Chapter 8 - Blackwater Point)
Sebastian left for Maine before dawn.
Elisa went with him.
Thomas remained at the mansion with Leo.
Sebastian had argued against leaving his son.
Leo had ended the discussion.
"If you stay because of me, you'll just walk around angry."
He was right.
By 6:20 a.m., Sebastian and Elisa reached Blackwater Point.
Fog covered the marina.
Martin's boat was tied to the outer dock.
Lucinda's car sat near the entrance.
Sebastian saw her before she saw him.
She stood beside Martin near an old boathouse.
They were arguing.
Elisa touched Sebastian's arm.
"Listen first."
They moved along the side of the building.
Martin's voice carried through the fog.
"I told you years ago I was done."
Lucinda answered.
"You were paid to disappear."
"I disappeared."
"Then why did Anna find you?"
"Because Anna was smarter than all of you."
Lucinda lowered her voice.
"Where's the ledger?"
"Gone."
"You're lying."
"You should be more worried about your brother."
"I am."
"Then stop protecting him."
Sebastian stepped around the corner.
"That's excellent advice."
Lucinda froze.
Martin turned.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Sebastian looked at the man his family had buried without a body nine years earlier.
"You look healthy for a dead man."
Martin's shoulders dropped.
Lucinda whispered, "Sebastian."
"Don't."
She looked toward Elisa.
"You shouldn't be here."
Elisa answered, "I'm getting tired of people telling me that."
Sebastian approached Martin.
"Tell me what happened to my father."
Martin's face changed.
"I wasn't there."
"But you know."
"Yes."
"Talk."
Lucinda stepped forward.
"Sebastian, this isn't the place."
He turned on her.
"You lied about Anna."
Lucinda said nothing.
"You forged access to her storage unit."
Nothing.
"You knew Martin was alive."
Her eyes lowered.
"And you know what happened the night my father collapsed."
Lucinda finally whispered, "Yes."
Sebastian felt Elisa beside him.
"Tell me."
Lucinda looked at Martin.
He shook his head.
"Don't drag me into this."
"You already are."
Lucinda closed her eyes.
"When Matteo discovered the transfers, he called Preston into his office."
Sebastian stopped breathing.
"He threatened to expose everything."
"What did Preston do?"
"He begged."
"Then?"
"They argued."
"And?"
Lucinda's voice trembled.
"I arrived later."
Sebastian stepped closer.
"What did you see?"
"Your father was on the floor."
Elisa stared at her.
"Did Preston hurt him?"
Lucinda did not answer.
Sebastian repeated the question.
"Did Preston hurt my father?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
Martin laughed bitterly.
Lucinda turned toward him.
"Shut up."
Martin shook his head.
"You still can't do it."
Sebastian looked between them.
"Do what?"
Martin stared at Lucinda.
"Tell him the truth."
Lucinda's eyes filled with tears.
Sebastian had never seen her cry.
Not at Anna's funeral.
Not at Matteo's.
Not even when her own mother died.
She whispered, "Preston didn't cause the stroke."
Sebastian waited.
"But he didn't call for help."
The fog seemed to swallow every sound around them.
Lucinda continued.
"Matteo collapsed during the argument. Preston panicked. He knew that if Matteo survived, the audit would go to the board."
Sebastian's voice was barely audible.
"How long?"
Lucinda looked down.
"Seventeen minutes."
Elisa covered her mouth.
Sebastian stared at his cousin.
"Seventeen minutes."
"I came in near the end."
"And you?"
Lucinda's face crumpled.
"I called the ambulance."
"You waited too."
"I was scared."
"How long?"
"Three minutes."
Sebastian stepped back.
Three minutes.
Seventeen minutes.
Twenty minutes of his father lying helpless on an office floor while two people decided whether saving him would expose their theft.
Matteo had survived the stroke for six days.
He never regained consciousness.
Sebastian had sat beside him every night.
Preston had stood at the funeral and carried the coffin.
Lucinda had hugged Sebastian afterward.
For years, they had been invited to Christmas.
Birthdays.
Leo's school events.
Anna's memorial.
All while knowing.
Sebastian turned away before anger controlled him.
Elisa followed.
"Sebastian."
He pressed both hands against the dock railing.
"I trusted them."
"I know."
"My father died while Preston watched."
"I know."
Behind them, Lucinda said, "There is something else."
Sebastian turned.
She reached into her coat.
Martin stiffened.
Lucinda removed a small cedar box.
The missing container from Unit 417.
She held it toward Sebastian.
"I took this because I thought Anna had the ledger."
Sebastian did not accept it.
"Does she?"
"No."
"Then what's inside?"
Lucinda swallowed.
"A confession."
May you like
"Whose?"
"Mine."
