Chapter 3 - The Blue Car Behind the Locked Door

We ran.

The carriage house stood beyond the north field.

Stone walls.

Rotten wooden doors.

No lights.

Snow covered the roof.

Marcus reached it first.

The old padlock was already broken.

Henry stopped.

"Someone got here before us."

Adriana looked toward the trees.

"My grandfather."

Marcus pushed the door open.

Darkness.

Dust.

Cold air.

Then my flashlight crossed the room.

A car sat beneath a gray tarp.

Long hood.

Low roof.

Marcus pulled the tarp away.

Dark blue.

Henry whispered:

"Daniel's Jaguar."

Marcus did not move.

His father's car had been waiting less than a mile from him for twenty-one years.

Adriana touched his arm.

He stepped away from her.

No words.

Marcus opened the driver's door.

Old leather.

Cracked wood.

A faded parking permit.

Nothing else.

Henry searched the trunk.

Empty.

I looked at the drawing again.

The blue car had one strange detail.

A black circle over the front wheel.

I held it up.

"Marcus."

He turned.

"Your drawing."

"What?"

"The wheel."

He looked.

Then at the car.

The front left wheel had an old chrome hubcap.

Marcus crouched.

Pulled.

Nothing.

Henry gave him a small metal tool from a shelf.

The cap came loose.

Behind it was a plastic-wrapped envelope.

Adriana gasped.

Marcus removed it slowly.

Inside:

A brass key.

A cassette tape.

Three bank deposit slips.

And one photograph.

Marcus stared at the photograph first.

His father.

Daniel Vale.

Edward Bell.

Henry Sloan.

All three standing in front of a warehouse.

A date was written underneath.

DECEMBER 14, 2005.

Six days before the fire.

On the back:

IF EDWARD SAYS I RAN, HE IS LYING.

Marcus looked at Henry.

"You were there."

Henry nodded.

"I was."

"You knew all of this?"

"Not all."

"You knew enough."

Henry lowered his eyes.

Marcus's voice hardened.

"You let me grow up believing both my parents were gone."

Henry looked at him.

"Your father made me promise."

Marcus grabbed his coat.

"Do not hide behind a dead man."

Henry did not resist.

"Your father was afraid Edward would use you to find Sarah."

Marcus released him.

"Then why come now?"

"Because Sarah told me the danger had changed."

Adriana whispered:

"Changed how?"

Henry looked at her.

"Edward is sick."

She went pale.

Marcus frowned.

"What?"

"Heart failure. Advanced."

Adriana closed her eyes.

Marcus stared at her.

"You knew that too."

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Since summer."

Marcus laughed once.

No humor.

"So everyone has a calendar except me."

Then a sound came from outside.

A door slammed.

Marcus turned.

Headlights flashed through the cracked boards.

A black sedan stopped near the carriage house.

Edward stepped out.

Two men with him.

His security men.

Marcus walked outside.

Snow landed on his black coat.

Edward said:

"Give me what you found."

Marcus held the envelope behind him.

"No."

Edward looked at Adriana.

"Come here."

She did not move.

"Adriana."

"No."

Edward's expression tightened.

Marcus looked at him.

"My father wrote that if you said he ran, you were lying."

Edward replied:

"Your father wrote many things when he was desperate."

Marcus held up the cassette.

"Then you won't mind if I listen."

Edward stepped forward.

Henry moved between them.

One of Edward's men reached inside his coat.

Marcus's security team arrived from the estate behind us.

Four vehicles.

Doors opened.

The balance changed.

Marcus said:

"No weapons."

His men obeyed.

Edward's men slowly lowered their hands.

Marcus looked at Edward.

"This is my property."

Edward answered:

"Built with money your father helped steal."

Marcus nodded.

"Good."

Edward frowned.

Marcus continued:

"Then maybe tonight I finally learn which part belongs to me."

We returned to the main house.

No guests had been allowed to leave.

The ballroom was silent.

Christmas candles still burned.

Marcus placed the cassette on the table.

"Does anyone have something old enough to play this?"

I did.

My mother collected antiques.

The staff lounge had a small cassette player she gave me years earlier.

Ten minutes later, I set it on the table.

Marcus pressed play.

Static.

Then a man's voice.

His father's voice.

Daniel Vale.

"If Marcus ever hears this, then I failed to come home."

Marcus stopped breathing.

Adriana covered her mouth.

The recording continued.

"Marcus, you were eleven when I made this."

A pause.

"You think I am a businessman."

Another pause.

"I am also a coward."

Marcus looked down.

Daniel continued.

"I helped Edward Bell build accounts that hid millions."

Edward stared at the floor.

"I told myself it was only money."

Static.

"Then Sarah found out what the companies were paying for."

Marcus looked at Edward.

Daniel said:

"She threatened to go to federal investigators."

The room became still.

"Edward said she would destroy us."

A long pause.

"I thought he meant financially."

Marcus's jaw tightened.

"Then our house burned."

Adriana began crying.

Edward remained silent.

Daniel's voice returned.

"Sarah survived."

Marcus shut his eyes.

"I helped her disappear because I knew Edward would finish what he started."

Edward suddenly reached for the cassette player.

Marcus caught his wrist.

"No."

Edward stared at him.

Daniel continued:

"I am going to find Sarah."

Static.

"If I do not come back, ask Thomas Grant where he drove me on December twenty-third."

The recording clicked.

Stopped.

Marcus looked at Henry.

"Thomas Grant."

Henry nodded slowly.

"Edward's driver."

Adriana whispered:

"He disappeared too."

Edward said:

"Thomas is dead."

Henry looked at him.

"No."

Edward turned.

Henry continued:

"He is eighty-two."

Marcus stared.

"Where?"

Henry answered:

"St. Agnes Assisted Living."

Edward went pale.

Marcus noticed.

So did I.

Marcus stood.

"Get the cars."

Edward said:

"You are making a mistake."

Marcus looked at him.

"No."

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Then he picked up the old brass key.

"I am finally following my father's directions."