Chapter 9: The Last Secret of the Callaways
Emergency lights flickered on.
The archive was sealed.
Marcus rushed toward the door.
“Everyone stay back!””
He tried the handle.
Locked.
Nathaniel looked at the ceiling camera.
“Victoria!””
Her laughter came through the speakers.
“Hello, Nathaniel.””
“Open the door.””
“Not until Rose gives me the journal.””
I stepped forward.
“Why did you kill Daniel?””
Silence.
Then Victoria answered.
“Your brother was a mistake.””
Margaret began shaking.
“He was a child!””
“He was a liability.””
I felt something inside me break.
“He was your brother.””
Victoria laughed.
“Half-brother. There's a difference.””
Margaret rushed toward the speaker.
“You stole his surgery money!””
“I borrowed it.””
“He died!””
“And I was supposed to spend my life feeling guilty?””
Nathaniel slammed his fist against the steel door.
“You're sick!””
Victoria's voice became colder.
“You don't get to judge me. You were handed everything. A mansion.
A company. A name. I was told I would inherit the same things, and then your father changed his mind.””
“You had a family!””
“No. I had a prison.””
I looked at the camera.
“You pushed Eleanor because she was going to expose you.””
“Yes.””
The answer was immediate.
No hesitation.
No denial.
I felt my stomach twist.
“Why?””
“Because she had discovered the second trust agreement. Richard had promised me control of the Callaway estate when he was alive. Then he changed everything and left it to you.””
I looked at Nathaniel.
“Why didn't you tell him?””
Victoria laughed.
“Because I wanted him to find out the truth after I had already taken everything.””
Nathaniel's voice was low.
“Where are you?””
“Somewhere you can't reach.””
Marcus examined the security panel.
“She's controlling the archive system remotely.””
Nathaniel looked at him.
“Can you open it?””
“Give me a minute.””
Victoria continued.
“You know what the funniest part is, Nathaniel? You spent your entire life trying to impress a man who never considered you his real son.””
Nathaniel closed his eyes.
“Richard was my legal father.””
“Your biological father was Thomas. Your mother was Grace. And your inheritance was never guaranteed.””
“You're right,” Nathaniel said.
Victoria went silent.
He continued.
“But none of that makes you the victim you pretend to be.””
Her voice sharpened.
“Don't lecture me.””
“You had a mother who loved you. You had a brother who needed you. You had every opportunity to become something other than Richard.””
“And look where that got me.””
“You chose this.””
For several seconds, the speakers remained silent.
Then Victoria said something unexpected.
“I know where Daniel is buried.””
Margaret froze.
“What?””
“Your son was buried in a public cemetery. Section fourteen. Grave 206. Nobody visited him after his funeral except you.””
Margaret's face crumpled.
“I visited him every week.””
“Then you should have noticed the flowers.””
“What flowers?””
Victoria laughed.
“The ones I left.””
Margaret gripped the desk.
“You visited my son?””
“I wanted to see whether he knew.””
“Knew what?””
“That his sister had paid for the surgery he never received.””
The room went silent.
I looked at the speaker.
“What are you talking about?””
Victoria answered quietly.
“Daniel didn't die because I stole the money.””
Margaret looked up.
“Then why?””
“Because the hospital refused to operate without payment. I knew the money was there. I knew Richard had approved it. I could have transferred it.””
Her voice broke slightly.
“But I didn't.””
Margaret began crying.
“You let him die.””
“Yes.””
I felt rage rising through me.
“Why?””
“Because he was the child Richard loved before Nathaniel. And because I wanted Richard to suffer.””
Nathaniel looked at the floor.
Victoria continued.
“Richard found out. That's why he changed the will.””
I turned toward the steel door.
“You killed Daniel to punish Richard.””
“I didn't kill him with my hands.””
“You let him die.””
Victoria didn't answer.
Marcus suddenly shouted.
“Step back!””
A loud metallic click came from the door.
The lock released.
Marcus pulled it open.
But the hallway outside was empty.
A small black device lay on the floor.
Nathaniel picked it up.
“Where is she?””
Marcus examined the device.
“Remote access transmitter. She was controlling the system from somewhere nearby.””
I looked toward the elevator.
“She's in the building.””
Nathaniel immediately ran.
We followed him upstairs.
The lobby was empty except for a security guard sitting behind the reception desk.
He looked frightened.
“Mr. Callaway?””
“Where did the woman go?””
The guard pointed toward the rear exit.
“She left five minutes ago.””
Nathaniel rushed outside.
A black SUV was disappearing down the street.
Marcus shouted for the driver to stop.
But the vehicle turned the corner.
I looked at Nathaniel.
“What now?””
He checked his phone.
“She's going to the airport.””
“How do you know?””
“Because she just transferred the remaining money from the Callaway trust.””
I stared.
“How much?””
“Forty-eight million dollars.””
Marcus looked at him.
“That's not possible. The accounts were frozen.””
Nathaniel shook his head.
“She used the original authorization.””
He looked at me.
“The one Richard signed before he died.””
I felt sick.
“Can we stop her?””
Nathaniel looked at Marcus.
“Call the financial crimes unit. Get the police to the airport.””
Marcus nodded and ran toward the SUV.
I stayed with Nathaniel.
“There's something else.””
He turned.
“Tell me.””
“Victoria said she visited Daniel's grave.””
“Yes.””
“Why would she leave flowers?””
Nathaniel looked troubled.
“Maybe guilt.””
I shook my head.
“No. She said she wanted to see whether he knew.””
I remembered the videotape.
Richard's final confession.
Then I remembered the wooden box.
The photograph.
The hospital bracelet.
I ran back toward the archive.
Nathaniel followed.
I opened the box again and examined the documents.
Beneath Daniel's photograph was a folded note.
It was written in Richard's handwriting.
Daniel, if you ever discover who your sister is, tell her the truth.
I opened it.
Inside was a second sentence.
Victoria was not the only child Thomas fathered.
I stared.
There was another name.
*Evelyn Bell.*
I looked at Nathaniel.
“Who is Evelyn?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
I turned to Margaret.
She was still standing near the safe.
Her face had gone completely white.
“Margaret?””
She looked at the note.
Then she whispered:
“Evelyn was my daughter.””
I felt my heart stop.
“What?””
Margaret began crying.
“She was born before Daniel. I was told she died in infancy.””
Nathaniel stared.
“Was she Thomas's daughter?””
Margaret nodded.
“Thomas was my husband before he became Richard's employee. We had two children. Evelyn and Daniel.””
I looked at the note again.
“Then why did Richard say Victoria wasn't the only child Thomas fathered?””
Margaret closed her eyes.
“Because Thomas had another child.””
The room went silent.
I slowly understood.
Victoria.
Evelyn.
Daniel.
Nathaniel.
And someone else.
Margaret looked at me.
“Rose, there is one more thing.””
She reached into her handbag and pulled out an old birth certificate.
The name on it was unmistakable.
*Evelyn Bell.*
But the mother's name wasn't Margaret Wells.
It was Grace Carter.
I looked at my mother.
Grace had followed us into the archive.
She was standing in the doorway.
Her face was drained of color.
“Mom?””
She looked at me.
Then she whispered:
“Evelyn was my first daughter.””
I couldn't speak.
Grace stepped closer.
“She was taken from me before you were born.””
Nathaniel looked at the birth certificate.
“Where is she now?””
Grace began crying.
“I don't know.””
Then Margaret pointed toward the bottom of the certificate.
A handwritten address had been added.
A private medical facility.
The same facility where Eleanor had been treated after the rooftop fall.
I stared at the paper.
“She's alive?””
Margaret nodded slowly.
“She may be.””
Nathaniel immediately called the hospital.
But before he could speak, his phone rang.
It was Eleanor.
He answered.
“Mother?””
Her voice was weak.
“Nathaniel, listen to me. Victoria is here.””
Nathaniel froze.
“Where?””
“At the hospital.””
“Get away from her!””
Eleanor began crying.
“She's not alone.””
A man's voice came through the phone.
“Hello, Nathaniel.””
Thomas Bell.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
But Thomas was supposed to be in police custody.
Nathaniel gripped the phone.
“How did you get out?””
Thomas laughed.
“Your family has always had a talent for losing people.””
May you like
Then Eleanor screamed.
And the call ended.
