Chapter 6 - someone had tested ethan before the party)
Jonathan nearly dropped the tube.
"Yesterday?"
Curtis leaned closer.
"How could Ethan's blood be here?"
Maya stared at the label.
"Did he see Dr. Mercer yesterday?"
Jonathan shook his head.
"He had his annual physical last week."
"Where?"
"Mercer's clinic."
Curtis immediately took out his phone.
"We need police and a forensic team in this room."
Jonathan grabbed his arm.
"Not yet."
Curtis stared at him.
"Sir, with respect, that is the worst possible decision."
Jonathan looked at the black ledger.
"If Miles Hargrove has been doing this for twenty-five years, he has lawyers, police contacts, board members, and probably people we haven't identified."
"Which is exactly why we need law enforcement."
"We need the right law enforcement."
Maya interrupted.
"Ethan is in a hospital."
Jonathan turned toward her.
"If Mercer is involved, Ethan is alone with him."
Jonathan's face changed instantly.
He called the hospital.
No answer from Ethan's assigned security.
Again.
Nothing.
Curtis tried.
No response.
Jonathan was already moving.
They ran from the hidden room.
At the bottom of the stairs, Briggs remained handcuffed to the railing.
Jonathan stopped in front of him.
"What hospital?"
Briggs smiled.
Jonathan grabbed his collar.
"Where did Mercer take my son?"
"The ambulance took him."
"What hospital?"
"St. Matthew's."
Jonathan tightened his grip.
"Who is waiting there?"
Briggs said nothing.
Maya stepped closer.
"Miles?"
Briggs's eyes flickered.
Jonathan saw it.
He released him and turned toward Curtis.
"Get the car."
They reached the front foyer when a staff member came running.
"Mr. Ashcroft."
Jonathan stopped.
"There's a call."
"From who?"
"The ambulance service."
His face was pale.
"They said Dr. Mercer redirected the ambulance."
Jonathan stared.
"To where?"
"They don't know."
Curtis swore.
Maya felt every hair on her arms rise.
Ethan had never reached the hospital.
Jonathan pulled out his phone.
He called his son.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Someone answered.
No one spoke.
"Ethan?"
Silence.
Jonathan looked at Maya.
"Ethan, say something."
A soft breath came through.
Then a man's voice.
"Jonathan."
Jonathan's face became stone.
"Miles."
Miles Hargrove sounded relaxed.
"I had hoped we could avoid unpleasantness."
"Where is my son?"
"Safe."
"If you hurt him."
"Your son has been hurt for months. You simply never noticed."
Jonathan flinched.
Maya watched him.
Miles continued.
"Your mother noticed."
Jonathan looked toward the staircase.
Vivienne stood there.
She had followed them.
Her face was unreadable.
Jonathan said, "What do you want?"
"The ledger."
Maya looked toward Curtis.
Miles continued.
"And Anna Reed's daughter."
Jonathan's gaze shifted to Maya.
"No."
Miles laughed softly.
"Then Ethan's condition will become significantly more complicated."
Maya stepped closer.
"Put it on speaker."
Jonathan did.
Maya spoke.
"Why me?"
A pause.
Then Miles said, "You look very much like your mother."
Maya's stomach twisted.
"You killed her."
"I didn't say that."
"She saw you poison Julian."
"Anna saw many things she didn't understand."
"Then explain them."
"You have something I need."
"The key?"
"No."
Miles's voice lowered.
"Anna's memory."
Maya frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll find out."
The call ended.
Jonathan immediately tried tracking the phone.
Curtis was already contacting the ambulance company.
Vivienne descended the staircase.
"You cannot give him the ledger."
Jonathan spun toward her.
"My son is missing."
"I heard."
"Then stay out of my way."
Vivienne's expression broke.
"Jonathan, listen to me."
"No."
"Your brother died because we reacted emotionally."
He stopped.
Vivienne stepped closer.
"Miles wants you angry. He wants you moving without thinking."
Jonathan stared at her.
"You knew."
Her silence answered.
His voice dropped.
"You knew Julian was poisoned."
"Yes."
"You knew Anna Reed was investigating it."
"Yes."
"You knew Catherine was involved."
Vivienne closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Jonathan's hand shook.
"And you never told me."
"I was trying to keep you alive."
He laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"My wife died."
Vivienne looked at him.
"I know."
"My brother died."
"I know."
"Anna died."
Vivienne's voice cracked.
"I know."
"And now Ethan has been poisoned."
Vivienne looked toward Maya.
"No."
Maya frowned.
Vivienne continued.
"Miles poisoned Julian."
She reached into her satin clutch.
Jonathan stiffened.
Vivienne removed a second amber bottle.
Maya recognized it.
"The bottle."
Vivienne nodded.
"What you saw me put into Ethan's glass was not poison."
Maya stared.
"What was it?"
"Something designed to help him survive the poison already in his body."
Jonathan's jaw tightened.
"You knew Ethan was being poisoned?"
Vivienne nodded.
"For three weeks."
Maya felt anger surge through her.
"And you said nothing?"
"I didn't know who I could trust."
"You could have trusted his father."
Vivienne's eyes moved to Jonathan.
"No."
Jonathan stared at her.
"Why not?"
Vivienne looked at him with an expression Maya could not decipher.
Then she said something that emptied the foyer of sound.
"Because twenty-five years ago, Miles Hargrove told me that your father ordered Julian's death."
Jonathan whispered, "That's impossible."
May you like
Vivienne shook her head.
"And yesterday, I discovered a document claiming you ordered Ethan's."
