Chapter 9 - The Man With the Red Folder
Nobody moved.
Patricia smiled.
Not the social smile.
Not the wounded-mother smile.
Something smaller.
Cleaner.
"Put the gun down," Marcus said.
She aimed at him.
"You first."
His hand stopped near his jacket.
Victoria stepped in front of me.
Patricia laughed.
"Still dramatic."
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"You tried to kill me."
"Did I?"
"Yes."
"Prove it."
"Working on it."
Patricia looked at the black Vance ledger.
Her smile vanished.
"You opened it."
I said, "You forged my signatures."
"Some."
"Daniel forged the rest."
"Poorly."
"You sent him to meet me."
"Yes."
The ease of the answer made me sick.
"Why?"
"Because you were lonely."
I stared.
"You think that's funny?"
"No."
Her voice sharpened.
"I think it was useful."
Victoria stepped forward.
Patricia raised the pistol.
"One more step."
Victoria stopped.
Patricia held up the missing deed page.
"You think this house belongs to you because Jonathan taught you to repeat it."
"It does."
"Maybe."
She tossed a second document onto the desk.
Older paper.
Different seal.
A deed transferring major estate holdings into Cross-Vance Holdings.
Signed by Jonathan's father.
Counter-signed by Michael Cross.
I looked at Marcus.
He picked it up carefully.
"Forgery."
Patricia smiled.
"Of course it is."
I frowned.
"Then why bring it?"
"Because I wanted to know whether Reed could still spot one."
Marcus looked at her.
"You came for something else."
"Finally."
She turned toward the bookshelves.
"The real deed."
"Which says what?"
"That Jonathan stole property from people he thought were too dead to complain."
Victoria laughed.
"My father?"
"Among others."
I looked at Patricia.
"You expect me to believe you're the victim."
"No."
That answer surprised me.
"I expect you to understand there were thieves before me."
A phone vibrated inside her coat.
She ignored it.
I said, "Samuel was your partner."
Her eyes flicked toward Victoria.
"Samuel was many things."
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"Victoria?"
"No."
"My father?"
Her face changed.
Only slightly.
"Jonathan made his own enemies."
Marcus said, "Dr. Porter."
Patricia looked at him.
"She kept records."
"False records."
"Useful records."
I took one step toward her.
She pointed the gun at my chest.
"Careful."
"You planned to have me declared incompetent."
"I planned options."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel became sentimental."
I looked at Victoria.
Then Patricia.
"What does that mean?"
"He stopped wanting to finish."
My stomach twisted.
"Finish what?"
"The transfer."
"Because he loved me?"
Patricia smiled.
"Ask him."
The lights went out.
Total darkness.
Victoria grabbed my arm.
A gunshot cracked.
Glass broke.
Someone shouted.
I dropped.
Marcus cursed.
Footsteps ran.
The emergency lights flickered red.
Patricia was gone.
So was the black ledger.
The old deed lay on the floor.
The real missing page did not.
Marcus ran to the hall.
Victoria pulled me toward the bookcase.
"No."
"What?"
"She wanted us to chase her."
"Why?"
"Because she came for the room."
"What room?"
Victoria reached behind a shelf and pressed a hidden latch.
The entire center section moved.
A black opening appeared behind it.
I stared.
"My father never showed me that."
"He showed me once."
We entered.
Narrow archive room.
Metal shelves.
Boxes.
Old video tapes.
Original corporate ledgers.
Marcus joined us.
Then stopped.
On the center table lay a file labeled:
JONATHAN HALE - FINAL RECORDINGS.
I picked up the newest tape.
Date:
Six months after my father's official death.
My hands shook.
"That's impossible."
Victoria whispered, "Play it."
We found an old monitor.
The tape rolled.
Static.
Then my father appeared.
Thin.
Alive.
Looking directly into the camera.
"If Emily is seeing this, Patricia found Daniel."
My knees gave.
Marcus caught my arm.
My father continued.
"And Marcus has probably already lied to her."
I turned toward him.
Marcus went white.
May you like
CUT.
