Chapter 5 - Clara Wakes Up
Clara opened her eyes at 6:17 the next morning.
Alex was sitting beside her.
He saw the moment consciousness returned.
Confusion first.
Then fear.
Then memory.
Her hand jerked against his.
“Alex.”
Her voice barely existed.
He leaned closer.
“I’m here.”
She looked around wildly.
“Lily.”
“She’s safe.”
“Where?”
“With Detective Grant outside.”
Clara began struggling against the oxygen mask.
Alex pressed the call button.
“You’re in the hospital.”
Her eyes widened.
“Coffin.”
“I know.”
Tears formed.
“They put me—”
“I know.”
She grabbed his shirt.
“Derek.”
“Police have him.”
“Your mother?”
“Being questioned.”
“Beatrice?”
“Detained.”
Clara closed her eyes.
Relief lasted only two seconds.
Then she looked at him again.
“Jonathan?”
“Not arrested.”
Panic returned.
“Alex, you have to leave.”
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
“I found things.”
“The red ledger?”
Her expression changed.
“You found it?”
“Dad hid it in Lily’s wall.”
Clara exhaled shakily.
“I gave it to Arthur.”
“When?”
“The night before you left.”
Alex sat back.
“You knew before my trip?”
“I suspected.”
“What were you investigating?”
Clara looked toward the doorway.
“Close it.”
Alex did.
She lowered her voice.
“Two months ago, I noticed transfers from an old trust your father established.”
“What trust?”
“The Carter Family Educational Trust.”
Alex frowned.
“That paid for Derek’s college.”
“That’s what you thought.”
She took a slow breath.
“The trust never closed.”
“What?”
“It receives money every month.”
“From where?”
“Shell companies connected to Hale Meridian.”
Alex felt his stomach tighten.
“Why?”
“I asked Arthur.”
“What did he say?”
“He panicked.”
“Dad told you?”
“Not at first. But he wrote two words on a piece of paper.”
“What words?”
“Project Harbor.”
Alex stared at her.
Clara continued.
“I started tracing the companies. Hale Meridian isn’t the center.”
“Vale Strategic?”
Her eyes widened.
“How do you know about Vale?”
“Someone sent me an old photograph.”
Clara closed her eyes.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“Alex, William Vale may not be dead.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I found banking activity using one of his private authorization codes four months ago.”
“Codes can be copied.”
“Not these. The payments required biometric confirmation through a legacy security system.”
Alex shook his head.
“His body was recovered.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Parts of a body were recovered.”
Alex stared at her.
“I checked the original reports. Identification was based on a dental reconstruction performed by a physician who later received six million dollars through an offshore company.”
“Who was the physician?”
“Samuel Keene.”
The man who had falsely declared Clara dead.
Alex felt the pieces begin connecting.
“Keene helped fake Vale’s death.”
“I think so.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“And Project Harbor?”
Clara looked at him.
“I think it’s you.”
Alex almost laughed.
“What?”
“The payments, the records, your employment, your promotions. Every major step in your career was approved by people connected to Vale.”
“I earned my job.”
“I know you did.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I’m saying someone built the road you walked on.”
Alex stood.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“You got your internship at Hale Meridian at twenty-two.”
“Yes.”
“Jonathan interviewed you personally.”
“He interviewed dozens of candidates.”
“No. He interviewed you.”
Alex stared at her.
Clara swallowed.
“I found the archived applications. There were no other candidates.”
Alex felt the room contract.
“The position was created for you.”
“Why?”
“That’s what I was trying to learn.”
Alex remembered the anonymous message.
Your real employer.
Clara continued.
“Then Derek found out I was looking.”
“How?”
“I made a mistake. I requested records from one of his consulting companies.”
“And he confronted you.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“He came to the house angry. He demanded the flash drive.”
“What flash drive?”
Clara stopped.
Alex leaned closer.
“Clara.”
“I made a copy of everything.”
“Where is it?”
She looked away.
“Not at the house.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere Jonathan can’t reach easily.”
“Where?”
She met his eyes.
“Inside Hale Meridian.”
Alex blinked.
“You hid evidence inside my company?”
“Your company has twenty-seven floors.”
“Where?”
She almost smiled despite everything.
“You once told me the safest place to hide a lie is inside the department responsible for finding it.”
Alex knew immediately.
“My office.”
She nodded.
“Behind the false backing of your awards cabinet.”
Alex grabbed his jacket.
Clara tightened her grip on his hand.
“No.”
“What?”
“Do not go alone.”
“I won’t.”
“Alex, listen to me.”
He looked back.
“There’s something else on that drive.”
“What?”
“I found a video.”
“Of what?”
Her voice shook.
“You.”
Alex frowned.
“Me doing what?”
“You were twelve.”
His breathing stopped.
“Where?”
“Harbor House.”
Alex slowly sat again.
“What was happening?”
Clara began crying.
“I don’t know exactly. The camera was far away.”
“Tell me.”
“There were children.”
“How many?”
“At least nine.”
“And?”
“You were standing in a line.”
Alex waited.
“Jonathan was there. Your father. William Vale.”
Clara’s voice broke.
“And your mother.”
Alex stared at her.
“What were they doing?”
May you like
Clara looked directly at him.
“Choosing which child went home with which family.”
