Chapter 5 - The Lawyer Who Buried Living Men

Robert Keller was no longer in the ballroom.

Security footage showed him leaving through the east entrance.

Seven minutes before Thomas.

Adrian listened to Thomas on speaker.

“Why is Keller going to Porto?”

Thomas answered:

“Because he knows the vault can open now.”

“How?”

“He saw the second key.”

Helen frowned.

“When?”

“At the gala.”

Adrian looked at the gown.

Keller had stood near Lucia earlier.

He had touched the fabric when greeting her.

“Did he know the key was in the dress?”

Thomas answered:

“He knew one of them was.”

“And the other?”

“He thought Elena still had it.”

Adrian looked at the two keys.

“What does Keller want?”

“The originals.”

“For himself?”

“No.”

“For whom?”

Thomas went silent.

Lucia’s voice hardened.

“Dad.”

“Your grandfather.”

Lucia froze.

“My grandfather is dead.”

Thomas answered:

“No.”

Adrian almost laughed.

Of course.

Another dead man.

Lucia’s grandfather.

Samuel Cross.

Supposedly dead twelve years earlier.

Adrian looked at Evelyn.

Her face confirmed it.

Lucia stared.

“You knew.”

Evelyn whispered:

“Only recently.”

“How recently?”

“Three weeks.”

Lucia laughed bitterly.

“Everyone learns things right before they are supposed to tell me.”

Thomas continued.

“Samuel never died.”

“Where is he?”

“Portugal.”

Elena spoke from the phone.

“I knew he was there.”

Adrian looked at his mother.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I did not know whether he was working with Keller.”

Thomas answered:

“He is.”

Silence.

Adrian looked at Lucia.

Her grandfather.

His family lawyer.

Waiting near the vault.

Thomas continued.

“Samuel wants the ledgers destroyed.”

“Why?”

“His signature is on all three.”

Lucia closed her eyes.

Adrian asked:

“And Keller?”

“Keller created the shell companies.”

The room went silent.

Adrian’s family attorney.

Thirty years of trust.

He had not simply covered things up.

He had built them.

“What about my grandfather?”

“Keller worked for him.”

“My father?”

“Used Keller later.”

“So Keller served everyone.”

Thomas laughed softly.

“He served money.”

Adrian looked at the keys.

“Where are you?”

“Airport.”

Lucia stared at the phone.

“You’re leaving.”

“Yes.”

“For Portugal?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I owe Elena one honest decision.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“That is not an answer.”

Thomas continued:

“I’m going to stop my father.”

Lucia whispered:

“You could have told me.”

“I know.”

“You could have stayed.”

“I know.”

“You could have done one thing without disappearing.”

Thomas went quiet.

That hurt him.

Good.

Lucia continued:

“If you get on that plane without telling investigators, you are doing the same thing everyone has done for twenty years.”

Thomas said nothing.

Adrian looked at Lucia.

She was crying.

But steady.

“Come back,” she said.

“Lucia—”

“Come back and tell the truth before you try to be a hero.”

Silence.

Then Thomas whispered:

“Okay.”

Lucia closed her eyes.

Adrian looked at her.

That was the first honest win of the night.

Thomas returned forty minutes later.

So did federal investigators.

Adrian called them himself.

No family lawyer.

No private cleanup.

No hidden agreement.

He handed over the photocopies.

Thomas gave a statement.

Evelyn gave one too.

Helen did as well.

Lucia sat beside her father.

Not touching him.

But there.

The investigators wanted the originals.

Adrian looked at the keys.

“They’re in Portugal.”

Elena answered through the phone.

“I’ll open the vault.”

Adrian stared.

“You’re going there?”

“I’m already in Porto.”

He froze.

“What?”

Elena continued:

“I came back this afternoon.”

Adrian stood.

“You are in the city?”

“No.”

“In Porto?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I did not know whether you would call.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“Mom.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop.”

She went silent.

“Stop apologizing for decisions you keep making without me.”

Elena breathed in.

“You’re right.”

“Are you at the vault now?”

“No.”

“Where?”

“Hotel Miramar.”

Adrian looked at Theodore—no, there was no Theodore here; he looked at Helen.

Then Lucia.

Then Thomas.

“I’m coming.”

Elena replied:

“Adrian.”

“What?”

“Robert Keller called me.”

His face hardened.

“When?”

“Twenty minutes ago.”

“What did he say?”

“He said Samuel Cross is waiting.”

Lucia went pale.

“For what?”

Elena answered:

“To make one final offer.”

Adrian asked:

“What offer?”

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Elena’s voice became quiet.

“He says if I give them the keys, they will tell you what really happened to your father.”