CHAPTER 6 — THE BROTHER NATHAN TRUSTED
THE BROTHER NATHAN TRUSTED
Thomas Reed returned to Mercer Estate at 9:06 the following morning.
His black sedan rolled through the gates exactly as it had done every Monday for seventeen years.
Nathan watched from the upstairs window.
Thomas stepped out.
He was sixty-one, perfectly dressed, silver-haired, calm.
Nothing about him looked suspicious.
That was precisely what frightened Nathan.
Evelyn stood beside him.
“That's him?”
“Yes.”
“He looks harmless.”
Nathan's expression remained cold.
“So did Daniel.”
Thomas entered the mansion carrying a leather briefcase.
“Good morning, Mr. Mercer.”
Nathan stood at the end of the hallway.
“Thomas.”
Thomas stopped.
“Is something wrong?”
“I have a few questions.”
“Of course.”
“Where were you last night?”
Thomas smiled.
“Charlotte.”
“For business?”
“Yes.”
“Which hotel?”
Thomas answered immediately.
“The Westbridge.”
Nathan watched his face.
No hesitation.
No nervousness.
“Who were you meeting?”
“Two investors.”
“Names?”
Thomas gave them.
Nathan nodded.
“Thank you.”
Thomas walked toward the office.
Evelyn whispered:
“He didn't flinch.”
“He's too good.”
“Or innocent.”
Nathan looked at her.
“You still believe people are innocent until proven guilty.”
“It's a useful habit.”
“Not in my world.”
She smiled.
“Maybe that's what's wrong with your world.”
Nathan almost responded.
Then Thomas stopped.
He turned.
“Mr. Mercer?”
“Yes?”
“Your wife used to say the same thing.”
Nathan froze.
Thomas continued walking.
Evelyn looked at him.
“That was strange.”
“Very.”
Nathan followed Thomas into the office.
Thomas placed his briefcase on the desk.
“What can I do for you?”
Nathan closed the door.
“Claire left a message.”
Thomas's face changed.
Only slightly.
But Nathan saw it.
“What message?”
“She said someone inside the house knew the truth.”
Thomas stared at him.
“Did she say who?”
“No.”
Thomas sighed.
“Then perhaps she was frightened.”
“Claire wasn't easily frightened.”
“She became frightened near the end.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“You knew something.”
Thomas looked away.
“I knew she was investigating Daniel.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because she asked me not to.”
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because she believed you would confront your brother.”
“I would have.”
“And she feared Daniel would hurt you.”
Nathan stared.
“Did you know Claire was going to die?”
Thomas looked at him.
“No.”
“Did you know she was being followed?”
“Yes.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“By whom?”
Thomas remained silent.
“Answer me.”
“Daniel.”
Nathan slammed his hand onto the desk.
“Then why did you protect him?”
“I didn't.”
“Then what did you do?”
Thomas slowly opened his briefcase.
He removed a file.
“I protected Claire.”
He placed it on the desk.
Nathan opened it.
Inside were copies of bank records.
Photographs.
Security logs.
And one document dated seven years earlier.
Nathan stared.
“What's this?”
“A transfer authorization.”
The signature at the bottom was Nathan's.
He went pale.
“I didn't sign this.”
“I know.”
“Then who did?”
Thomas looked at him.
“Daniel.”
Nathan studied the signature.
It was perfect.
Almost indistinguishable from his own.
“Forged.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you expose him?”
“Because he had something I couldn't fight.”
“What?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Your father.”
Nathan stared.
“My father was dead.”
“I know.”
“Then explain.”
Thomas sat down.
“Your father left behind a network.”
Nathan's stomach tightened.
“Money?”
“Power.”
Thomas opened another file.
“Companies owned through trusts. Political connections. Offshore accounts. Private agreements.”
Nathan whispered:
“How much?”
“Enough to destroy Mercer Industries.”
Evelyn entered the room.
“What happened?”
Nathan handed her the file.
She read quickly.
“This is huge.”
Thomas nodded.
“Claire discovered it.”
Nathan looked at him.
“And Daniel?”
“Daniel wanted control of it.”
“Did Claire know?”
“Yes.”
“And that's why she died?”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
Nathan's expression changed.
“Then why?”
Thomas looked toward Evelyn.
“Because Claire discovered someone else was involved.”
“Who?”
Thomas hesitated.
Then he said:
“Your father wasn't working alone.”
Silence.
Nathan stared at him.
“Who was his partner?”
Thomas lowered his voice.
“Margaret Walker.”
Evelyn froze.
“My grandmother?”
Thomas nodded.
“She helped your father build the original network.”
Evelyn stepped backward.
“No.”
“That's impossible.”
Thomas shook his head.
“Your grandmother wasn't evil.”
“Then why?”
“She was trying to dismantle it.”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“She never told me.”
“She was protecting you.”
Nathan looked at Thomas.
“So Claire contacted Margaret.”
“Yes.”
“And that's how they met.”
“Yes.”
Nathan finally understood.
The photograph.
The letters.
The watch.
Everything connected.
Then Thomas said:
“There was one more person Claire trusted.”
Nathan looked at him.
“Who?”
Thomas's expression hardened.
“Your mother.”
Nathan froze.
“My mother died twenty years ago.”
“She didn't know everything.”
“What did she know?”
Thomas looked toward the window.
“Enough to make your father afraid.”
Nathan's voice became quiet.
“What are you saying?”
Thomas didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out a final photograph.
It showed Nathan's mother standing beside Margaret Walker.
And between them was a young Claire.
But that wasn't what shocked Nathan.
In the background stood Daniel.
And beside Daniel was a man Nathan had never seen before.
Evelyn leaned closer.
“Who is that?”
Thomas said:
“Robert Cole.”
Evelyn's face went white.
“My grandmother's brother.”
Thomas nodded.
“He was the man Claire was meeting the night she died.”
Nathan looked at the photograph again.
“Why would Claire meet him?”
Thomas took a breath.
“Because Robert claimed he knew who ordered the crash.”
Nathan's heart began pounding.
“Who?”
Thomas looked directly into his eyes.
“Daniel.”
Nathan shook his head.
“You said Daniel didn't kill her.”
“He didn't.”
“Then who did?”
Thomas's voice dropped.
“Robert did.”
Silence.
Evelyn stared.
“Why?”
“Because Claire discovered Robert was stealing from the same network.”
Nathan stepped back.
“Wait.”
He looked between them.
“So Daniel wanted Claire silenced.”
“Yes.”
“Robert killed her.”
“Yes.”
“And Thomas…”
Nathan turned.
“You've known this for seven years?”
Thomas's eyes filled with regret.
“I knew pieces.”
“Pieces?”
“I knew enough to be afraid.”
Nathan's anger exploded.
“You watched me bury my wife!”
Thomas flinched.
“I tried to find proof.”
“You should have told me!”
“I had no proof.”
“You had Claire's letters!”
“I couldn't expose the network without putting you in danger.”
Nathan pointed toward the door.
“Get out.”
Thomas stood.
“Mr. Mercer—”
“Get out.”
Thomas picked up his briefcase.
Before leaving, he turned.
“There is one thing you need to know.”
Nathan didn't respond.
“Robert is still alive.”
Evelyn's face changed.
“He's been alive all this time?”
Thomas nodded.
“And he's coming back.”
That evening, Nathan stood alone in Claire's old bedroom.
He opened the drawer beside the bed.
Inside was her watch collection.
Her jewelry.
A perfume bottle.
A handwritten recipe.
He touched the recipe.
Then he noticed something.
A tiny red mark.
A number.
11:43.
Nathan opened the watch again.
The number hidden beneath the glass suddenly made sense.
Seven.
Fourteen.
Twenty-one.
Dates.
Dates connected to the money transfers.
He rushed downstairs.
Evelyn was in the kitchen.
“What happened?”
Nathan placed the watch on the counter.
“These aren't numbers.”
“What are they?”
“Dates.”
He opened the financial records.
The transfers occurred every July 14 and July 21.
For seven years.
Evelyn stared.
“Someone has been moving money since Claire died.”
Nathan nodded.
“Which means the person behind all this isn't hiding.”
“He's still operating.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Exactly.”
Then the kitchen lights suddenly went out.
Evelyn froze.
Nathan reached for his phone.
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Then a man's voice echoed through the darkness.
“Nathan.”
Nathan knew the voice.
His blood turned cold.
Robert Cole.
“Seven years is a long time to stay buried.”
A match flared.
For one second, Nathan saw a man's face at the end of the hallway.
Then the flame disappeared.
A loud crash came from the kitchen window.
Nathan grabbed Evelyn.
They rushed toward the sound.
The window was shattered.
On the floor lay a single object.
Claire's wedding ring.
Nathan picked it up.
His hands trembled.
Beside it was a note.
YOU'RE FINALLY READY TO HEAR THE TRUTH.
Nathan looked at Evelyn.
May you like
The past had stopped hiding.
Now it was coming for them.
