Chapter 6 - What Celeste Knew
Celeste survived.
The bullet never touched her because Laura had moved first.
That fact seemed to disturb Celeste more than the assassination attempt itself.
She sat inside Garrett’s underground security room with ice pressed against her jaw and two armed guards outside.
Laura sat opposite her.
Garrett stood behind Laura.
“Talk,” he said.
Celeste looked at him.
“My father created Lantern.”
Garrett's face changed.
Victor Vane.
Philanthropist.
Industrialist.
Dead for four years.
Celeste continued.
“Not alone. Judges, police commanders, shipping executives. They moved money through charities and construction projects.”
“Daniel found it,” Laura said.
“Yes.”
“Did you know him?”
Celeste's eyes lowered.
“Yes.”
Laura stood so quickly the chair fell backward.
Garrett caught her arm.
“Laura.”
She pulled free.
“You knew my brother.”
“He tried to help me.”
Laura stared.
Celeste's voice cracked.
“My father used me as a courier because nobody searched his daughter. Daniel figured it out. He told me he'd get me out.”
“And you betrayed him.”
“No.”
“Then how did they find him?”
Celeste cried for the first time.
“I told my father.”
Laura lunged forward.
Garrett caught her around the waist.
“Laura.”
“He promised he wouldn't hurt Daniel!”
“You believed him?”
“I was twenty-five!”
“So was Daniel!”
The words broke from Laura.
Silence followed.
Celeste looked shattered.
“I've lived with that every day.”
Laura laughed bitterly.
“Good.”
Garrett slowly released her.
“Who killed him?”
“Judge Warren Hale ordered it.”
Garrett frowned.
Hale was attending the wedding dinner.
He had disappeared after the shooting.
Celeste looked at Garrett.
“My father kept evidence. After he died, Hale wanted it.”
“The last ledger.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Celeste looked at Laura.
“Daniel hid it.”
Laura shook her head.
“He would've told me.”
“He did.”
“What?”
“The lantern.”
Laura stared.
Celeste continued.
“Daniel said his sister would understand eventually.”
Laura’s mind raced.
Then she remembered.
Their childhood home.
Their mother had owned an old brass lantern.
After Daniel’s death Laura packed everything into storage.
Including that lantern.
She whispered, “Oh my God.”
Garrett was already moving.
“Where?”
“Storage unit in Queens.”
They left before midnight.
Garrett insisted on driving.
Laura sat beside him.
For twenty minutes neither spoke.
Then she said, “Why did you stay with her?”
Garrett knew she meant Celeste.
“Because she wasn't always like this.”
Laura looked toward him.
“When I met her, she was terrified of her father. After he died, she changed.”
“She became him.”
“Yes.”
“And you allowed it.”
Garrett's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“Yes.”
The admission surprised her.
“No excuse?”
“No.”
Laura looked out the window.
“You really are strange.”
“So I've been told.”
They reached the storage facility at 1:08 a.m.
Unit 3103.
Laura stopped.
Garrett noticed.
“What?”
“Daniel’s birthday was March tenth.”
She entered the code.
The door lifted.
Boxes filled the unit.
Laura walked directly toward the rear.
There.
The brass lantern.
Her hands shook as she picked it up.
The base twisted loose.
Inside was a flash drive.
Laura laughed and cried simultaneously.
“That idiot.”
Garrett watched her.
“What?”
“He always thought he was smarter than everybody.”
“Was he?”
“Usually.”
Then lights went out.
Garrett drew his weapon.
“Behind me.”
Footsteps.
Three men entered.
Gunfire exploded.
Garrett pushed Laura behind concrete.
He returned fire.
One attacker fell.
Another moved along the opposite aisle.
Laura spotted him before Garrett did.
“Right!”
Garrett turned.
Too late.
The man tackled him.
The gun slid away.
Laura ran.
She grabbed a metal fire extinguisher and swung it into the attacker's shoulder.
He collapsed.
Garrett stared.
“Remind me never to annoy you.”
“Little late.”
Sirens approached.
Malcolm’s security team arrived minutes later.
Back inside the car, Garrett handed Laura the flash drive.
“You keep it.”
“Why?”
“Daniel left it to you.”
Laura stared at him.
Then she noticed blood on his shirt.
“You're hurt.”
“Graze.”
“That's blood.”
“Usually what happens.”
“Take your jacket off.”
Garrett raised an eyebrow.
“Now.”
He obeyed.
Laura cleaned the shallow wound with the first-aid kit.
Her fingers brushed his skin.
Both became still.
Garrett looked at her.
Laura looked up.
Something had changed between them days ago.
Neither had acknowledged it.
Now neither could pretend.
He lifted one hand toward her face.
Then stopped.
“Tell me not to.”
Laura's breath caught.
She should have.
Instead she whispered:
“I can't.”
Garrett kissed her.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Nothing like the violence surrounding their lives.
When they separated, Laura rested her forehead against his.
“This is a terrible idea.”
“Yes.”
“We've known each other four days.”
“Also yes.”
“Your ex-fiancée tried to drug you tonight.”
“Technically we don't know what she gave me.”
Laura stared.
Garrett almost smiled.
She laughed despite herself.
Then Malcolm knocked on the window.
Garrett lowered it.
“We opened the drive.”
His expression was grim.
“And?”
May you like
Malcolm looked at Laura.
“Daniel recorded everything.”
