Chapter 10: The Other Son
Preston stared at his mother.
"Other son?""
Diane pressed both hands against her temples.
"Not now.""
"No.""
His voice cracked through the restaurant.
"You don't get to say that anymore.""
Charles looked at Diane as if he barely recognized her.
"Who is Daniel?""
She didn't answer.
Preston stepped closer.
"Is he my brother?""
"Half brother.""
"How old is he?""
Diane closed her eyes.
"Twenty-seven.""
Preston laughed once, bitterly.
"So everybody has a secret family except me.""
"Preston—"
"Does he know about me?""
Diane's silence answered.
Preston backed away.
"Of course he does.""
Richard took Laura's phone.
"Security said they found him. Where is he?""
Laura listened as the guard spoke.
Then her eyebrows pulled together.
"They detained him on the twenty-third floor.""
"Is NYPD there?""
"Officers are on the way.""
"Tell security not to question him.""
Laura relayed the instruction.
Then the guard said something else.
Her expression changed.
"What?""
She listened.
"He wants to talk to Emily.""
I felt every eye turn toward me.
"What?""
Richard took the phone.
"Why?""
The guard repeated himself.
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Put him on speaker.""
There was static.
Then a man's voice.
"Emily Carter?""
My stomach twisted.
"Yes.""
"You don't know me.""
"Apparently you know me.""
"I know what happened tonight.""
Richard interrupted.
"Daniel Grant?""
A short laugh came through.
"So Charles finally told you.""
"Where is Michael?""
Silence.
Then Daniel said, "Wrong question.""
Richard's face hardened.
"Where is your father?""
"Ask Charles where he left him.""
Charles moved toward the phone.
"Daniel.""
The line went silent.
Then:
"Charles Whitmore.""
Charles swallowed.
"You know who I am.""
"I've known exactly who you are since I was twelve.""
Diane stood.
"Daniel, don't do this.""
His voice changed instantly.
"You.""
Officer Martinez looked toward Diane.
Daniel continued.
"You still sound exactly the same.""
Diane's confidence vanished.
"Where is Michael?""
"Interesting. Everybody keeps asking me that.""
"Answer me.""
"No.""
Preston moved toward the phone.
"Daniel?""
Silence.
"I'm Preston.""
Another silence.
Longer this time.
"I know.""
Preston's lips trembled.
"Are you my brother?""
Daniel exhaled.
"Half brother.""
"Have you always known?""
"Almost.""
"Why didn't you contact me?""
Diane whispered, "Don't.""
Preston spun toward her.
"Stop controlling every answer!""
Daniel heard him.
"Because she threatened me.""
Preston stared at his mother.
"With what?""
Daniel's voice remained calm.
"She said if I came near you, she'd make sure my father went to prison for the rest of his life.""
Charles looked at Diane.
"You knew Michael was alive for years.""
She said nothing.
Richard asked, "Daniel, why did you enter Halston headquarters tonight?""
"To get something back.""
"What?""
"Evidence.""
"What evidence?""
"The original Mercer ledger.""
Charles went rigid.
Richard saw it.
"You know what he's talking about.""
Charles whispered, "I thought Dad destroyed it.""
Daniel laughed.
"Arthur Hale never destroyed leverage.""
Richard closed his eyes briefly.
"Where is the ledger?""
"Your office safe.""
Richard frowned.
"I don't have a ledger in my safe.""
"You do now.""
Everyone went quiet.
Daniel continued.
"I put it there.""
Laura looked toward Richard.
"When?""
"Twenty minutes ago.""
"Why?""
"Because tomorrow morning they're going to accuse Richard of stealing millions. When investigators open his office, they need to find the truth before they find the lie.""
Richard stared at the phone.
"You broke into my office to help me?""
"No.""
The answer came instantly.
"I'm not helping you.""
"Then what are you doing?""
"Finishing what my father started.""
Charles stepped closer.
"Your father tried to destroy our family.""
Daniel's voice hardened.
"Your family destroyed mine first.""
The restaurant went silent.
Charles looked down.
Daniel continued.
"My father found thirty million dollars missing. He trusted Arthur. He trusted you. Then his brakes failed on a mountain road.""
Richard turned sharply toward Charles.
Charles whispered, "I didn't cut his brakes.""
"But you touched the car.""
"I removed something.""
"What?""
Charles looked around as if searching for an escape.
There wasn't one.
"My father's tracking device.""
Richard stared at him.
"Why?""
"He told me Michael had stolen money and was running.""
"So you helped him track Michael?""
"No. The opposite.""
Richard frowned.
Charles's voice broke.
"I realized Dad was lying.""
Diane stared at him.
"You never told me that.""
"I wasn't protecting Dad that night.""
Charles looked at Richard.
"I was trying to give Michael a chance to disappear.""
Richard went still.
Charles pointed toward Laura's laptop.
"That video cuts off too early.""
Daniel didn't speak.
"I removed the tracker," Charles continued.
"Then I warned Michael to leave New York.""
Richard's anger faltered.
"But the crash?""
"Arthur found him anyway.""
"How?""
"I don't know.""
Daniel finally spoke.
"My father does.""
Richard leaned toward the phone.
"So he's alive.""
A pause.
"Yes.""
Diane gripped the table.
"Where?""
Daniel ignored her.
Richard asked again.
"Where is Michael?""
"Close.""
"How close?""
Daniel laughed softly.
"Close enough to watch all of you lie.""
The line went dead.
Richard immediately called back.
No answer.
Laura stared at her phone.
"Security says Daniel surrendered peacefully. Police just arrived.""
Officer Martinez spoke into her radio.
I looked toward Diane.
Her face had changed completely.
No arrogance.
No contempt.
Just fear.
"Why are you afraid of Michael?"" I asked.
She looked at me.
"I'm not.""
"Yes, you are.""
"You know nothing about him.""
"Then tell me.""
She shook her head.
Charles said, "Because Michael knows what she did.""
Diane snapped toward him.
"Be careful.""
Richard looked between them.
"What did she do?""
Charles hesitated.
Then his phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His face drained.
"What?"" Richard asked.
Charles turned the screen toward us.
An unknown number had sent a photograph.
It showed the outside of the restaurant.
Taken seconds ago.
Through the front window, all of us were visible.
Someone was standing across the street watching us.
May you like
Beneath the photograph was one sentence.
CHARLES, IT'S TIME TO FINISH OUR CONVERSATION.
