Chapter 13 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Robert Sloan had not officially died.
He had vanished.
His car was discovered near a river.
His wallet remained inside.
No body was found.
After seven years, Rebecca had accepted that her brother was probably dead.
Now a photograph placed him at David Bennett’s funeral three years after he disappeared.
Rebecca stared at the image for almost a minute.
“That’s Robert.”
Officer Collins asked,
“You’re certain?”
“He broke that finger when we were kids.”
She pointed toward the man’s left hand.
“It never healed straight.”
“Why would he attend David’s funeral without contacting you?”
Rebecca looked devastated.
“I don’t know.”
The investigation searched travel records, facial databases and old financial accounts.
Nothing.
Robert Sloan had become a ghost.
Then Thomas Mercer revealed one final secret.
David had not been the first person investigating Martin.
Robert had.
Four years before David’s death, Robert approached David privately.
He suspected a series of estate frauds.
David helped trace money.
Then Robert disappeared.
David continued the investigation alone.
Sarah stared at Thomas.
“You knew all of this?”
“Not all of it.”
“You keep saying that.”
“I knew David was helping a federal investigator.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because he made me promise.”
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“Everyone promised David something except telling his wife the truth.”
Thomas had no response.
Noah watched the adults.
Then he asked the simplest question.
“If Robert was alive, why didn’t he stop Richard?”
Silence.
Children had a way of breaking through complicated excuses.
If Robert knew the network existed, if he knew Sarah had been chosen, and if he remained alive after David’s death, why had he allowed Richard to enter their home?
Rebecca looked sick.
“Maybe he couldn’t.”
“Or maybe,” Sarah said, “David was wrong about him.”
Rebecca looked at her.
Sarah remembered David’s line.
THE PERSON I TRUSTED MOST IS THE PERSON I CAN NO LONGER CLEAR.
Could that person have been Robert?
Investigators returned to Richard.
This time they showed him Robert’s photograph.
Richard’s reaction was immediate.
His face tightened.
Then he smiled.
“You finally found the ghost.”
Officer Collins leaned forward.
“You know him.”
“No.”
“You reacted.”
“I reacted to your desperation.”
“Who is he?”
Richard looked at the photograph.
Then toward the observation mirror.
Sarah was behind it.
“He’s the reason David died.”
Sarah entered the room.
Collins tried to stop her.
Sarah ignored her.
“What did you say?”
Richard stared at her.
For the first time since his arrest, there was something almost human in his expression.
Regret.
Or a convincing imitation of it.
“Robert set the Blackwater meeting.”
“Did he kill David?”
“I wasn’t there.”
“You were photographed near David before he died.”
Richard’s jaw tightened.
“I followed him.”
“Why?”
“Orders.”
“From Martin?”
Richard laughed.
“Martin never gave orders. Martin passed them.”
“From Robert?”
Silence.
Sarah stepped closer.
“You lived in my house.”
Richard looked away.
“You ate with my son. You taught him baseball. You told me you loved me.”
“I did love you.”
Sarah stared at him.
“No.”
“I did.”
“You targeted me before we met.”
“That part was true.”
“The part where you loved me?”
Richard looked toward the table.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Sarah felt no comfort.
Only disgust.
“Then tell me who killed David.”
Richard looked up.
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me who ordered you into my life.”
Richard hesitated.
Then spoke.
“Robert.”
Rebecca, watching through the glass, shook her head.
Richard continued.
“Robert wanted to know whether David left copies.”
“Why wait three years?”
“We didn’t know where the copies were.”
“The red box.”
Richard nodded.
“David hid everything.”
“Did you find it?”
“Yes.”
Sarah stopped breathing.
“Where?”
“Gone.”
“Where is it?”
“Martin took it.”
“Before or after my son saw you hurting me?”
“Before.”
Sarah looked at Collins.
That meant Martin had possessed David’s original evidence before disappearing.
“Where did Martin go?”
Richard smiled faintly.
“If I knew that, I’d already have traded him.”
Sarah leaned closer.
“What is Robert doing?”
Richard’s expression changed.
Fear.
It was the same fear Noah had seen when he ran next door.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“Robert Sloan isn’t hiding from the network.”
May you like
Richard looked directly at Sarah.
“He is the network.”
