Chapter 12 - THE FIRE RICHARD STARTED
Richard looked at me without surprise.
“You never follow instructions.”
“You told Lauren to burn the records?”
“I told her to correct a mistake.”
He stepped inside.
Gasoline sloshed inside the red container.
Lauren moved in front of the boxes.
“I’m done.”
“You’re confused.”
“You were going to blame me.”
“I was going to protect the family.”
“You only protect yourself.”
Richard’s expression hardened.
He looked at me.
“Give me the drive.”
“No.”
“Daniel’s career is finished if those files leave this room.”
“Daniel finished his own career.”
“You have no idea how much good he has done.”
“Good does not purchase permission for evil.”
Richard set the gasoline container down.
Then he reached inside his coat.
Elias appeared at the far end of the corridor.
“Take your hand out slowly.”
Richard froze.
Maya stepped behind him with her phone recording.
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
Lauren had sent Maya the location before calling me.
She had finally chosen a side.
Richard smiled.
“You think this proves anything?”
“It proves attempted destruction of evidence,” Maya said.
“It proves nothing.”
The officers arrived before Richard could move.
They searched him and found a lighter, two burner phones, and copies of my forged transfer documents.
He was arrested for the attempted destruction of records and questioned about the break-in.
Daniel arrived while police were sealing the unit.
He pushed through the crowd.
“What did you do?”
He was shouting at me.
Not at Richard.
Not at Lauren.
At me.
“Your father brought gasoline.”
“You set him up.”
“Your sister called us.”
Daniel turned toward Lauren.
“You betrayed us?”
Lauren laughed through her tears.
“You were going to let Dad send me to prison.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You never know anything when knowing becomes inconvenient.”
Richard was placed inside a police car.
As he passed Daniel, he said, “Do not talk to anyone.”
Daniel nodded automatically.
Even then, he obeyed.
I carried my mother’s file to Maya’s car.
Daniel followed.
“Rachel, wait.”
I turned.
For the first time since the airport, he looked afraid rather than angry.
“I did not kill your mother.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“Lauren will make it sound that way.”
“Did my mother refuse the procedure?”
Daniel’s mouth opened.
No words came out.
“Did she?”
“She was confused.”
“She signed a directive.”
“It was outdated.”
“You forged my signature.”
“I was trying to save her.”
“Or save the practice?”
His eyes filled with tears.
I had seen those tears before.
At my mother’s funeral.
At our wedding anniversary.
When he told me he was too exhausted to come home.
I no longer knew which emotions were real.
May you like
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Then Daniel said something I would never forget.
“If your mother had lived, she would have destroyed everything.”
