Chapter 6: The Man Who Was Dead
The intercom buzzed a fifth time.
Desmond reached for my wrist.
I stepped away.
"Don't touch me.""
"Wren, you don't understand.""
"Then start explaining.""
"He wasn't supposed to come here.""
"Apparently your dead friend changed his plans.""
"He's not my friend.""
"Your mistress's uncle? Your father's employer? The man whose instructions you followed while moving millions through my dead mother's account?""
Desmond looked toward the door.
"Keep your voice down.""
That almost made me laugh.
"You spent fourteen years lying to me, and now you're worried about volume?""
The intercom stopped.
Silence.
Then came three slow knocks on the apartment door.
Desmond's face lost all color.
My phone vibrated inside my clutch.
A message from Nathaniel.
We see him. Elderly male. Do not open until we are in position.
I slipped the phone away.
"Is that your backup?"" Desmond asked.
"Maybe.""
"You told me you came alone.""
"And you told me you loved me.""
Another knock.
Then a man's voice.
Calm.
Older.
"Desmond.""
My husband closed his eyes.
"Open the door.""
I whispered, "Is that him?""
Desmond nodded.
"Yes.""
I walked toward the door.
He blocked me.
"Wren, if you open that door, everything changes.""
"Everything changed when you shoved me aside for your mistress.""
"This is bigger than Isolde.""
"I know.""
I looked into his eyes.
"That's why I'm opening it.""
I unlocked the door.
The man outside looked nearly eighty.
Silver hair.
Dark overcoat.
A cane he didn't appear to need.
His face was thinner than in the old photograph, but unmistakable.
Gideon Mercer.
A dead man standing in my hallway.
His gaze moved from me to Desmond.
"You failed.""
Desmond stiffened.
"I couldn't find it.""
"I wasn't speaking to you.""
Gideon looked at me.
"I was speaking to Elaine's daughter.""
I held the door.
"You have ten seconds to give me a reason not to have you removed.""
He smiled faintly.
"Still an Ashcombe.""
"Nine.""
"Wren.""
"Eight.""
"Your mother used to count backward when she was angry.""
I stopped.
He knew that.
My father had told me the same thing.
"Come in.""
Desmond whispered, "Don't.""
Gideon walked past him anyway.
He studied the apartment.
His gaze settled on my father's chair.
"Arthur kept it.""
"Don't say my father's name like you were friends.""
"We were.""
"Until my mother died?""
His expression didn't change.
"Especially after.""
I hated him instantly.
"Did you kill her?""
Desmond inhaled sharply.
Gideon looked almost disappointed.
"No.""
"Did Martin Reeve?""
"No.""
"Then who?""
"That is the wrong question.""
I stepped closer.
"People who avoid simple questions usually have ugly answers.""
His eyes narrowed.
"Your mother didn't die because someone wanted her dead.""
"What does that mean?""
"She died because she refused to disappear.""
A movement sounded in the hallway.
Gideon glanced toward the door.
He knew.
"Your lawyers?""
"Investigators.""
"Good.""
He calmly sat down.
"Then they'll hear this too.""
Nathaniel entered with two investigators.
Gideon barely reacted.
"Mr. Mercer," Nathaniel said.
"Mr. Crowe.""
"You've been legally declared deceased.""
"Administrative convenience.""
Nathaniel stared at him.
"Fraud isn't administrative convenience.""
"Then bill me.""
I slammed my hand onto the table.
"Enough.""
Everyone looked at me.
"My mother.""
Gideon leaned back.
"Elaine discovered I was diverting company money.""
"So my father's letter was true.""
"Mostly.""
"Mostly?""
"Arthur believed I was stealing for myself.""
"Weren't you?""
"Some.""
His casual admission stunned me.
"But most of the money was financing a private security project Corvina's board refused to approve.""
Voss had mentioned nothing about that.
"What project?""
"Your mother's.""
I froze.
"She was exposing you.""
"She was working with me.""
"No.""
"That's the story Arthur never learned.""
Desmond stared at Gideon.
"You told my father Elaine was trying to destroy you.""
"I told Martin what he needed to believe.""
Desmond stepped forward.
"You used him.""
"I used everyone.""
The words hung in the room.
Even Nathaniel went silent.
Gideon turned back to me.
"Elaine and I discovered someone inside Corvina was selling proprietary technology.""
"Who?""
"We never proved it.""
"And the missing money?""
"Funded investigators, offshore data storage, confidential informants.""
"Through fake companies?""
"Yes.""
"Why hide it from my father?""
"Because we suspected someone close to him.""
I felt sick.
"You're lying.""
"Possibly.""
He smiled.
"That's why you need evidence.""
He reached inside his coat.
The investigators moved immediately.
"Slowly," Nathaniel warned.
Gideon produced a small brass key.
He placed it on the table.
"Your mother gave me this forty-eight hours before the crash.""
I stared at it.
"What does it open?""
"A private deposit box.""
"Where?""
"Not a bank.""
He slid the key toward me.
"Corvina's original Manhattan office.""
Voss's voice came suddenly from the doorway.
"That building was demolished twenty years ago.""
We all turned.
He had arrived without me hearing him.
Gideon smiled.
"The upper floors were.""
Voss went pale.
"What did you do?""
"Preserved the basement archive.""
Nathaniel picked up the key with a handkerchief.
"What's inside?""
Gideon's expression changed for the first time.
The arrogance disappeared.
"Elaine's insurance policy.""
"Against you?""
"Against all of us.""
I looked at Voss.
He wouldn't meet my eyes.
That frightened me.
Gideon stood.
"Your husband has spent years searching for it. Your father died protecting its location. And Alistair has spent thirty-two years pretending he doesn't know it exists.""
I turned toward Voss.
"Is that true?""
He said nothing.
"Alistair.""
His shoulders dropped.
"Yes.""
The betrayal landed quietly.
Almost gently.
Those were sometimes the worst ones.
I picked up the brass key.
"What will I find?""
Voss looked at Gideon.
"Don't.""
Gideon ignored him.
"The original financial records. Elaine's investigation. Recorded interviews.""
He paused.
"And one video.""
My fingers tightened around the key.
"What video?""
Gideon stared directly at Voss.
"The recording your mother made the night before she died.""
Nobody moved.
Then Voss whispered something I almost didn't hear.
"Wren, if you watch that recording, you may wish you hadn't.""
I faced the man who had known me since childhood.
"Why?""
His eyes filled with something that looked dangerously close to shame.
"Because your mother names the person she believed betrayed her.""
My heartbeat pounded in my ears.
"Who?""
May you like
Voss looked at me.
And said, "Your father.""
