Chapter 14 - The Second Explosion
Eleanor fired first.
The bullet struck the roof near Victor’s feet.
He dropped behind the ledge.
Daniel ran toward the pier.
“Victor, don’t.”
A red light began flashing beneath the abandoned crane.
Claire looked down.
Wires ran from the crane supports into the loading office.
Explosives.
“Move,” Eleanor shouted.
Clara and Mason lifted Arthur.
Claire grabbed Rachel beneath the arms.
They ran toward the concrete seawall.
Daniel remained in the open.
“Victor.”
His voice echoed across the harbor.
“You said no one would be hurt.”
Victor’s laughter came through speakers mounted around the pier.
“You believed me once before.”
Rebecca ran toward Daniel.
Mason shouted for her to stop.
A blast tore through the loading office.
The force lifted Claire from the ground.
She struck the pavement and lost her breath.
Fire rolled across the pier.
Metal screamed as the crane collapsed.
Claire heard Clara calling her name.
She pushed herself up.
Smoke covered everything.
Arthur lay near the seawall, shielded by Eleanor.
Mason was bleeding from his arm.
Rachel had disappeared.
“Rachel,” Claire shouted.
No answer.
Daniel emerged through the smoke carrying Rebecca.
Her face was covered in blood from broken glass, but she was conscious.
“Where is Victor?” Eleanor demanded.
Daniel coughed.
“He has a boat.”
They heard an engine start beyond the pier.
Clara ran toward the water.
A black speedboat moved through the harbor.
Victor stood at the controls.
Another person sat beside him.
A woman.
Rachel.
Claire stared.
“Did he take her?”
Eleanor raised her gun but could not risk the distance.
Rachel turned toward the pier.
Even through smoke and darkness, Claire saw her expression.
She was not struggling.
She was sitting calmly.
Victor handed her the detonator.
Rachel pressed it.
A second explosion destroyed the tunnel entrance.
The pier shook.
Clara stared after the boat.
“She went with him.”
Eleanor lowered the gun.
“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“She is following him.”
Claire looked at her mother.
“How do you know?”
“Because Rachel has spent her entire life making everyone believe she is controlled when she is the one choosing the direction.”
Police vehicles reached the harbor.
Officers surrounded the pier.
Paramedics carried Arthur into an ambulance.
He refused to release Claire’s hand.
“The will,” he whispered.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
“It matters.”
“You were shot.”
“Listen.”
She leaned closer.
“The stolen will contains a clause Daniel does not know about.”
“What clause?”
“If I die under suspicious circumstances, no family member inherits until an independent investigation is complete.”
Claire looked at Daniel, Mason, and Rebecca.
“Who controls the company?”
“Elias.”
“Elias is injured.”
“There is a second trustee.”
“Who?”
Arthur’s breathing became shallow.
He whispered a name.
Claire could not hear over the sirens.
“What?”
Arthur tried again.
Then his eyes closed.
“Grandpa.”
The heart monitor continued beeping.
A paramedic pulled Claire aside.
“We need to move.”
The ambulance doors closed.
Eleanor stood several feet away.
Claire looked at the woman who was her mother.
Neither knew what to say.
Clara approached first.
“Did you know Rachel was Margaret?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“I believed Margaret helped Rose hide her.”
“Where have you been?”
“Moving between safe houses.”
“For twenty-three years?”
“Victor’s people hunted everyone connected to the second manifest.”
Claire stared at her.
“You could have contacted us.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“I sent letters.”
“We never received them.”
Eleanor looked toward Daniel.
He had been placed in handcuffs.
Daniel stared back.
Claire walked toward him.
“Did you intercept her letters?”
Daniel looked exhausted.
“At first.”
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Clara struck him across the face.
An officer restrained her.
Daniel did not resist.
Claire’s voice shook.
“Why?”
“Rose said Eleanor was dangerous.”
“Rose was dead.”
“Victor continued the warnings.”
“You knew Victor was alive.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
Daniel looked toward the burning warehouse.
“Since the night of the explosion.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“You told me you shot him.”
“I did.”
“But he survived.”
“Yes.”
“And you worked with him afterward.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“He threatened all of us.”
“No,” Claire said. “You chose him.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You think I wanted this?”
“You stole money, forged signatures, concealed my mother’s survival, and helped a criminal hide for twenty-three years.”
“I was protecting the company.”
Arthur’s words returned to Claire.
Fear built this house.
She looked at Daniel and understood that he still believed the company was a living thing worthy of sacrifice.
More worthy than Eleanor.
More worthy than Clara.
More worthy than Claire.
An officer led Daniel away.
Mason approached Claire.
“You believe Rachel was following Victor?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you believe she planned the shooting?”
“I don’t know.”
“What happens to us now?”
Claire looked at him.
“For the first time, Mason, I don’t think money is going to decide.”
He lowered his eyes.
Her phone rang.
The caller ID showed Elias.
Claire answered.
“Arthur was taken to surgery,” she said.
“I know.”
Elias sounded weak but alert.
“The police are here.”
“Claire, listen carefully. The will that was stolen from me was not Arthur’s current will.”
“What?”
“It was a copy.”
“Why did you bring a copy?”
“Because the email seemed suspicious.”
“Where is the original?”
There was a pause.
“In Arthur’s private vault at Hawthorne Maritime.”
Claire looked toward the harbor headquarters across the water.
“Who has access?”
“Arthur and the second trustee.”
“Who is the trustee?”
Elias hesitated.
“Margaret Bell.”
Claire’s heart stopped.
“Margaret does not exist.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She is Rachel.”
Elias went silent.
Then Claire heard him breathe out slowly.
“That means Rachel has had legal access to the estate for twelve years.”
“Why would Grandpa name the housekeeper as trustee?”
“He trusted her more than his family.”
Claire looked toward the black water where Victor’s boat had disappeared.
Elias continued.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“The original will was removed from the vault twenty minutes ago.”
“By Rachel?”
“The security log says Arthur removed it.”
“Grandpa was in an ambulance.”
“I know.”
Claire stared at Hawthorne Maritime’s dark headquarters.
Someone had used Arthur’s identity again.
But this time, they had entered a physical vault requiring a fingerprint and retinal scan.
A light came on in the top-floor executive office.
A figure stood behind the glass.
From across the harbor, Claire could not see the face.
May you like
The figure raised one hand.
Arthur’s green signet ring gleamed beneath the office lights.
