Chapter 13 - Helena's Version of the Truth
Helena contacted Adrian that evening.
Not by phone.
By video.
His laptop screen suddenly went black.
Then her face appeared.
Seventy years old.
Silver hair.
Elegant.
Calm.
"Good evening, Adrian."
David stepped beside him.
"Trace it."
Adrian's security team began working immediately.
Helena smiled.
"You won't."
Adrian leaned toward the camera.
"Where is Mercer?"
"Alive."
"Where?"
"Safe."
"You mean hidden."
"Sometimes those are the same thing."
"You were in the study when my father died."
"Yes."
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"Mercer injected him."
"Yes."
"What?"
"Atropine."
David frowned.
"That can treat certain cardiac problems."
"Exactly."
Adrian looked at the screen.
"So Mercer tried to save him."
"He did."
"But Dad died."
"Because the digitalis dose was stronger than Celeste believed."
Adrian's anger rose.
"Why did Mercer lie?"
"Because Roman threatened him afterward."
"You?"
Helena smiled.
"Everyone assumes every threat comes from me eventually."
"Did it?"
"No."
Adrian looked at David.
"Then Celeste killed Dad."
Helena tilted her head.
"Indirectly."
"What does that mean?"
"Thomas might have survived the digitalis."
Adrian became still.
"Then what killed him?"
Helena's expression changed.
"Something administered earlier."
"When?"
"At dinner."
"By whom?"
"You already know."
Adrian frowned.
"No, I don't."
Helena leaned closer.
"Who prepared Thomas's dinner every night?"
Mara.
Adrian's blood went cold.
"No."
David whispered.
"Adrian."
"No."
Helena continued.
"Mara Quinn had access to his food, medication, bedroom, study."
Adrian shook his head.
"She's been with our family thirty-five years."
"Exactly."
"Why would she kill him?"
"Ask her."
The video ended.
Adrian immediately called Evelyn.
Mara answered.
"Mr. Adrian?"
"Where's Mom?"
"In her room."
"Are you alone?"
A pause.
"No."
Adrian's heart pounded.
"Who is there?"
Mara lowered her voice.
"Dr. Mercer."
Adrian and David looked at each other.
"I'm coming."
"Mr. Adrian..."
"What?"
Mara began crying.
"I am so sorry."
The call disconnected.
They drove to the hotel.
Adrian's security guards were unconscious near the service elevator.
Again, no fatal injuries.
Someone had known exactly how to bypass them.
Adrian entered Evelyn's suite.
Mercer stood beside the window.
Mara sat on the sofa crying.
Evelyn was beside her.
Unharmed.
Adrian moved toward Mercer.
"You lied to me."
"Yes."
"You were in the study."
"Yes."
"You injected my father."
"To save him."
"Helena says you used atropine."
Mercer looked surprised.
"She told you?"
"Why did you disappear?"
"Because Reed was arrested."
Adrian frowned.
"What does Reed have to do with you?"
"He worked for Roman."
"You knew?"
"I suspected."
"Then why go to the police?"
"Because Reed was watching me."
Adrian looked at Mara.
"Did you poison Dad's dinner?"
Mara sobbed.
Evelyn stood.
"Adrian, listen to her."
"Did you?"
Mara nodded.
The answer broke something in him.
"Why?"
"It wasn't supposed to kill him."
Everyone in Adrian's life apparently loved saying that.
"What did you give him?"
"A sedative."
"Helena says there was something else."
Mara looked confused.
"I don't know what she means."
Mercer stepped forward.
"Thomas had two substances in his system."
"Digitalis."
"And aconitine."
David inhaled sharply.
Adrian looked at him.
"What?"
"Aconitine can cause lethal arrhythmias."
Adrian turned toward Mara.
"Did you give him that?"
"No."
"Then who did?"
Mara shook her head violently.
"I swear."
"Why sedate him?"
Mara looked toward Evelyn.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Adrian stared at his mother.
"No."
Evelyn whispered.
"I asked her."
"You?"
"Thomas was planning to leave."
"Leave where?"
"To meet Roman."
Adrian felt anger and disbelief collide.
"You drugged Dad to stop him?"
"I wanted him to sleep through the meeting."
"Why?"
"Roman said he would kill you if Thomas didn't come alone."
"So you tried to stop Dad."
"Yes."
Adrian turned away.
Every person had tried to protect someone.
Every act of protection had created another disaster.
Mercer spoke.
"The sedative didn't kill Thomas."
"Then Celeste's digitalis?"
"Made the situation worse."
"But still not necessarily fatal."
"No."
"The aconitine killed him."
Mercer nodded.
Adrian looked around the room.
"Who had access to dinner?"
Mara whispered.
"Everyone."
"Who was here?"
"Me. Mrs. Vale. Celeste. Thomas."
"Anyone else?"
Mara hesitated.
"One delivery."
"What delivery?"
"Wine."
"From where?"
"A vineyard Thomas liked."
"Who brought it?"
"I don't know."
Adrian remembered his father's whiskey.
Celeste claimed she had put digitalis in it.
But aconitine could have been in wine earlier.
"Did Dad drink the wine?"
Mara nodded.
"One glass."
Adrian looked at Mercer.
"Can we trace the bottle?"
"If it still exists."
Mara suddenly looked up.
"It does."
Everyone stared.
"I never throw away Mr. Thomas's last bottle."
Evelyn whispered.
"Mara."
"I kept it."
"Where?"
"In the cellar."
Adrian felt hope for the first time in hours.
Physical evidence.
Something objective.
They returned to Vale House with police protection.
Mara led them to a locked cabinet in the wine cellar.
She opened it.
Inside stood a single empty bottle.
Château Margaux.
Thomas's final wine.
Adrian reached toward it.
David stopped him.
"Don't touch."
Mercer examined the label.
Then went pale.
"What?"
Adrian asked.
Mercer pointed to a tiny symbol printed beneath the vintage.
A black apple.
David whispered.
"Orchard."
Adrian stared.
Mara spoke behind them.
"Mr. Adrian."
He turned.
She was holding an envelope that had been taped behind the bottle.
His name was written on it.
Adrian opened it.
Inside was a card.
One sentence.
Your father drank because you told him to.
Adrian's blood went cold.
"I never told him to drink this."
Then his phone vibrated.
A saved audio message appeared from an unknown sender.
He pressed play.
His own voice came through the speaker.
"Come on, Dad. Open the Margaux. Tonight deserves something special."
Adrian stopped breathing.
May you like
He had never said those words.
But the voice was perfect.
