Chapter 11 - The Man Damian Trusted With His Life)
Marcus did not run.
That surprised everyone.
Brooks called him and asked him to come to the precinct.
He arrived forty minutes later with an attorney.
Damian watched through the interview room glass.
Marcus looked tired.
Not frightened.
Brooks placed the access log on the table.
"MVALE."
Marcus read it.
"That's my account."
"So you accessed the restricted Vance Biogenetics archive."
"Yes."
"When?"
"Many times."
"Why?"
"Richard Vance ordered me to."
"Damian's father?"
"Yes."
"After the project was supposedly shut down?"
"Yes."
Brooks leaned forward.
"What were you looking for?"
"Evidence Michael continued running it."
"Did you find any?"
"Fragments."
"Why didn't you tell Damian?"
"Richard wanted his son kept out."
"Richard has been dead seven years."
Marcus's expression tightened.
"I kept investigating."
"Without telling the company."
"Yes."
"Without telling Damian."
"Yes."
"You expect us to believe that?"
"No."
Brooks watched him.
"Did you meet Claire Bennett?"
"Yes."
"Did you threaten her eight years ago?"
Marcus did not answer immediately.
Damian's chest tightened.
Finally Marcus said, "Yes."
Damian entered the room before Brooks could stop him.
Marcus looked up.
"You threatened Claire?"
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Your father ordered me to convince her to leave."
"How?"
"I told her the Vance family would destroy her in court if she tried to establish paternity."
Damian grabbed the back of a chair.
"You knew she was pregnant."
"Yes."
"Everyone knew except me."
"Your father believed."
"I don't care what he believed."
"I was wrong."
"You took eight years."
Marcus looked at him.
"I know."
Damian wanted to hit him.
Instead he asked the harder question.
"Did you hurt Claire three days ago?"
"No."
"Did you kill Daniel Reed?"
"No."
"Are you working for Michael?"
"No."
"Why should I believe you?"
"You shouldn't."
Marcus slid his phone across the table.
"Believe this instead."
Brooks took it.
A voice message.
Claire.
Recorded two days before her disappearance.
"Marcus, he's here."
Static.
"I saw Michael."
Damian's blood went cold.
Claire continued.
"He hasn't changed as much as I expected."
Breathing.
"If anything happens, get Emily to Damian."
Marcus's voice followed.
"Where are you?"
Claire answered.
"Home."
"I'm coming."
"No."
"Claire."
"Michael wants Sophie."
"Why?"
"I can't explain on the phone."
"Leave the apartment."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because he's watching the building."
The recording ended.
Brooks looked at Marcus.
"What did you do?"
"I drove there."
"Emily says a man with a watch arrived."
"That was not me."
"Your watch matches."
"So do forty nine others."
"What time did you arrive?"
"Nine forty."
"Claire vanished around nine thirty."
"Yes."
"What did you find?"
"Blood. Open door. Emily and Sophie locked in the bedroom."
Emily had told police she came out alone.
Marcus continued.
"I heard someone downstairs. I went after him."
"Why didn't Emily see you?"
"I told her through the door to stay inside."
"Did you call police?"
"Yes. Anonymously."
"Why anonymously?"
"Because Claire had begged me not to involve Vance."
Brooks stared.
"That makes no sense."
"I was afraid the police call would be traced through my phone and leak internally."
"Then how did the children end up alone?"
"I chased a vehicle. Lost it. When I returned, police were there."
"Why not identify yourself?"
Marcus looked ashamed.
"I thought Claire had been taken because I failed to act earlier. I panicked."
Damian stared at him.
"You knew Emily was my daughter before the wedding."
Marcus nodded.
"Claire told me six months ago."
Damian's anger became something colder.
"And you let Victoria block her from reaching me."
"I didn't know it was Emily in the service corridor until Nora said Claire's name."
"You saw her."
"I'd never met her."
"Then you learned."
"Yes."
"And still didn't bring her to me."
Marcus's voice broke slightly.
"Because Claire told me if Emily ever appeared unexpectedly, it meant Michael was moving. I wanted to get the children out before anyone noticed them."
"Without telling me."
"Yes."
Damian stood.
"I don't know whether you're loyal or insane."
Marcus gave a sad smile.
"Sometimes those look similar."
Brooks's phone rang.
She listened.
Then looked at Damian.
"They found Claire's car."
"Where?"
"New Jersey."
"Body?"
"No."
Relief and fear arrived together.
"Anything inside?"
"Blood in the trunk."
Emily's mother's blood type.
A second blood sample.
Male.
Unknown.
And beneath the driver's seat, investigators found a Vance anniversary watch.
Silver casing.
Blue face.
Engraved on the back with the initials M.V.
Marcus stared at the evidence photograph.
"That's not mine."
Brooks asked, "Whose is it?"
Marcus looked at Damian.
May you like
Damian knew before he answered.
"Michael Vance."
