Chapter 23 - Eleanor MercerEleanor Mercer was seventy-six.
Elegant.
Soft-spoken.
For most of Adrian's life, she had allowed Leonard to dominate every room.
Adrian found her in the greenhouse.
“Graham told me to ask you about Julianne.”
Eleanor's pruning shears stopped.
“What about her?”
“The crash.”
Eleanor sat down slowly.
Adrian had never seen his mother afraid.
Now he did.
“I didn't order it.”
Adrian's stomach tightened.
He had not accused her yet.
Eleanor realized her mistake.
“Tell me.”
She closed her eyes.
“Leonard wanted Julianne watched.”
“Why?”
“Because of the school files.”
“I know.”
“Graham hired men.”
“To scare her?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
Eleanor looked toward the greenhouse windows.
“I learned they were going to force her car off the road.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“You knew?”
“I tried to stop it.”
“How?”
“I called the police.”
“There was no police intervention.”
“They never came.”
“Then you did nothing else?”
Eleanor began crying.
“I was afraid of your father.”
Adrian stepped away.
“For twenty-four years?”
“I thought Julianne died.”
“And when Emma appeared?”
Eleanor looked down.
“I understood Leonard's fear.”
Adrian's voice was barely audible.
“You knew my daughter might be alive.”
“For three weeks.”
“And you said nothing.”
Eleanor reached for him.
Adrian moved away.
Then she whispered:
“I kept one thing.”
From a drawer beneath a workbench she removed an old microcassette.
“Julianne called me the afternoon before the crash.”
Adrian stared at it.
“I recorded the call.”
“Why?”
“Because she accused Leonard.”
May you like
Eleanor handed it over.
“And because she accused someone else too.”
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