Chương 13
Blake’s hands shook.
“You still didn’t tell me.”
“I tried to separate you.”
“You threatened her.”
“I was trying to prevent something worse.”
My mother laughed once without humor.
“So you solved incest risk with blackmail.”
Richard ignored her.
Bell did not.
“That matters,” he said.
“Everything you did to conceal this created what we’re dealing with now.”
Richard went silent.
Blake looked sick.
“Did Chloe know when she came back?”
“No.”
Bell asked, “Are you sure?”
“I believed she didn’t.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Richard exhaled.
“No.”
Blake pressed a hand against the wall.
“Then the twins.”
Owen’s expression had become grim.
“If Chloe accessed the genetic screening and understood the markers, she may have realized the same thing.”
I looked at him.
“That she and Blake shared a biological father.”
“Yes.”
My stomach turned.
Bell said, “And if she believed Natalie’s twins were Blake’s, the screening could expose Graham as Blake’s biological father and Chloe as Blake’s half sister.”
My mother whispered, “Jesus.”
Blake slid into the chair.
His face had lost all expression.
For eleven years, he had mourned Chloe as the woman taken from him.
For eighteen months, he had allowed her back into his life under the shape of unfinished love.
Now even his memories had become contaminated.
I almost pitied him.
Then my abdomen throbbed.
Pity had limits.
Bell looked at the phone.
“Richard, why would Chloe want the twins dead?”
Richard answered too quickly.
“To prevent exposure.”
“That’s speculation.”
“Yes.”
“So what do you know?”
Silence.
Bell’s voice sharpened.
“What aren’t you telling us?”
Richard finally said, “Graham called me Tuesday morning.”
Everyone went still.
“What did he say?” Bell asked.
“He knew about the screening.”
“And?”
“He said Chloe had seen it.”
Blake lifted his head.
“You talked to Graham before Natalie was attacked.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Chloe knew.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t warn us.”
“I didn’t believe she would hurt Natalie.”
I laughed.
The pain doubled me over.
Owen moved toward the bed, but I raised a hand.
Richard heard it.
“Natalie.”
“Don’t say my name.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry because the system you built stopped obeying you.”
Nothing came from the phone.
Bell said, “Did Graham tell you Chloe intended to confront Natalie?”
“No.”
“Did he tell you about Dr. Keller?”
“No.”
“Did you direct him to access Natalie’s records?”
“I directed him to find out who had leaked them.”
“Did you authorize payment to Keller?”
“No.”
“Did you know Keller?”
“Yes.”
Owen looked at Bell.
“There it is.”
Bell raised a hand.
“How?”
Richard paused.
“He treated Evelyn years ago.”
Blake looked up.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“Cancer.”
Blake’s face crumpled slightly.
“She died of cancer.”
“I know.”
“You never told me Keller treated her.”
“It wasn’t relevant.”
Bell said, “It is now.”
A silence followed.
Then Richard said, “Keller also performed private work for Graham.”
Bell’s eyes narrowed.
“What kind?”
“I never asked.”
“That sentence is going to age badly.”
Richard said nothing.
Bell ended the call after ordering him not to leave his home.
Blake remained seated.
My mother righted the fallen chair.
Nobody spoke to him for a while.
Sometimes there is no humane sentence available.
At nine that night, police confirmed that Margaret Ellis had been found safe.
She agreed to speak by video call.
Bell arranged it from my room because Blake refused to leave.
Margaret appeared on the screen with white hair cut bluntly at her chin and the same dark eyes Evelyn had in the photograph.
She took one look at Blake and began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
Blake did not.
“For what?”
“For letting Richard keep you.”
The sentence changed his face.
Margaret covered her mouth.
“He said you’d have everything.”
Blake stared at her.
“Except the truth.”
“Yes.”
“Did my mother want him to raise me?”
Margaret’s answer came slowly.
“She wanted you safe.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“No.”
Blake closed his eyes.
Margaret continued.
“She was afraid of Graham.”
“Why?”
“He could be charming when things went his way.”
Her mouth tightened.
“When they didn’t, he became someone else.”
Bell asked, “Did Evelyn know Chloe was Graham’s daughter?”
Margaret nodded.
“Yes.”
Blake’s eyes opened.
“When?”
“Years after you were born.”
“How?”
“Graham told her.”
“Why?”
“To hurt her.”
Margaret wiped her cheek.
“He knew Chloe’s mother while he was still involved with Evelyn.”
My mother whispered, “So everybody was lying to everybody.”
Margaret gave a sad little laugh.
“That family could make lying sound like estate planning.”
Bell asked the question that mattered.
“Did Chloe know Blake was Graham’s son?”
“No.”
“Did Graham?”
“Yes.”
“And he allowed their relationship?”
Margaret’s expression darkened.
“He encouraged it.”
Blake went completely still.
“Why?”
“Because he hated Richard.”
Margaret looked at him with something close to shame.
“He thought letting Richard’s heir fall in love with his own half sister would be the perfect revenge if the truth ever came out.”
I felt nauseated.
Blake whispered, “He knew.”
“Yes.”
“He watched us.”
“Yes.”
“He raised her and watched us.”
Margaret nodded.
For the first time, Blake cried without trying to hide it.
I turned my face toward the window.
There are griefs you can witness without sharing.
At dawn, police found Graham’s ranch.
They did not storm it.
They watched.
Aerial surveillance showed two people moving between the main house and a detached workshop.
One was Graham.
The other appeared to be Priya.
Alive.
At eight twenty, Bell came into my room with coffee he forgot to drink.
“We have a plan.”
Owen folded his arms.
“Natalie stays here.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Bell.
“Then what?”
“Richard goes.”
My mother stared at him.
“You’re using him as bait?”
“Richard volunteered.”
That surprised me.
Blake laughed bitterly.
“Of course he did.”
Bell continued.
“He’ll wear a transmitter.”
“No visible police.”
“We’ll have teams beyond the property line.”
“And Priya?”
“We get confirmation of her location before anyone moves.”
I looked at Blake.
“You’re going too.”
Bell said, “No.”
May you like
Blake said, “Yes.”
Bell stared at him.
