Chapter 7 - My Mother Had Lied for Twelve Years
My mother had told me she was in Wisconsin.
She wasn't.
At eight the next evening, Evelyn Bennett sat beneath a crystal chandelier at Da Vincenzo in downtown Chicago, wearing the pearl necklace my father had given her on their twentieth anniversary.
Victor Calder sat across from her.
I watched from a surveillance van.
“Why would she meet him?”
Liam sat beside me, pale but dressed in a black suit over the medical brace around his abdomen.
His leg still required crutches.
He had refused both.
“I don't know.”
“You don't have to go inside.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Nora.”
“My father died because of these people. Tommy was threatened. My mother is sitting with the man responsible.”
I looked at him.
“You're not benching me.”
His mouth almost curved.
“I wasn't going to try.”
Leo's microphone picked up the conversation.
Calder's voice came through first.
“Your daughter found Daniel's recording.”
Mom didn't react.
“Yes.”
My stomach dropped.
She knew.
Calder continued.
“Where is it?”
“I don't know.”
“You've had twelve years to keep her out of this.”
“I did.”
“You failed.”
Mom's hand tightened around her wineglass.
“You leave my children alone.”
Calder smiled.
“You don't get to make demands.”
Then my mother said something that changed everything.
“I already gave the original ledger to the FBI.”
Silence inside the van.
Liam turned toward me.
“Original ledger?”
I shook my head.
I knew nothing.
Calder leaned forward.
“When?”
“Eleven years ago.”
“You're lying.”
“If I were, you'd have killed me already.”
Calder's smile vanished.
Mom continued.
“Daniel knew he was going to die.”
My eyes filled.
“He came home the night before the crash. He told me everything.”
I pressed my hand against my mouth.
“He gave me the ledger and made me promise that if anything happened, I'd protect Nora and Tommy first.”
Calder asked, “Why didn't the FBI arrest us?”
“Because the agent I trusted worked for you.”
Calder smiled again.
There it was.
The missing piece.
Corruption had buried my father's evidence.
Mom continued.
“But I kept a copy.”
Calder's smile disappeared.
“Where?”
“Somewhere you'll never find.”
He reached across the table and grabbed her wrist.
I stood.
Liam caught me.
“Wait.”
“He's hurting her.”
“Thirty seconds.”
“No.”
“Nora.”
I ripped the earpiece out.
“I'm done waiting while Mercers and Calders decide when my family gets to survive.”
I opened the van door.
Liam swore and followed.
Da Vincenzo was packed.
The restaurant fell strangely quiet when Liam entered.
Men recognized him.
Conversations died.
I barely noticed.
I walked straight toward my mother.
Her eyes widened.
“Nora?”
Calder turned.
His expression changed when he saw Liam.
“Well.”
Liam stopped behind me.
“Take your hand off her.”
Calder smiled.
“Still playing hero?”
“No.”
Liam's voice was almost gentle.
“I'm asking once.”
Calder released Mom.
She stood.
I looked at her.
“You knew.”
“Nora—”
“You knew Dad was murdered.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I wanted you alive.”
“That seems to be everyone's excuse.”
Calder laughed.
“Families are exhausting.”
I turned toward him.
“You killed my father.”
“No.”
I froze.
Calder leaned back.
“Patrick Mercer ordered it.”
“We know.”
“But I didn't carry it out.”
“Who did?”
His gaze shifted.
Not toward Liam.
Toward Catherine, who had just entered behind us.
Liam saw it too.
“Mother?”
Catherine stopped.
Calder smiled.
“Oh, Catherine. You never told them?”
Liam's face went blank.
“Told us what?”
Calder raised his glass.
“Your mother was driving the car that hit Daniel Bennett.”
The room vanished around me.
I stared at Catherine.
“No.”
Her silence was unbearable.
“Tell him he's lying.”
She couldn't.
My mother whispered, “Catherine?”
Catherine began crying.
“I was supposed to scare Daniel.”
I stepped backward.
“He was driving toward the federal building. Patrick told me to stop him.”
“You killed my father.”
“I hit his car.”
Her voice broke.
“He went through the barrier.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You said Patrick ordered his death.”
“He did.”
“But you did it.”
“Yes.”
Liam looked physically ill.
“Mother.”
“I thought Daniel was dead.”
“But he wasn't,” I whispered.
Catherine shook her head.
“No.”
“Ellis said he survived forty-three minutes.”
“I didn't know.”
Calder laughed softly.
“Beautiful, isn't it? Everybody guilty. Everybody pretending otherwise.”
Liam moved toward his mother.
Then the restaurant lights went out.
Screams erupted.
Gunfire cracked.
Liam grabbed me and pulled me behind a table.
Guests scattered.
When emergency lights came on, Calder was gone.
So was Catherine.
On the table sat a phone.
It rang.
Liam answered.
Calder's voice came through.
“Bring Daniel Bennett's evidence to Navy Pier at midnight.”
Liam's face hardened.
“And my mother?”
“You can trade for her.”
I grabbed the phone.
“No.”
Calder paused.
I said, “You want the evidence?”
“Yes.”
“Then you deal with me.”
Liam shook his head.
Calder laughed.
“Your father had courage too, Nora.”
“Look how that ended.”
“I know exactly how it ended.”
“So do I.”
I looked at Liam.
And suddenly I knew how to destroy Calder without firing a single bullet.
“Midnight,” I said.
“But we're not bringing the evidence.”
Calder's voice cooled.
“Then what are you bringing?”
May you like
I stared across the restaurant at the terrified politicians, businessmen, judges, and police officials who had spent years believing men like Calder controlled the truth.
“The truth itself.”
