Chapter 9 - THE FATHER’S SINClaire drove back to Chicago without speaking.
Grant sat beside her.
Marcus drove another vehicle behind them.
The name hung between Claire and Grant like smoke.
Michael Bennett.
Her father.
The man she had mourned.
The man she had just found alive.
The man Leonard Briggs claimed murdered Grant’s mother.
Claire finally whispered, “Say something.”
Grant looked out the window.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You think he did it.”
“I think an old man said he saw him.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“No.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
Grant noticed.
His voice softened.
“I’m not accusing your father.”
“You should.”
He looked at her.
“If someone said they saw you kill my mother, I would accuse you.”
“I’m not you.”
The words cut deeper than Grant intended.
Claire turned away.
“I know.”
Grant immediately regretted it.
“Claire.”
“Don’t.”
At the clinic Michael was sitting up when they entered.
He saw their faces.
Then the letters.
His expression collapsed.
“Where did you get those?”
Grant closed the door.
“Leonard Briggs.”
Michael shut his eyes.
Claire stepped forward.
“Did you kill Eleanor Mercer?”
Michael opened his eyes.
“No.”
“Were you there?”
“Yes.”
Grant’s voice turned hard.
“Start talking.”
Michael looked at Claire.
“Arthur called me that night.”
“Why?”
“Eleanor had discovered the ledger.”
Grant stared.
“My mother knew?”
“She found records in Arthur’s study. She contacted Daniel Vale.”
Charlotte had remained in Chicago, but Claire could imagine the irony.
“Eleanor threatened him?” Grant asked.
“No. She made a deal.”
Grant froze.
Michael continued.
“She told Daniel she would give him Arthur’s private ledger if Daniel helped her take you and disappear.”
Grant sat slowly.
“My mother was trying to leave.”
“Yes.”
“Then what happened?”
“Arthur found out.”
Claire whispered, “He planned to kill Vale.”
“Yes. He had Briggs sabotage Daniel’s car.”
“But Eleanor ended up dead.”
Michael looked toward Grant.
“Because Daniel came to the Mercer house before the meeting.”
Grant’s face hardened.
“My father killed her?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Michael’s eyes filled with shame.
“I don’t know.”
Grant slammed both hands onto the table.
“You were there!”
“I arrived after.”
“Briggs saw you.”
“He saw me move her body.”
Silence.
Claire felt sick.
Michael continued.
“Arthur called me after she died. He said if Daniel found the body inside the house, war would start immediately. He told me to help make it look like an accident.”
“And you did.”
“Yes.”
Grant looked shattered.
“You put my mother in a car.”
“Yes.”
“You watched them send it over a guardrail.”
“Yes.”
Claire covered her mouth.
Michael looked at Grant.
“I was a coward.”
Grant lunged.
Claire moved between them.
“Grant!”
He stopped inches from Michael.
His entire body shook.
“You let me believe Daniel killed her.”
“I know.”
“You watched me build my life around that.”
“I know.”
“You were at her funeral.”
Michael whispered, “Yes.”
Grant grabbed him by the hospital shirt.
Claire shouted.
Michael did not resist.
“Do it.”
Grant’s fist tightened.
“Grant, no.”
Michael stared into his eyes.
“I helped bury the truth. If hurting me gives you one second of peace, do it.”
Grant raised his fist.
Then lowered it.
He released Michael.
“No.”
Michael stared.
Grant stepped back.
“You don’t get to make me like you.”
Claire’s heart cracked.
Grant walked out.
She followed him to the hallway.
“Grant.”
He stopped.
“I’m sorry.”
He laughed bitterly.
“For which dead parent?”
Claire flinched.
Grant turned.
Instant regret crossed his face.
“That was cruel.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
Claire leaned against the wall.
“We’re both children of men who made terrible choices.”
Grant looked at her.
“What does that make us?”
“Responsible for ours.”
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then he touched her cheek.
The bruise beneath her eye was fading yellow.
His thumb stopped just short of it.
“Claire.”
She knew what he was going to do before he moved.
This time she met him halfway.
Their first kiss was nothing like the violent world surrounding them.
It was careful.
Almost uncertain.
Grant Mercer kissed like a man afraid that wanting something might destroy it.
Claire gripped his coat.
For five years, every unspoken moment between them finally had somewhere to go.
When they separated, Grant rested his forehead against hers.
“This is terrible timing.”
“The worst.”
“We should probably stop.”
“Yes.”
Neither moved.
Then Marcus came around the corner.
“I hate to interrupt whatever accounting procedure this is.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Grant looked murderous.
Marcus raised both hands.
“Daniel Vale just took your entire company offline.”
The moment vanished.
They returned to the room.
Every Mercer bank account had been frozen.
Federal warrants expanded.
Blackstone shell companies were collapsing.
Vale was moving aggressively.
Claire opened page one.
“We’re out of time.”
Michael nodded.
“Daniel is consolidating.”
“How?”
“He’ll force smaller owners to transfer shares.”
Grant looked at him.
“And then?”
“He’ll destroy the records.”
Claire understood.
“No records, no prosecution.”
Michael nodded.
“We need to close the books permanently.”
“The three tokens,” Claire said.
“Key, coin, watch.”
“We have the key.”
“Vale has the coin.”
“The watch?”
Michael looked at Grant.
“Samuel probably had it.”
Marcus said, “His personal effects are evidence.”
Agent Ross.
They called her.
Ross listened.
Then surprised them.
“I found the watch.”
Claire sat forward.
“Where?”
“Inside Kessler’s burned vehicle.”
“Can we get it?”
“No.”
Grant took the phone.
“Agent Ross.”
“No.”
“You haven’t heard my offer.”
“I know rich men. You’re about to offer money.”
“I was going to offer evidence.”
Ross paused.
Grant explained Blackstone’s kill switch.
Silence.
Then Ross said, “If this is real, you’re talking about exposing decades of public corruption.”
“Yes.”
“And you need evidence currently held in federal custody.”
“Yes.”
“That is not how laws work.”
Claire leaned toward the phone.
“Then arrest us afterward.”
Grant looked at her.
Ross went quiet.
Claire continued.
“Give us the watch long enough to activate the shutdown. Then charge me if you need to.”
Ross exhaled.
“You sound insane.”
“I’ve had a difficult week.”
Ross agreed to meet.
They obtained the watch under supervised conditions.
Two tokens.
Only Vale’s coin remained.
Then Charlotte called.
“I have the coin.”
Everyone stared at the phone.
Claire said, “How?”
“My father gave it to me ten years ago.”
Grant frowned.
“Why?”
“He told me it was proof I belonged to the family.”
Charlotte laughed bitterly.
“Turns out it was proof the family belonged to him.”
Claire’s pulse raced.
“Bring it.”
“No.”
Grant’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you want?”
“One thing.”
“Name it.”
Charlotte’s voice turned quiet.
“My father alive.”
Claire looked at Grant.
Grant looked at Michael.
For years all of them had imagined killing Daniel Vale.
Now the choice arrived.
Justice.
Or revenge.
Grant answered first.
“Alive.”
Claire looked at him.
He nodded.
“We end this without becoming them.”
Charlotte gave them the coin.
Three tokens.
Michael opened the final program.
A map of Blackstone accounts appeared.
$2.8 billion in accessible funds.
Grant stared.
“All of that gets frozen?”
“Yes.”
“And victims?”
“Court restitution.”
Claire placed the brass key into the authentication device.
Grant placed Arthur’s watch.
Charlotte placed the silver coin.
Three green lights appeared.
The screen requested successor authorization.
CLAIRE BENNETT.
She pressed her thumb to the scanner.
A message appeared.
FINAL CLOSURE REQUIRES PHYSICAL SERVER CONFIRMATION.
Location:
VALE NATIONAL BANK — SUBLEVEL 4.
Grant smiled without humor.
“Of course.”
Daniel Vale’s headquarters.
The most secure private bank in Chicago.
Claire looked at him.
“We have to break into a bank.”
May you like
Grant reached for his coat.
“Technically, we’re closing an account.”
