killed him for it.”
Thomas’s face hardened.
“No.”
Victoria looked interested now.
Maybe she truly didn’t know.
Claire asked:
“Who?”
Thomas said nothing.
Gabriel smiled.
“A senator.”
Claire froze.
Which?
Then remembered the photograph from the black-water network.
Caldwell cover.
Political protection.
“Charles Caldwell?”
Gabriel nodded.
Thomas snapped:
“Andrew was going to blow everything open.”
Claire stared.
“Through Caldwell?”
“No.”
“Through Charles’s wife.”
That surprised everyone.
Evelyn Caldwell.
Dead now too.
Another woman who had tried to dismantle an old network.
Connections widened.
Andrew had reached her.
“What happened?”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“He arranged a meeting.”
“Where?”
“Train yard.”
“When?”
“Three weeks after warehouse.”
“The night he died.”
Silence.
Claire’s breathing slowed.
Thomas continued.
“I went to stop him.”
“Stop?”
“Yes.”
“Meaning?”
“I wanted the evidence.”
“Did you attack him?”
Thomas did not answer.
“Thomas.”
“Yes.”
There.
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
Claire stared.
“I swear.”
She watched his face.
Again, different.
She believed he had attacked Andrew.
Not killed him.
“Who arrived?”
Thomas looked at Gabriel.
Then Victoria.
Neither.
Finally Julian whispered:
“My father’s old driver.”
Everyone looked at him.
Julian’s face had gone pale.
“What?”
Claire asked.
He stared toward the lake.
“Samuel Vescari.”
Claire frowned.
“Your uncle?”
Julian nodded.
“My father’s brother.”
Victoria stood.
“No.”
Her reaction was immediate.
Real.
Julian continued.
“He ran the old network before Father.”
Victoria snapped:
“He’s dead.”
Julian looked at her.
“No.”
Silence.
“He disappeared.”
“Father told everyone he died.”
Victoria’s face drained.
Julian’s expression hardened.
“Andrew told me once there was someone above all of you.”
May you like
Then:
“I think it was Samuel.”
