Chapter 6 - The Signature

By the time Elena returned to the safe house, Richard had stopped being a billionaire.

Not legally.

His accounts still existed.

His shares still existed.

His name still sat atop Hawthorne Biomed.

But power had begun draining from him.

The board suspended him after an emergency meeting called by Evelyn.

Three directors accused him of mishandling confidential research.

Two called for an investigation into the estate fire.

One leaked to a financial reporter that Richard was suffering a "family-related psychological crisis."

He read the headline on Owen's laptop.

Then laughed.

Elena entered carrying the Union Station cashbox.

"You find that funny?"

"No."

Richard closed the screen.

"I find it familiar."

The safe house belonged to Owen's sister, who was away in Vermont.

Noah slept upstairs.

Gabriel rested in a converted study with Miriam monitoring him.

Agnes made soup in the kitchen because she did not know what else to do.

Elena set the cashbox down.

"I found Voss."

Richard stood.

"Where?"

"Union Station."

"Alive?"

"When I left."

Owen entered behind her.

"State police have him."

Elena turned.

"You knew?"

"They called while we were parking. He surrendered after the two men fled."

"Did he name them?"

"Not yet."

Richard looked at the box.

"What did he give you?"

Elena played the recording.

No one spoke until it ended.

Richard sat down slowly.

"Mercer threatened your father."

"Your mother authorized containment."

"According to Mercer."

"And the payment proves she paid Voss."

Richard nodded.

"It proves payment."

Elena heard Owen's language in his answer.

She almost snapped.

Then Richard added, "But I believe you."

That stopped her.

"You shouldn't."

"What?"

"You should believe evidence."

He looked at her.

"You're right."

Elena opened the inspection log.

The pages showed a crane at the Hawthorne research campus had failed a load test three days before Miguel's death.

An engineer ordered it removed from service.

The next morning, that order was overridden.

Authorization code: JM-77.

Julian Mercer.

Elena stared.

"Why would a doctor control construction?"

Richard looked closer.

"He didn't."

"What?"

"JM-77 isn't a person."

He pulled the page toward him.

"It's an executive override credential."

"Whose?"

Richard's face went pale.

"Mine."

Elena felt the room narrow.

"You overrode the inspection."

"No."

"Your code did."

"I was in Singapore that week."

"Can you prove that?"

"Yes."

"Could someone use your code?"

"Senior executive operations could."

"Your mother?"

"Yes."

"Mercer?"

Richard hesitated.

"If she gave him access."

Elena stepped away.

"This family uses your name like a weapon."

He did not answer.

Agnes entered from the kitchen.

"Mr. Hawthorne."

Richard looked up.

"Did my mother have my override credentials?"

Agnes's silence answered.

Richard's jaw clenched.

"How long?"

"Years."

"Why?"

"She said you were too hesitant."

He laughed again.

This time there was no humor.

"Too hesitant to falsify safety orders?"

Agnes looked ashamed.

"Too hesitant in general."

Elena studied Richard.

"Why did you let her control everything?"

His eyes shifted toward the stairs where his sons slept.

"Because I thought she had saved Noah."

Miriam appeared in the doorway.

"No."

Everyone turned.

She held Gabriel's chart.

"She didn't."

Richard stood.

"What do you mean?"

Miriam set the chart on the table.

"Project Lark didn't save Noah."

Richard stared.

"The doctors said his lungs improved after treatment."

"They improved before treatment."

"What?"

"His blood gas levels began stabilizing six hours earlier."

Richard grabbed the chart.

Miriam continued.

"The trial team moved the timestamp."

"Why?"

"Because they needed a success."

Elena felt sick.

"So they experimented on both twins even though Noah was already improving."

Miriam nodded.

Richard looked at the page.

"And Gabriel?"

"Gabriel had begun improving too."

The paper trembled in Richard's hands.

"No."

"He didn't need Lark either."

"No."

Miriam's voice broke.

"They injured a recovering infant to prove a treatment worked."

Richard turned away.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Then he asked, "Did Lydia know?"

The room became still.

Elena had barely seen Lydia Hawthorne since she arrived.

Noah's mother had been traveling in Europe for a charity foundation.

At least that was what staff said.

Agnes lowered her eyes.

Richard saw it.

"Where is my wife?"

Agnes whispered, "Switzerland."

"Why?"

"Treatment."

"What treatment?"

Agnes began crying.

"Richard, she knows about Gabriel."

He stared.

"No."

"She found out four years ago."

"No."

"She tried to bring him home."

Richard backed into a chair.

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"Your mother threatened her."

"With what?"

"Custody of Noah."

Richard laughed bitterly.

"My mother has no custody rights."

"She had documents."

"What documents?"

Agnes looked at the medical binder.

"Documents saying Lydia suffered psychotic episodes after the birth."

Richard went still.

"She had postpartum depression."

"Your mother had Mercer change the diagnosis."

Elena whispered, "So if Lydia talked, they would call her unstable."

Agnes nodded.

"Mrs. Hawthorne tried once. Four years ago. She took Gabriel from a private clinic and drove toward the state police."

"What happened?"

"Voss stopped her."

Owen frowned.

"Voss?"

"He convinced her Evelyn would have her committed and separate her from both boys."

Richard's voice cracked.

"Both."

Agnes nodded.

"That was the first time Lydia held Gabriel since the hospital."

Richard sat.

He looked older than he had that morning.

Elena felt anger toward him and pity at the same time.

It was uncomfortable.

"Call her," Elena said.

Richard looked up.

"Now."

He dialed.

Lydia answered on video.

Her face appeared against a white wall.

She was beautiful in a fragile way, with dark blond hair cut short and tired eyes.

"Richard?"

He said nothing.

She saw his face.

Then she saw Elena behind him.

Then Miriam.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

"You found him."

Richard's eyes filled.

"You knew."

Lydia began to cry.

"I tried."

"Four years."

"I tried."

"Four years, Lydia."

"Your mother said she would take Noah."

"You should have told me."

"I did."

Richard froze.

"What?"

"I told you."

"No."

"The night of the foundation gala. I told you Gabriel was alive."

Richard shook his head.

"You were drunk."

"I was medicated."

"Mercer said—"

"Mercer drugged me."

The room went silent.

Lydia wiped her face.

"I told you there was a second child. You called your mother. She came upstairs with Mercer. He injected me."

Richard looked as if he had been struck.

"I remember you screaming."

"I was screaming your son's name."

Richard closed his eyes.

Elena looked away.

Lydia continued.

"When I woke, you believed I'd had a breakdown."

"I believed the doctor."

"I know."

"I failed you."

"Yes."

The honesty of her answer cut through the room.

Richard did not defend himself.

Lydia took a breath.

"Is Gabriel there?"

Miriam moved the phone.

Gabriel was awake in the next room.

Lydia saw him.

For a moment she made no sound.

Then she whispered, "Baby."

Gabriel looked at the screen.

"Mom?"

Lydia collapsed forward, sobbing.

Gabriel watched her.

"I remember your song."

She lifted her face.

"What song?"

He hummed four notes.

Lydia covered her mouth.

Noah appeared beside him.

"She sings it wrong now."

Lydia laughed through tears.

"I probably do."

Richard stood in the doorway, unable to move closer.

Elena watched the family exist together for the first time in seven years.

Broken.

Angry.

But real.

Then Owen's phone rang.

He answered.

His expression changed.

"What happened?"

Everyone turned.

Owen listened.

"Understood."

He ended the call.

"Voss is talking."

Elena stood.

"What did he say?"

"He says Mercer ordered the fire."

Richard's face hardened.

"And my mother?"

Owen looked at him.

"Voss says Evelyn isn't running Project Lark anymore."

Elena felt cold.

"Who is?"

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Owen's answer came quietly.

"Mercer."