Chapter 4 - The Commissioner Who Never Died

The nursing home had no sign.

Private.

Expensive.

Hidden behind pine trees.

Roman arrived before dawn.

Maria.

Elena.

Arthur.

Me.

Adrian Vale was ninety-one.

Thin.

Alert.

Very much alive.

He looked at Roman.

Then at Maria.

His eyes widened.

“You came back.”

Maria nodded.

“So did you.”

Vale laughed weakly.

“I never left.”

Roman placed the agreement on the table.

“Your signature.”

Vale stared.

“Yes.”

“You witnessed this.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because your father begged me.”

Roman’s jaw tightened.

“You also helped hide my mother.”

“Yes.”

“After helping Voss.”

Vale looked ashamed.

“Yes.”

Roman said:

“Pick a side.”

Vale closed his eyes.

“I spent my life doing that too late.”

Silence.

Then he continued.

“Elena’s grandfather owned me.”

Elena flinched.

“With what?”

Vale looked at her.

“Your grandmother.”

Elena frowned.

“My grandmother?”

“Yes.”

“What about her?”

Vale hesitated.

“She was not his wife when I first knew her.”

Elena went still.

Vale continued.

“She was mine.”

Silence.

Elena stared.

“What?”

Maria looked shocked too.

Vale said:

“We were engaged.”

Elena’s face emptied.

“Before my grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“He found out I was investigating him.”

Roman understood.

“He used her.”

Vale nodded.

“He threatened her family.”

Elena whispered:

“And she married him.”

“Yes.”

“To protect you?”

“No.”

Vale looked down.

“To protect her brother.”

Elena stared.

“Who?”

Vale answered:

“Arthur Reed.”

Everyone turned.

Arthur froze.

“No.”

Vale looked at him.

“You never knew?”

Arthur shook his head.

“My sister told me she married Voss because she loved him.”

Vale’s eyes filled.

“She lied.”

Arthur sat down.

Elena whispered:

“You are my grandmother’s brother.”

Arthur nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

That part Elena knew.

But not the rest.

Vale continued.

“Voss threatened Arthur’s business and your great-grandparents.”

Arthur stared.

“So she sacrificed herself.”

Vale said:

“She believed she did.”

Roman exhaled.

“Another person deciding for someone else.”

Maria looked at him.

He was right.

Roman asked:

“What does this have to do with the agreement?”

Vale pointed to the signature.

“I signed it because your father finally decided to stop obeying.”

“And then?”

“I hid the copy.”

“Why?”

“Because Voss had my old corruption files.”

Roman laughed.

“Everyone kept copies.”

Vale nodded.

“Insurance.”

Arthur whispered:

“Poison.”

Everyone looked at him.

“That word.”

Vale frowned.

Arthur continued.

“It poisons every choice after.”

Roman asked Vale:

“Can you testify?”

“Yes.”

Elena looked relieved.

Then Vale added:

“If I survive long enough.”

Roman frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Vale looked toward the door.

“Voss knows I am here.”

Silence.

Maria said:

“How?”

Vale smiled sadly.

“Because Elena visited.”

Elena went pale.

“I never told him.”

“No.”

Vale looked at her.

“But your driver did.”

Roman turned.

“Driver?”

Elena whispered:

“Thomas.”

Arthur’s face changed.

“What?”

Roman noticed.

“You know him.”

Arthur nodded.

“Thomas Reed.”

Elena frowned.

“Same surname.”

Arthur closed his eyes.

“My son.”

Silence.

Elena stared.

“Your son drives for my grandfather.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Twenty-two years.”

Roman asked:

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

Arthur looked broken.

“Because Thomas stopped speaking to me twenty years ago.”

“Why?”

“He blamed me for his mother’s death.”

Vale whispered:

“He should have blamed Voss.”

Arthur stared.

“What?”

Vale looked at Elena.

“Your grandfather used Thomas too.”

Roman said:

“For what?”

Vale answered:

“To move documents. People. Money.”

Arthur stood.

“My son worked for him?”

“Yes.”

“Willingly?”

Vale hesitated.

“At first.”

Roman looked at the door.

“Where is Thomas now?”

Elena checked her phone.

No signal.

Then Maria’s phone rang.

Unknown number.

She answered.

A man’s voice.

“Leave Vale alone.”

Arthur froze.

“Thomas.”

The voice continued.

“Dad.”

Arthur took the phone.

“Thomas.”

Silence.

Then:

“If Roman takes Vale’s testimony, Voss will release the file on me.”

Roman said:

“What file?”

Thomas laughed bitterly.

“The one proving I helped move Maria out of the country.”

Maria stared.

“You?”

“Yes.”

Arthur whispered:

“You helped her escape?”

Thomas replied:

“And helped Voss track her afterward.”

Silence.

Roman’s face hardened.

“Where are you?”

Thomas answered:

“At the chapel.”

Elena went pale.

“My grandfather’s chapel.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Thomas said:

“Because the original tape is there.”

Roman looked at Maria.

The recording of his grandfather dying.

Thomas continued.

“And Voss is about to burn it.”

The line went dead.

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Roman was already moving.

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