Chapter 8 - The Last Armand Secret

The freight terminal stood beside the frozen river.

Dark.

Empty.

Federal agents surrounded it.

Elise was not there yet.

Victor was.

Security cameras showed one man entering.

No one leaving.

Samuel wanted to wait.

Celeste did not.

Nicolas stood beside her.

“If you go in, stay behind me.”

She looked at him.

“I have spent enough time behind people.”

He almost smiled.

Diana stayed with Edwin and me outside.

Henri insisted on entering.

Samuel refused.

Henri looked toward the terminal.

“He wants me.”

“That is exactly why you stay here.”

Inside, Nicolas and Celeste followed two agents through the loading bay.

The air smelled like rust.

Oil.

Cold concrete.

A light burned in the office above.

Victor’s voice came through a speaker.

“Nicolas.”

Everyone stopped.

Victor continued.

“You always were impatient.”

Nicolas looked around.

“Come down.”

Victor laughed.

“Your father said the same thing.”

Celeste’s face tightened.

Victor continued.

“Elise is not coming.”

Celeste shouted:

“You don’t know that.”

“Oh, I do.”

A side door opened.

A woman stepped in.

Late sixties.

Blond-gray hair.

Thin.

Elegant.

Celeste stopped.

“Mom.”

Elise looked at her daughter.

Twelve years disappeared in one second.

Celeste ran.

Agents tried to stop her.

Nicolas waved them down.

Elise held her.

Both women cried.

Henri’s voice came over Nicolas’s earpiece from outside.

“Elise.”

She heard it through the open radio.

Her face hardened.

“Do not let him in.”

Celeste pulled back.

“Why?”

Elise looked at Nicolas.

“Because your father made one last deal with Victor.”

Celeste froze.

Henri shouted through the radio.

“That is not true.”

Elise looked toward the speaker.

“Tell her.”

Henri went silent.

Nicolas’s face changed.

“What deal?”

Elise answered.

“Twelve years ago, after Victor poisoned me, Henri begged him to let me disappear.”

Diana had followed them in despite Samuel’s order.

She heard it.

Elise continued.

“Victor agreed.”

Celeste stared.

“For what?”

Elise looked at her.

“Henri promised your future voting shares.”

Celeste stopped breathing.

“My shares?”

“Yes.”

“To Victor?”

“If you married into the Moretti family.”

Nicolas laughed bitterly.

The engagement.

Again.

Always the engagement.

Celeste turned toward the radio.

“Dad.”

Henri’s voice shook.

“I was trying to save her.”

Elise closed her eyes.

“You were trying to save everyone by selling tomorrow.”

Henri did not answer.

Nicolas looked up toward the office.

“Victor.”

A light clicked on.

Victor appeared behind the glass.

Seventy-six.

White hair.

Calm.

He held the missing ledger.

And a pistol.

“You finally understand.”

Nicolas stared.

“You built this marriage before Celeste and I even met.”

Victor smiled.

“I created circumstances.”

Celeste’s face twisted.

“You put us in the same charity board.”

“Yes.”

“You arranged the Paris dinner.”

“Yes.”

“You leaked our photograph.”

“Yes.”

Nicolas looked at her.

She had never known that part.

Victor continued.

“Love is useful when pointed correctly.”

Nicolas’s voice went cold.

“You killed my father.”

Victor smiled.

“Marco was weak.”

Diana stepped forward.

“You poisoned him.”

Victor looked at her.

“I corrected an inheritance problem.”

Nicolas’s hands closed.

Victor raised the pistol.

“Do not.”

Nicolas stopped.

Victor held up the ledger.

“One fire.”

He gestured toward a barrel beside him.

“And the past becomes rumor.”

Elise called up:

“You forgot the recording.”

Victor’s smile faded.

She removed a small flash drive from her coat.

“I made another copy.”

Victor’s face changed.

Elise continued.

“You were never the only liar in the room.”

Victor fired.

The shot hit the railing.

Agents returned fire at the ceiling line.

Victor ducked.

Nicolas pulled Celeste behind a concrete pillar.

Diana crouched beside Elise.

Samuel shouted commands.

Victor ran through the office.

A rear door slammed.

Nicolas followed.

Samuel shouted:

“Moretti!”

Nicolas ignored him.

He reached the loading ramp.

Victor was climbing into a car.

Nicolas grabbed the door before it closed.

Victor struck him with the pistol.

Nicolas fell.

Victor aimed.

Then stopped.

Henri stood ten feet away.

He had broken through the perimeter.

Gun raised.

Victor smiled.

“You never could pull the trigger.”

Henri’s hand shook.

Victor aimed at Nicolas.

Henri fired.

The bullet struck Victor’s shoulder.

Victor dropped the weapon.

Federal agents tackled him.

Henri lowered his gun.

Celeste arrived.

She stared at her father.

Henri looked at her.

“I am sorry.”

She shook her head.

“Do not ask me to answer that tonight.”

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He nodded.

For once, he accepted that he did not control the next step.