Chapter 14 - THE LAST BETRAYAL
Detective Daniel Mercer stood outside the mansion, surrounded by police officers.
He had spent the last hour coordinating the hostage response.
He had spoken with the tactical team.
Reviewed the building plans.
And tried to establish contact with Victor.
Now his phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
He answered.
“Mercer.”
A man's voice spoke.
“Detective, I think you should leave.”
Mercer frowned.
“Who is this?”
“Someone who knows what happened fifteen years ago.”
Mercer stepped away from the other officers.
“Identify yourself.”
The voice laughed.
“You've been asking the wrong questions.”
Mercer looked toward the mansion.
“What do you want?”
“To make sure the truth stays buried.”
The line went dead.
Inside Isabelle's bedroom, Victor stared at the photograph.
His hands trembled.
Armand stepped closer.
“Who ordered the accident?”
Victor looked at him.
“You wouldn't believe me.”
“Try.”
Victor swallowed.
“Your company's former legal counsel.”
Armand frowned.
“Thomas Grayson?”
Victor nodded.
Armand stared.
“Thomas retired years ago.”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“He didn't retire. He disappeared.”
Richard looked up.
“That's impossible.”
Victor turned toward him.
“You really don't know?”
Richard shook his head.
Victor's expression darkened.
“Grayson was the one who created the shell companies. He arranged the false documents. He controlled the accounts.”
Armand felt sick.
“Why?”
“Because he was stealing from both of you.”
Richard stared.
Victor continued.
“You thought you were building a private fortune. Grayson was moving most of it into accounts you couldn't access.”
Richard covered his face.
“And when Catherine discovered the scheme, he ordered the accident.”
Armand gripped the bedpost.
“Where is he now?”
Victor hesitated.
Then looked toward the window.
“Working under another name.”
Evelyn stared.
“What name?”
Victor's lips trembled.
“Daniel Mercer.”
The room went silent.
Armand looked at him.
“Detective Mercer?”
Victor nodded.
Evelyn felt a wave of disbelief.
The man who had helped her.
The man who had listened to her story.
The man who had reunited her with her mother.
Could he really be the person behind everything?
She shook her head.
“No.”
Victor looked at her.
“That's what makes him dangerous.”
Downstairs, Lina reached the hidden staircase.
Margaret followed.
They moved quietly through the narrow passage.
The walls smelled of dust and old wood.
Lina's heart hammered.
At the top, they reached a small panel behind Isabelle's bedroom closet.
Voices drifted through.
Victor.
Armand.
Richard.
Evelyn.
Lina pressed her ear against the wood.
Then heard Victor say:
“Mercer is Grayson.”
Margaret gasped.
Lina turned.
“You know him?”
Margaret nodded slowly.
“I knew Thomas Grayson.”
Her face had gone pale.
“He was the man who threatened me.”
Lina stared.
“Are you sure?”
Margaret nodded.
“Different hair. Different name. But the same voice.”
Lina felt cold.
They had trusted Mercer.
They had given him the evidence.
He knew where Catherine was being kept.
He knew Evelyn's location.
He knew everything.
Lina reached for her phone.
But she remembered Victor had destroyed it.
Margaret whispered:
“We need to warn the others.”
Outside, Mercer received another call.
This time from Rebecca Shaw.
“Detective, I found something.”
Mercer looked toward the mansion.
“What?”
“The journal contains references to Thomas Grayson.”
Mercer's expression hardened.
“Go on.”
“I ran a background check.”
“And?”
“Grayson disappeared fifteen years ago.”
Mercer remained silent.
Rebecca continued.
“But his fingerprints were found on a document recovered from the chapel.”
Mercer closed his eyes.
“Interesting.”
“Detective, there's something else.”
“What?”
“The fingerprints match yours.”
Mercer said nothing.
Rebecca's voice changed.
“Daniel?”
He slowly lowered the phone.
Then disconnected the call.
For several seconds, he stood motionless.
Then he turned toward the tactical commander.
“Prepare to enter.”
The commander frowned.
“Sir, we haven't received authorization.”
Mercer's expression hardened.
“I'm giving it.”
“Detective, there are hostages inside.”
Mercer leaned closer.
“Then you'd better move quickly.”
Upstairs, Evelyn watched Victor.
“You're lying.”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
“Mercer helped us find my mother.”
“Because he needed to know what she remembered.”
Evelyn felt sick.
“He helped recover the journal.”
“Because he wanted it.”
Armand looked toward the window.
Police officers were moving into position.
Victor's face tightened.
“He's coming.”
Richard began to panic.
“We have to get out.”
Victor looked at the journal.
Then at Evelyn.
For the first time, his expression softened.
“Your mother was smarter than all of us.”
Evelyn stared.
“What?”
“She knew Grayson would eventually come for the evidence.”
Victor opened the final page.
Inside was a small memory card.
He held it up.
“This is what he wants.”
Armand stepped closer.
“What's on it?”
Victor shook his head.
“Enough to destroy him.”
Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the mansion.
The windows rattled.
Evelyn screamed.
Victor stumbled.
The door burst open.
A tactical officer entered.
“POLICE! DROP THE WEAPON!”
Victor raised his hands.
But before he could lower the gun, a shot rang out.
He collapsed.
Evelyn screamed.
Armand pulled her behind the bed.
Richard dropped to the floor.
The officer advanced.
Then removed his helmet.
Evelyn stared.
It was Mercer.
He looked down at Victor.
Then at the journal.
“Thank you,” he said calmly.
Armand stared.
“Detective?”
Mercer smiled.
“I'm afraid you've discovered more than you were supposed to.”
He raised his weapon.
Then looked directly at Evelyn.
May you like
“YOUR MOTHER SHOULD HAVE KEPT HER MOUTH SHUT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. NOW YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HER MISTAKE.”
END OF CHAPTER 14
