Chapter 11 - THE WATCHER
The photograph was recent.
Too recent.
Jared checked the date printed on the back.
Three days ago.
He looked at Oscar.
"Someone has been following us."
Oscar's face hardened.
Beverly examined the photograph.
"Look at the reflection."
Jared leaned closer.
A storefront window appeared behind the family.
In the reflection was the person who took the photograph.
A man.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
Jared zoomed in.
He recognized him.
Thomas Blake.
His uncle.
But something didn't make sense.
Thomas had been calling them.
Why would he photograph them from across the street?
Beverly noticed something else.
"There's a second person."
Behind Thomas stood a woman.
Lauren stared at the image.
"I know her."
"Who?"
"My mother's assistant."
Jared looked at her.
"Your mother?"
"Margaret."
"She's alive?"
"I thought she died."
The woman in the photograph was Helen Carter.
Margaret's closest friend.
According to family records, Helen had moved overseas after Margaret's death.
But the image showed her in Chicago.
Jared searched the warehouse.
He found a metal door.
Behind it was a small office.
The desk contained dozens of documents.
One file had Jared's name.
Another had Oscar's.
Another had Lauren's.
And another had Beverly's.
Beverly stepped back.
"Why would they have my file?"
Jared opened it.
Inside were photographs of Beverly meeting with Oscar.
Dates.
Times.
Locations.
Someone had been tracking her too.
Then a printer suddenly activated.
A page emerged.
It contained one sentence.
You are looking in the wrong direction.
Jared stared.
The printer produced another page.
Your father didn't lose the money.
He was never supposed to have it.
Oscar stepped closer.
"What does that mean?"
Another page appeared.
Ask Jared about the inheritance.
Jared's face went pale.
"What inheritance?"
Oscar looked at him.
"I don't know."
Lauren whispered:
"Neither do I."
Then the warehouse lights went out.
A door slammed somewhere in the darkness.
May you like
Footsteps approached.
This time, there were two people.
