Chapter 7 - The Twenty-Fourth Ring

Mrs. Whitmore led them back to the library.

She walked to the fireplace.

Removed a loose brick.

Inside:

A small velvet box.

Alexander stared.

She opened it.

One gold ring.

Inside:

M.W. — 1979.

Margaret Whitmore.

Her own wedding band.

Alexander frowned.

“You stopped wearing this years ago.”

She nodded.

“I told everyone I lost it.”

“Why is it part of Father’s ledger?”

“Because I was not only his wife.”

Silence.

Evelyn closed her eyes.

She already knew.

Alexander did not.

“What does that mean?”

Mrs. Whitmore sat.

“Richard used me to deliver payments.”

Alexander stared.

“To judges?”

“Yes.”

“Police?”

“Yes.”

“Others?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Thirty years.”

Alexander stepped back.

His own mother had helped build it.

Not merely hide it.

Build it.

She continued.

“At first I told myself I was protecting the family.”

Evelyn whispered:

“That sentence has destroyed enough people.”

Mrs. Whitmore nodded.

“Yes.”

Alexander looked at the ring.

“So your ring marks what?”

Mrs. Whitmore’s voice shook.

“The first payment I delivered.”

“To who?”

She looked at the original ledger.

“Judge Everett Shaw.”

Alexander searched.

Found the entry.

1979.

Payment.

Property deed.

One sealed case.

He frowned.

“What case?”

Evelyn answered:

“A custody case.”

Alexander looked at her.

She said:

“Yours.”

Silence.

Alexander stared at his mother.

“What?”

Mrs. Whitmore began crying.

“Richard was not supposed to get custody of you.”

Alexander’s face went still.

“After what?”

“Our first separation.”

He had never known they separated.

“I was four.”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“I tried to leave him.”

“Why?”

She looked at the rings.

“Because I already knew what he was.”

Alexander whispered:

“And the judge?”

“Richard paid him.”

“With your help.”

She nodded.

Alexander laughed quietly.

“You helped him take me from you?”

“No.”

She looked at him.

“I delivered the envelope before I understood what was inside.”

“And after?”

“After the judge ruled for Richard, he told me if I ever tried to leave again, I would never see you.”

Alexander stared.

Everything shifted again.

His mother had been victim.

Then accomplice.

Then protector.

Then liar.

All at once.

Evelyn said:

“That does not excuse what you did to me.”

“No.”

Mrs. Whitmore looked at her.

“It doesn’t.”

Alexander noticed something in the ledger.

A second entry under Judge Shaw.

Recent.

Two years ago.

The night Evelyn disappeared.

He frowned.

“Judge Shaw was still alive then.”

Mrs. Whitmore nodded.

“He died last year.”

Alexander pointed.

“There is a payment from Richard to him.”

Evelyn looked.

Then froze.

“That should not be there.”

“Why?”

“Because Richard said he never knew where I went after the cabin.”

Alexander stared.

The ledger said otherwise.

Payment:

E.S. SAFE HOUSE LOCATION.

Evelyn’s face changed.

“He found me.”

Silence.

Alexander looked at her.

“When?”

“I don’t know.”

The entry was dated six months after she escaped.

Mrs. Whitmore whispered:

“Then why didn’t he take you?”

No one answered.

Evelyn turned pages.

Another entry.

One day later.

PAYMENT REFUSED.

J.E.S.

Elena, who had been quietly sorting papers nearby, frowned.

“J.E.S.”

Evelyn looked at her.

Then Mrs. Whitmore.

“Judge Everett Shaw had a son.”

Alexander asked:

“Who?”

Evelyn whispered:

“Jonathan Shaw.”

Federal prosecutor.

The man who arranged her protected housing.

Alexander stared.

“Richard paid the judge for your location.”

“Yes.”

“But the prosecutor refused.”

“Yes.”

“Then Richard knew where you were but could not reach you.”

Evelyn nodded.

Alexander exhaled.

Finally one system had held.

Then Elena found a folded page inside the ring box.

Not ledger paper.

A photograph.

Richard.

Judge Shaw.

George Hale.

And another man.

Alexander recognized him.

His family attorney.

Daniel Price.

Still employed.

Still handling the Whitmore trust.

Alexander stared.

“He is still in my house.”

Mrs. Whitmore went pale.

Evelyn whispered:

“Daniel was Richard’s lawyer.”

Alexander looked at the ring ledger.

Daniel’s name appeared six times.

Recent.

One entry dated last week.

ETHAN — MEMORY ISSUE.

Alexander’s face changed.

Evelyn grabbed his arm.

“Alex.”

He looked toward the hallway.

Ethan had gone upstairs with his nanny twenty minutes earlier.

Alexander ran.

Second floor.

Nursery.

Door open.

Nanny unconscious on the carpet.

Window open.

Ethan gone.

On the bed:

A gold ring.

No initials.

No date.

And a note.

BRING THE LEDGER TO THE OLD COURTHOUSE.

Alexander stared.

Evelyn whispered:

“Daniel.”

Mrs. Whitmore looked at the ring.

Then shook her head.

“No.”

Alexander turned.

“What?”

She stared at the blank band.

“Richard never used blank rings.”

Silence.

Evelyn understood first.

“Then Daniel is not following Richard anymore.”

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Mrs. Whitmore nodded.

“He is collecting for himself.”