Chapter 6 - The Exchange

Simon chose the abandoned Old East Shipyard.

Of course he did.

The place where Eleanor hid copies.

The place Clara researched.

The place where generations of lies had crossed.

Detective Wells hated controlled exchanges.

“They are unpredictable.”

Richard answered, “So is kidnapping.”

Clara sat beside him.

“I’m going.”

“No.”

The word came automatically.

She looked at him.

Richard stopped.

He corrected.

“I do not want you to go.”

“That’s different.”

“Yes.”

“I’m still going.”

Wells shook her head.

“Absolutely not.”

Clara looked at her.

“He took Rosa because of me.”

“He took Rosa because he is a criminal.”

“He wants the ledger.”

“Yes.”

“And he thinks I know things.”

“Yes.”

“Then I matter to the plan.”

Richard hated how logical she was.

Wells considered.

“Remote only.”

Clara shook her head.

“He asked for both of us.”

The text had said:

RICHARD AND CLARA. NO POLICE.

Wells said, “He expects police.”

“Then he expects us to pretend.”

In the end, Clara went wearing a concealed tracker and microphone.

Richard hated every second.

The ledger they carried was a high-quality copy with altered final pages.

The real ledger sat in a federal evidence vault.

Vanessa provided one last piece of help.

“Simon uses the lower dry dock tunnels.”

Wells looked at her.

“How do you know?”

“Marcus showed me years ago.”

“Escape route?”

“Yes.”

Police positioned teams there.

At midnight, Richard and Clara entered the shipyard.

The huge building smelled of rust, salt, and oil.

Simon stood under a single work light.

He was sixty-two now.

Gray hair.

Expensive coat.

Calm.

Rosa sat tied to a chair.

Her mouth taped.

Clara moved forward.

“Rosa.”

Simon lifted one hand.

“Stop.”

Clara stopped.

Richard stared.

“Let her go.”

Simon smiled.

“Still issuing orders.”

“Still hiding behind other people.”

Simon’s smile faded.

“Ledger.”

Richard held up the leather book.

“Rosa first.”

“No.”

Clara said, “Then no deal.”

Simon looked at her.

“You sound like Eleanor.”

Clara’s face tightened.

“Good.”

Simon almost smiled.

“She was brave too.”

“Did you kill her?”

Richard looked at Clara.

Simon’s expression changed.

“No.”

Clara stared.

“Everybody says no.”

“Because not everybody killed her.”

“Then who did?”

Simon looked toward the darkness.

“Marcus.”

Richard’s chest tightened.

Then a voice came from above.

“Liar.”

Everyone looked.

Marcus Hale stepped onto a metal walkway.

Richard froze.

His brother descended slowly.

Older.

Scar across one cheek.

Alive.

Clara stared.

Simon cursed.

“You weren’t supposed to come.”

Marcus smiled.

“You kidnapped the wrong maid.”

Simon’s face hardened.

Richard asked, “What does that mean?”

Marcus looked at Rosa.

“She worked for me once.”

Rosa’s eyes widened.

Clara stared at her.

Rosa made a muffled sound.

Richard whispered, “Rosa?”

Marcus continued.

“Before she worked for you.”

Clara stepped backward.

Rosa shook her head desperately.

Simon laughed.

“Oh, this gets better.”

Richard’s heart pounded.

“Explain.”

Marcus looked at Rosa.

“Her husband worked at the shipyard.”

Richard knew Rosa was widowed.

She had said he died in an industrial accident.

Marcus continued.

“He found shipment records tied to Simon.”

Rosa cried behind the tape.

“Simon had him killed.”

Simon snapped, “Prove it.”

Marcus smiled bitterly.

“That phrase kept you rich.”

Richard looked at Rosa.

“Did you come to our house because of Simon?”

She nodded.

Clara’s face fell.

Richard saw it.

Another trusted person with a hidden purpose.

Marcus said, “I sent her.”

Clara whispered, “You?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To watch Vanessa.”

Clara stared at Rosa.

“Did you know Vanessa was hurting me?”

Rosa shook her head quickly.

Marcus answered.

“Not at first.”

“When did you know?”

Rosa tried to speak.

Simon reached for her.

Clara shouted, “Don’t touch her.”

Simon turned.

That gave Marcus time.

He descended the last steps.

Richard saw something in his brother’s hand.

A gun.

Wells’s voice whispered through Richard’s earpiece.

Do not move.

Simon saw the gun.

He pulled his own.

Everything froze.

Marcus aimed.

Simon aimed at Rosa.

Richard moved slightly in front of Clara.

She grabbed his coat.

Simon laughed.

“Family reunion.”

Marcus said, “Let her go.”

“Ledger.”

Richard held it up.

Simon said, “Throw it.”

Richard looked at Rosa.

Then Marcus.

Then Clara.

Clara whispered, “Dad.”

He looked.

She shook her head.

Trust.

The decoy.

Richard threw it.

The ledger landed near Simon.

He stepped toward it.

Marcus moved.

Simon fired.

The shot echoed.

Rosa screamed behind the tape.

Marcus fell against a railing.

Richard shoved Clara behind a steel column.

Police moved.

Gunfire erupted from the tunnel.

Simon grabbed the ledger and ran.

Marcus shouted, “Lower dock!”

Richard looked at him.

Blood spread across his shoulder.

Alive.

Wells’s team chased Simon.

Clara ran to Rosa.

Richard followed.

They cut the tape and restraints.

Rosa sobbed.

“I’m sorry.”

Clara hugged her.

Rosa cried harder.

“I should have told you.”

Clara pulled back.

“When?”

“When Mrs. Hale started controlling you.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I thought if I spoke too early, I would lose access to the house and Simon would disappear.”

Clara’s face changed.

“You chose the investigation.”

Rosa cried.

“Yes.”

“Over me.”

“Yes.”

Richard felt the sentence.

Rosa was not evil.

She had still failed Clara.

Rosa whispered, “I am sorry.”

Clara stood.

“I believe you.”

Rosa looked relieved.

Clara continued.

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

Rosa nodded through tears.

“No.”

Richard felt pride and sadness collide.

Wells’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Simon is contained.”

Minutes later, police dragged him back in handcuffs.

He looked furious.

The decoy ledger lay nearby.

He had opened it.

Found altered pages.

“You think this matters?” he shouted.

Richard stared.

“Yes.”

Simon laughed.

“Your wife is dead. Your brother is a criminal. Vanessa destroyed your daughter. You think prison fixes that?”

Richard said nothing.

Clara stepped forward.

“No.”

Simon looked at her.

She continued.

“But you don’t get to decide what happens next.”

Simon’s face hardened.

Police took him away.

Marcus sat against a wall while a medic treated his shoulder.

Richard approached.

Fifteen years of grief stood between them.

Marcus looked up.

“You got old.”

Richard laughed despite himself.

“You’re alive.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Marcus smiled bitterly.

“Complicated question.”

“Try.”

“I helped Simon.”

“I know.”

“I helped move money.”

“I know.”

“I helped threaten people.”

Richard’s face tightened.

“I know.”

Marcus continued.

“Then Eleanor found the network.”

“You met her the night she died.”

“Yes.”

“Did you chase her?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To get the ledger.”

Richard’s hands curled.

“Did you hit her car?”

“No.”

“Did Simon?”

Marcus looked toward the door where Simon disappeared.

“I saw his car come beside hers.”

Richard stopped breathing.

“What happened?”

“Simon tried to force her to stop.”

“And?”

“She swerved.”

Clara had approached silently.

Marcus saw her.

His eyes filled.

“She overcorrected.”

Clara whispered, “And went through the barrier.”

Marcus nodded.

Richard’s voice shook.

“Why didn’t you tell police?”

Marcus looked at him.

“Because I was in the laundering operation.”

“You let us think she died alone.”

“Yes.”

“You let me bury you first.”

Marcus closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Richard stepped away.

He wanted to hit him.

Hug him.

Leave.

Scream.

Instead Clara asked, “Why did you fake your death?”

Marcus looked at her.

“That happened earlier.”

“How?”

“Simon and I were moving money. I wanted out. I thought disappearing would free me.”

Richard laughed bitterly.

“You abandoned us.”

“Yes.”

“Then came back secretly.”

“Yes.”

“Then helped kill Eleanor through the same system.”

Marcus flinched.

“Yes.”

No defense.

Richard understood something.

Truth without excuse sounded different.

Not clean.

But usable.

Wells approached.

“Marcus Hale, you are under arrest.”

Richard looked at his brother.

Marcus nodded.

“I know.”

Police cuffed him after the medic finished.

Clara watched.

Marcus looked at her.

“Your mother was the bravest of us.”

Clara’s eyes filled.

“You don’t get to make her beautiful enough to erase what you did.”

Marcus stared.

Then nodded.

“You’re right.”

They took him away.

Dawn broke over the shipyard.

Rosa sat in an ambulance.

Clara stood beside Richard.

He asked, “Are you okay?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”

She leaned against him.

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For once, he did not try to solve the feeling.

They stood there until the sun rose.