Chapter 8 - The Brother at the Funeral
Thomas Hayes had always been Richard's opposite.
Richard joined the Army.
Thomas built houses.
Richard saved money.
Thomas lost fortunes and made them again.
Richard spoke only when necessary.
Thomas could charm an empty room.
They had not spoken in six years.
The argument had been stupid.
Family property.
Inheritance.
Pride.
Now Richard wondered whether the distance had been manufactured.
Thomas lived in Wisconsin.
Claire arranged discreet surveillance before Richard called.
Thomas answered cheerfully.
"Well, hell froze over."
"Where are you?"
"Home."
"Stay there."
Thomas laughed.
"You planning to arrest me?"
"Maybe."
Silence.
"Richard?"
"I know about Margaret."
The line went quiet.
Richard waited.
Thomas finally whispered, "She's alive?"
Richard looked at Claire.
"You tell me."
"I haven't seen her in twelve years."
"So you did know."
Thomas exhaled.
"Katherine made me promise."
"Everyone made promises except me."
"Because you would've gone after Mercer."
"Correct."
"And gotten Emily killed."
Richard's anger surged.
"She almost died yesterday."
Thomas said nothing.
Richard continued.
"Someone stole Margaret's part of the ledger."
"Not me."
"Prove it."
"I can't."
"Then I'll see you soon."
Thomas's house was empty when police arrived.
His truck remained outside.
Coffee was warm.
His phone sat on the kitchen counter.
No sign of struggle.
On a wall was a family photograph taken at Katherine's funeral.
Richard noticed something.
A man in the background.
Gray suit.
Partially turned away.
Michael Mercer.
Richard enlarged the photograph.
Claire stared.
"If this is Michael, he attended your wife's funeral."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Richard knew.
"To see who took the ledger."
Thomas's basement contained several locked cabinets.
Inside were financial records showing payments from shell corporations linked to Daniel Mercer.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nathan saw the records by video call.
"Thomas was taking money from Mercer?"
Richard said, "Looks like it."
Margaret disagreed.
"Thomas was feeding them false information."
"How do you know?"
"Because Katherine arranged it."
Richard looked at her.
"Before she died?"
"Years before."
"And he continued afterward?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Margaret's eyes softened.
"Because he loved your daughter."
Richard turned away.
Family had become a maze of lies disguised as protection.
Claire found another item.
A key card.
RED HARBOR MEDICAL SERVICES.
They now had a location.
An industrial medical campus near Lake Michigan registered to a pharmaceutical testing company.
Richard wanted to go immediately.
Claire stopped him.
"We need a warrant."
"While you get paperwork, they move whoever is there."
"If we go illegally, evidence gets thrown out."
"I'm not interested in court."
"I am."
Richard looked at her.
Claire continued.
"Emily deserves more than revenge. She deserves convictions."
That stopped him.
Richard had spent a lifetime thinking in terms of enemies.
Claire was right.
This was different.
They needed the truth to survive daylight.
The warrant arrived at 11:20 p.m.
Red Harbor appeared empty.
But underground they found twenty-three patient rooms.
Medical equipment.
File cabinets.
Burn bags.
Several rooms had been cleared recently.
One still contained a patient.
Male.
Seventy-one.
Sedated.
Nathan recognized him from a photograph.
Charles Cole.
May you like
His father.
Alive.
