Chapter 6 - The Plan Amelia Never Finished)
Grant left the hospital with more questions than answers.
Disappear.
The word followed him down the hallway.
Into the elevator.
Across the parking lot.
Amelia had children.
A husband.
A life.
She would never simply vanish.
Unless she believed staying would put them in danger.
Detective Ortiz caught up.
"Don't build theories around one statement."
"Mason knew details no one else knew."
"That doesn't mean he's telling the full truth."
Grant turned.
"Do you think Amelia planned to fake her death?"
"I think we need to find Daniel."
They finally did.
Not through police databases.
Through Margaret.
Grant returned to his mother's house after midnight.
Ben and Sophie were asleep.
Margaret sat in the den.
Grant closed the door.
"You know how to reach Daniel."
She stared at him.
"I don't."
"Mom."
"I haven't spoken to him recently."
"That's not what I said."
Margaret's eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
"Mason says Daniel was helping Amelia disappear."
Margaret went pale.
Grant saw the truth before she spoke.
"You knew."
"No."
"You knew something."
Margaret stood.
"Lower your voice."
"My children are sleeping upstairs because the woman I planned to marry locked them inside a shed to retrieve evidence their dead mother hid. I am finished lowering my voice."
Margaret stared at him.
Then walked to a writing desk.
She opened a drawer.
Removed an old address book.
Inside was a telephone number written without a name.
"Daniel gave me this two years ago."
Grant took it.
"You spoke to him after the funeral."
"Once."
"What did he say?"
"That he was sorry."
"For what?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
Grant called.
Nothing.
He called again.
On the fourth attempt, someone answered.
No greeting.
Grant spoke.
"Daniel."
Silence.
Then a familiar voice.
"You shouldn't be calling this number."
Grant sat down.
His brother sounded older.
"You should have called me eleven years ago."
"Grant."
"Did you help Amelia plan to disappear?"
Margaret covered her mouth.
Daniel said nothing.
Grant's voice shook.
"Answer me."
"Yes."
Grant closed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because she was afraid."
"Of Vanessa?"
"Of everyone connected to Northstar."
"What is Northstar?"
Daniel exhaled.
"A laundering network disguised through charities, shell companies and development funds."
"Who runs it?"
"I never found the top."
"Was Mason part of it?"
"Yes."
"Vanessa?"
"Yes."
"Did Amelia fake her death?"
Silence.
Grant stood.
"Daniel."
"The plan never happened."
Grant's chest tightened.
"What was the plan?"
"Amelia was supposed to take the children."
Grant looked toward the staircase.
"Take them where?"
"Somewhere safe."
"Without telling me?"
"She planned to tell you at the last possible moment."
Anger tore through Grant.
"You helped my wife plan to take my children and disappear?"
"I helped your wife prepare in case the people watching your family came after them."
"You should have come to me."
"You trusted Mason."
Grant had no answer.
Daniel continued.
"Amelia tried to warn you about him."
"I know."
"Did she leave recordings?"
"Yes."
"Then you know why she was afraid."
Grant looked down at the phone.
"What happened on the night she died?"
"I don't know."
"Mason says Vanessa followed her."
"She did."
"You knew?"
"Amelia called me from the car."
Grant stopped breathing.
"When?"
"Eleven minutes before the crash was reported."
"What did she say?"
Daniel's voice changed.
"She said someone was following her."
"Vanessa?"
"She wasn't sure."
"What else?"
"She told me to go to the cabin and destroy everything."
"You didn't."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I thought she'd survive."
Grant closed his eyes.
"So did I."
Daniel was silent.
Grant asked, "Why didn't you come home?"
"Because two days after the funeral, someone tried to kill me in Prague."
Margaret gasped.
Grant gripped the phone.
"What?"
"My apartment caught fire while I was sleeping. Fire investigators called it electrical. It wasn't."
"How do you know?"
"Because someone left a message on my car."
"What message?"
"Stop digging."
Grant paced.
"Where are you now?"
"I can't tell you."
"My children were locked in a shed today because Vanessa wanted Amelia's evidence."
Daniel became silent.
Then:
"Vanessa is still in your house?"
"She was."
"Grant, listen carefully."
Grant stopped.
"What?"
"If Vanessa was personally searching that shed, Northstar believes Amelia left something more important than financial records."
Grant looked toward the dark windows.
"What?"
"I don't know."
"What could be more important?"
"Names."
Grant remembered the Northstar folder Mason warned him not to open.
"Daniel."
"Yes?"
"We found a drive."
Silence.
"A folder is labeled Northstar."
Daniel swore softly.
"What is it?"
"I haven't opened it."
"Don't."
"Mason said the same thing."
"For once, listen to him."
Grant's voice hardened.
"Why?"
"Because if Amelia created a complete list, everyone connected to that network will come looking for it."
Grant thought of Vanessa standing beside the shed.
"Let them."
"No."
"They came into my home."
"Grant."
"They threatened my children."
"You don't understand who you're dealing with."
Grant looked toward the staircase again.
Then something moved outside the window.
A shadow.
Grant stopped.
"Daniel, hold on."
He walked toward the glass.
Nothing.
Then headlights flashed beyond the front gate.
A vehicle accelerated away.
Grant's security detail moved toward the driveway.
Daniel spoke urgently.
"What happened?"
"Someone was outside."
"Grant, get the children out of that house."
"They're at Mom's."
"Then leave."
"Why?"
Daniel's answer was immediate.
"Because they just confirmed where you are."
May you like
The phone disconnected.
One second later, the lights went out.
