Chapter 15 - Allison’s Confession
Natalie agreed.
Ethan hated it.
Moreno allowed the meeting in a monitored interview room with officers outside.
Ethan watched through one-way glass.
Allison entered wearing jail clothes.
No makeup.
No camel coat.
No controlled smile.
For the first time, she looked like what she was.
A frightened woman who had run out of doors.
Natalie sat across from her.
Allison started crying immediately.
Natalie did not.
“Why?”
Allison wiped her face.
“I was fixing things.”
“You told me I was dying.”
“I thought if you believed it was serious, you’d stop flying.”
“It was serious.”
“You never stop for yourself.”
“So you forged a scan?”
Allison looked down.
“I needed time.”
“To steal my pension?”
“To protect money before Ethan got it.”
Natalie’s jaw tightened.
“He was never trying to leave me.”
“I didn’t know that at first.”
“You created the evidence.”
“Caleb created it.”
“You paid for it.”
Allison’s shoulders collapsed.
Natalie leaned forward.
“You canceled my chemotherapy.”
“I was going to restart it after I got control.”
Ethan closed his eyes behind the glass.
Got control.
As if Natalie were an account.
Allison continued.
“Nolan was pressuring me. The old airline cases were unraveling. I owed money. I thought if I could move yours temporarily, I could replace what was missing.”
“How much did you steal from dead crew members?”
Allison sobbed.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Six hundred and twenty-three thousand.”
Natalie shut her eyes.
Allison whispered, “I always meant to pay it back.”
“No. You meant to keep moving the hole.”
Allison looked up.
“I love you.”
Natalie’s face changed.
That sentence hurt more than the confession.
“You do not get to use that word like a receipt.”
Allison cried harder.
“I was scared.”
“So was I.”
“I didn’t want to lose you.”
“You almost delayed the treatment that could save me.”
Allison covered her mouth.
Natalie stood.
“No. Look at me.”
Allison did.
“I need you to hear this while I’m alive.”
Her voice trembled but did not break.
“You are not losing me because of cancer.”
Allison stared.
“You are losing me because of what you chose.”
Natalie turned toward the door.
Allison shouted, “Wait!”
Natalie stopped.
“There’s something else.”
Ethan felt his stomach tighten.
Allison looked toward the glass.
“I didn’t tell the pilot about Natalie’s diagnosis.”
Natalie frowned.
“What?”
“I didn’t arrange the announcement.”
“No one said you did.”
Allison shook her head.
“You don’t understand.”
She leaned forward.
“Someone told Captain Mercer that Ethan already knew.”
Behind the glass, Daniel Mercer went still.
He had joined the detectives ten minutes earlier.
Natalie looked at her sister.
“Who?”
Allison whispered a name.
Rebecca Sloan.
— — —
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://metro.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
