Chapter 7 - The Boathouse

The duplicate key opened an old boathouse Nora had not visited since she was sixteen.

It sat behind Peter Bennett's former lake property, now owned by a rental company.

Rourke obtained a warrant.

Nora ignored medical advice and went anyway.

That was her mistake.

She told herself she needed answers.

Really, she could not stand another room where people discussed her life while she waited somewhere else.

Alma came too, using a borrowed cane.

"We are both terrible patients," she said.

"You're worse."

"I have seniority."

Inside the boathouse, old ropes hung from nails. Dust covered a workbench. Under the floorboards, police found a steel compartment.

No red case.

Instead: ledgers, photographs, and a handheld voice recorder.

The first recording was Peter's voice.

Nora had not heard it in three years.

She sat down before she fell down.

"If Nora is hearing this, then either I finally grew a spine or I died before I could. Knowing me, probably the second."

Nora laughed through tears.

That sounded like him.

The recording explained that Voss Maritime had been hiding environmental cleanup costs through shell companies. Peter discovered it shortly before his cancer diagnosis.

Daniel's father, Martin Voss, wanted to disclose everything.

Celeste did not.

After Martin died in a boating accident, Peter began collecting proof.

"Accident?" Alma whispered.

Rourke said nothing.

The recorder continued.

"There is one person in the family who knows where every body is buried, some figuratively. Alma Ruiz. I never asked her to risk herself. I did ask her to keep one thing from Nora until I could prove it."

Alma went pale.

Nora turned slowly.

"What thing?"

The recording answered.

"Daniel knew about the cleanup fraud before he married my daughter."

Nora stopped breathing.

"He approached her on purpose," Peter's voice said.

The boathouse suddenly felt too small.

Then police outside shouted.

A truck engine roared.

Rourke ran to the door.

A black pickup smashed through the gate and accelerated toward the boathouse.

Alma grabbed Nora.

"Move!"

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The truck hit the outer wall.