Chapter 11 - THE DAUGHTER WHO HAD BEEN HOLDING THE LAST SECRET
Livia contacted them again eighteen hours later.
This time she provided instructions.
No police.
No tracing.
No Quentyn.
She wanted Evelyn to come to St. Matthew's Cemetery at sunset.
Miriam refused.
Daniel refused.
Law enforcement absolutely refused.
Evelyn went anyway.
Not alone.
Daniel stayed two hundred yards away.
An unmarked police vehicle watched the southern entrance.
Evelyn walked between rows of headstones until she reached Thomas's grave.
Livia stood there.
Her hair was hidden beneath a cap.
A bruise covered one side of her face.
Evelyn stopped ten feet away.
Livia began crying.
"Mom."
Evelyn did not move.
"Where have you been?"
"Safe."
"From whom?"
"Quentyn."
"Why should I believe you?"
Livia looked at Thomas's grave.
"You shouldn't."
"Good answer."
"I've lied to you."
"Yes."
"A lot."
"Yes."
"I knew about the transfers."
"Yes."
"I knew Quentyn was using companies to move assets."
"Yes."
Livia's voice shook.
"But I didn't know at first that he had forged your signatures."
Evelyn said nothing.
"I thought you'd approved a long-term estate plan."
"You never asked me."
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted the money."
There.
Finally.
No excuse.
No manipulation.
Livia wiped her face.
"I wanted the house. I wanted the investments. I wanted Axel secure. And Quentyn kept saying it was stupid to wait."
"For me to die."
Livia closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Evelyn looked at Thomas's name carved in stone.
"What happened to your father?"
Livia began trembling.
"The day before he died, Dad came to our house."
"What did he want?"
"Quentyn."
"Why?"
"He knew."
"Knew what?"
"That Quentyn had been using the old Harper structures."
"To steal estates."
"Yes."
"Did you know?"
"Not then."
"Did they argue?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"Quentyn told Dad he was confused. Dad laughed. Then Dad said he had copies of everything."
Evelyn felt her throat tighten.
"Then?"
"Dad left."
"And the next morning?"
"Quentyn drove him fishing."
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"Did you go with them?"
Livia looked away.
Evelyn stepped closer.
"Did you go with them?"
"Later."
The answer hit like a physical blow.
"Why?"
"Quentyn called me."
"When?"
"About six fifteen."
"What did he say?"
"That Dad had collapsed."
"Where?"
"On the boat."
"You went to the marina?"
"Yes."
"What did you see?"
Livia cried openly now.
"Dad was lying on the floor of the boat."
"Alive?"
"I don't know."
"Livia."
"I don't know."
"Was he breathing?"
"I couldn't tell."
"What did Quentyn say?"
"That he had a heart attack."
"Then why didn't you call an ambulance?"
Livia's face twisted.
"I wanted to."
"Why didn't you?"
"Quentyn said Dad had attacked him first."
Evelyn stared.
"What?"
"He said they argued. Dad grabbed him. Quentyn pushed him. Dad hit his head and collapsed."
"Did you see an injury?"
"Blood near his ear."
Evelyn felt nauseated.
"What happened next?"
"Quentyn said if we called police, he'd be charged."
"So you helped him."
"I panicked."
"You helped him."
"Yes."
The word seemed to hang above Thomas's grave.
"What did you do?"
Livia whispered, "We moved Dad back onto his fishing boat."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"Was he alive?"
"I don't know."
"You keep saying that."
"Because I don't."
"Did you check?"
"No."
Evelyn slapped her.
The sound cracked through the cemetery.
Livia staggered.
Evelyn's hand shook.
"You didn't check?"
"I'm sorry."
"You didn't check whether your father was alive?"
"I was terrified."
"He was your father."
"I know."
"You left him there."
Livia covered her mouth.
"I know."
For several seconds Evelyn could not speak.
The evening wind moved through the trees.
Finally she asked, "What happened afterward?"
"Quentyn drove the maintenance boat back. I followed him."
"And you told no one."
"He threatened me."
"With what?"
"Everything."
"Meaning?"
"He said I had helped move Dad. That we'd both go to prison. That you would hate me."
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
"So instead you lied to me for twelve years."
"Yes."
"And married him."
"Yes."
"And stole from me with him."
Livia looked down.
"Yes."
Evelyn wanted to scream.
Instead, her voice became almost gentle.
"Why are you here now?"
Livia reached inside her coat.
Daniel moved in the distance.
Evelyn lifted one hand to signal him to wait.
Livia removed a small black drive.
Drive F.
"Because Dad gave this to me the night before he died."
Evelyn stared.
"What?"
"He came back after confronting Quentyn."
"And gave you this?"
"He told me not to open it."
"Why you?"
"He said because nobody would suspect me."
Evelyn almost laughed at the cruelty of that irony.
"Did you open it?"
"Years later."
"What is on it?"
Livia looked terrified.
"Insurance."
"What does that mean?"
"Thomas wasn't protecting evidence."
"What was he protecting?"
"Us."
Livia extended the drive.
"Mom, if Quentyn finds out you have this, he will not stop."
Evelyn took it.
May you like
"What is on it?"
Livia whispered, "A dead man's confession."
