Chapter 5 - The Uncle Behind the Door

Daniel Holt did not rush.

That frightened me more.

His footsteps crossed the room above us.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then stopped at the basement door.

Serena whispered:

“He knows this house?”

Victor nodded.

“He grew up here.”

Daniel called down:

“You opened it.”

Adrian stood in front of the safe.

No weapon.

No fear visible.

“What do you want?”

Daniel laughed.

“Everything your mother stole.”

Catherine answered:

“I copied it.”

Silence.

Then Daniel said:

“I know.”

Adrian looked at her.

“You sent copies?”

“Yes.”

“To who?”

Before she answered, the basement door exploded inward.

Thomas pulled me behind the furnace.

Victor tackled Daniel’s first man.

Adrian grabbed another.

Serena screamed her uncle’s name.

Daniel entered last.

Perfect suit.

No tie.

Gun in one hand.

He looked almost disappointed.

“Serena.”

She stared.

“What did you do to my father?”

Daniel smiled.

“Your father chose sentiment.”

“Is he alive?”

“For now.”

Adrian stepped forward.

“Take me instead.”

Daniel looked amused.

“You think this is about you?”

“It usually is in this family.”

Daniel smiled wider.

Then looked at the safe.

“It is about access.”

He pointed at the drives.

“Those accounts still move money.”

Victor said:

“Not after today.”

Daniel looked at him.

“You said that three months ago.”

Catherine turned sharply.

Victor’s face changed.

Daniel continued.

“He paid me.

Asked me to spare Richard.

Then asked me to keep the accounts open.”

Serena stared at Victor.

“Why?”

Victor answered:

“Because closing them would expose Adrian.”

Adrian frowned.

“How?”

Daniel smiled.

“His name is on the companies.”

Adrian stared.

Victor continued.

“Your grandfather transferred them to you before he died.”

“I never signed anything.”

“You did.”

“When?”

“Your twenty-first birthday.”

Adrian froze.

The paperwork.

Dozens of family trust documents.

He had signed where Victor told him.

Daniel laughed.

“You own the shell companies.”

Adrian looked at his father.

“You used my signature.”

Victor looked sick.

“Yes.”

Silence.

Catherine slapped him.

Hard.

Victor accepted it.

Adrian stared at him.

“How much?”

“Enough.”

“How much?”

“Hundreds of millions.”

Serena whispered:

“Adrian…”

He held up a hand.

Then looked at Daniel.

“If the accounts expose me, why not let them?”

Daniel’s smile faded.

Because Adrian did not sound afraid.

Adrian continued.

“You think prison scares me more than this?”

He looked around.

Mother hidden fourteen years.

Father buried alive by rumor.

Fiancée lying.

Her father missing.

Gardener paid.

Every adult in his life choosing secrecy.

“No.”

He looked at Daniel.

“Open everything.”

Daniel raised the gun.

Victor moved.

Gunshot.

Victor fell.

Catherine screamed.

Adrian hit Daniel before he could fire again.

Thomas tackled one of the men.

I grabbed the ledger and ran.

Serena grabbed the hard drives.

Daniel broke free.

Then sirens sounded outside.

He froze.

Catherine looked at Adrian.

“You asked who I copied the files to.”

He stared.

She nodded toward the ceiling.

“Federal investigators.”

Daniel’s face changed.

“You sent them?”

“Fourteen years ago.”

Silence.

Adrian frowned.

“Then why wasn’t anyone arrested?”

Catherine looked at Victor.

Victor whispered from the floor:

“Because the investigator disappeared.”

Thomas went still.

Adrian looked between them.

“Who?”

Catherine answered:

“Laura’s father.”

I stopped.

“What?”

Everyone looked at me.

I laughed because the alternative was impossible.

“My father died when I was six.”

Thomas closed his eyes.

“No.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“Your father was Daniel Quinn.”

My surname.

Catherine continued.

“Federal investigator.

Financial crimes.”

I looked at Thomas.

“You knew?”

His face broke.

“He was my son-in-law.”

Silence.

Thomas was not only the gardener.

He had known my family too.

Adrian looked at me.

I could barely breathe.

“What happened to him?”

Catherine answered:

“He found the first set of accounts.”

“And?”

Victor whispered:

“Daniel Holt found him first.”

Serena stared at her uncle.

Daniel smiled.

Not kindly.

Then police broke through the front door.

Federal agents entered behind them.

Daniel looked at me.

“Your father was very stubborn.”

I stared.

“Was?”

He said nothing.

That one word changed everything.

Agent Mara Kane stepped down into the basement.

Gun raised.

“Daniel Holt, hands where I can see them.”

Daniel dropped his weapon.

Smiled.

And said:

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“You should ask your gardener where Daniel Quinn is buried.”

Thomas’s face went white.