Chapter 5 - The Night Norah Finally Told Him Everything
Arthur reached the abandoned station wagon at 11:48 p.m.
The blood on the driver's seat was fresh.
But there was not much.
A few drops.
A smear along the steering wheel.
No body.
No Norah.
No Eli.
Arthur searched the roadside with a flashlight.
Twenty yards beyond the car, he found the stuffed rabbit.
He picked it up.
Mud stained one ear.
Arthur stared at it until rage threatened to erase reason.
Then he noticed something.
The rabbit's belly had been crudely stitched.
He tore the seam.
A tiny flash drive fell into his palm.
Norah.
Even while running, she was leaving him breadcrumbs.
Arthur drove to an isolated Costello warehouse and inserted the drive into an offline laptop.
One video file.
Norah appeared on-screen.
Older.
Tired.
Beautiful.
Arthur forgot to breathe.
"If you're seeing this," she said, "then Vincent found us."
Arthur touched the screen.
Norah continued.
"Eli is your son."
Arthur closed his eyes.
There it was.
No uncertainty.
No possibility.
His son.
His knees weakened, and he sat.
"I discovered I was pregnant 2 days before the night I left. I was going to tell you after the warehouse dispute was over."
Arthur bowed his head.
"I almost told you when you threw me outside."
His jaw trembled.
"But Vincent had men watching Clara. And when I saw his face behind you, I knew anything I said could get all of you killed."
Norah inhaled shakily.
"I left because I thought it was temporary. I thought I'd find evidence and come home."
Her expression changed.
"But Vincent found me first."
Arthur looked up.
"Three weeks after I left, someone broke into the motel where I was staying. I escaped through a bathroom window. After that, I understood there was nowhere safe."
She described years of moving.
Boston.
Albany.
Burlington.
Small towns.
Cash jobs.
False names.
Giving birth alone except for a nurse who believed her husband was overseas.
Arthur's eyes burned.
"I wanted to call you every day."
Norah smiled painfully.
"Eli laughs like you."
Arthur broke.
He pressed his fist against his mouth.
"He hates peas like you. He sleeps with one hand under his cheek. And when he's angry, he gets this ridiculous little line between his eyebrows."
Despite himself, Arthur laughed through tears.
The first genuine laugh his house had not heard in 3 years.
Then Norah's expression became serious.
"Arthur, Vincent didn't do this only for money."
Arthur leaned forward.
"He hates your father."
Norah explained.
Decades earlier, Arthur's father, Dominic Costello, had ordered the death of Vincent's older brother during an internal power struggle.
Vincent had been 17.
Dominic later took Vincent into the organization, never knowing the boy understood who had ordered the killing.
Vincent had waited nearly 20 years.
His revenge was not supposed to kill Arthur quickly.
He wanted to dismantle his family.
His reputation.
His marriage.
His trust.
Then his empire.
"He wanted you alive long enough to watch everything disappear."
Norah looked directly into the camera.
"And I helped him more than I realized by leaving."
"No," Arthur whispered.
"You saved me."
The video ended.
Arthur sat motionless.
Then someone spoke behind him.
"She's right."
Arthur turned.
Vincent stood in the warehouse doorway.
Four armed men surrounded him.
Arthur slowly rose.
Vincent smiled.
"Touching video."
Arthur's face hardened.
"Where are they?"
"Still asking the wrong question."
Vincent walked closer.
"You spent 3 years hating your wife because I told you to."
Arthur said nothing.
"You know what the funniest part was?"
Vincent laughed softly.
"You were so desperate to believe betrayal that I barely had to convince you."
Arthur's jaw tightened.
Vincent was right.
That hurt more than any insult.
"You could have asked her one more question," Vincent continued. "Could've noticed she was terrified of me. But Arthur Costello doesn't question his instincts."
Vincent tapped his chest.
"Pride did most of my work."
Arthur looked at him.
"You're right."
Vincent blinked.
He had expected anger.
Arthur continued.
"I failed her."
Silence.
"And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure she never pays for my failure again."
Vincent raised his pistol.
"You don't have a rest of your life."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Neither do your bank accounts."
Vincent's expression changed.
Arthur's phone displayed a notification.
Bellmere Holdings: frozen.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Not police.
Costello vehicles.
Dozens.
Vincent turned.
Arthur had not come alone.
The captains Vincent believed he owned had discovered that their secret payments, conversations, and betrayals were all documented in Anthony's audit.
Arthur had offered them one choice.
Stand down.
Or fall with Vincent.
Three of Vincent's men immediately lowered their weapons.
Vincent stared around him.
"You think this is over?"
"No."
Arthur stepped closer.
"This isn't even about you anymore."
Vincent suddenly fired.
Arthur moved.
The bullet tore through his shoulder.
Chaos erupted.
Arthur hit the floor.
Vincent escaped through a side door.
Men shouted.
Tires screamed.
Arthur pressed his hand against the wound.
Then his phone rang.
Norah.
He answered despite the pain.
For 3 seconds, neither spoke.
"Arthur?"
Her voice.
After 3 years.
Arthur closed his eyes.
"Norah."
She began crying.
Arthur forgot the blood running through his fingers.
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"Please."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize."
His voice broke.
"Never apologize to me again."
Silence.
Then a small child's voice came through the phone.
"Mommy?"
Arthur stopped breathing.
Norah whispered something away from the receiver.
Arthur's eyes filled.
"Is that him?"
Norah cried harder.
"Yes."
Arthur pressed the phone against his ear.
"Please let me hear him again."
Before she could answer, a door crashed open on her end.
May you like
Norah screamed.
The call went dead.
