Chapter 10: The Ledger That Could Destroy Them
The photograph stayed on my screen for nearly a minute.
Not because I didn’t understand what I was seeing.
Because I did.
The storage unit was supposed to be our next step.
A place where we could finally find the missing piece.
Instead, Richard had arrived first.
The boxes were open.
The lockbox was empty.
And the message was obvious.
He wanted us to know.
He wanted me to understand that every move I made was being watched.
“Charlotte.””
Dana’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“Are you still there?””
“Yes.””
“Listen carefully. Nobody goes to that storage facility alone.””
“I’m not going alone.””
“Good.””
“Julian knows where it is.””
“I heard.””
“He might know more.””
“I’m aware.””
Julian looked uncomfortable.
“I didn’t tell him.””
I looked at him.
“I know.””
That surprised him.
“You believe me?””
“I believe you didn’t send your father that information.””
He looked down.
It was probably the first time anyone had separated his mistakes from his father’s.
“Thank you.””
I ignored the gratitude.
“We need to find Evelyn.””
I called again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Melissa finally answered.
“Charlotte?””
“Where is your mother?””
“She’s not here.””
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?””
“She left twenty minutes ago.””
“Did she say where she was going?””
“No.””
“Did Richard contact her?””
Silence.
“Melissa.””
“I don’t know.””
That was a lie.
A small one.
But a lie.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
Her voice broke.
“She got a message.””
“From who?””
“She didn’t show me.””
“What did it say?””
“I only saw one line.””
“What line?””
Melissa swallowed.
“He said, ‘I know what you have.’”
I closed my eyes.
“Richard.””
“Yes.””
“Call your mother. Keep calling.””
“I am.””
“Don’t stop.””
I ended the call.
Dana was already making arrangements with Martin.
“We’ll meet at the storage facility.””
“No.””
She stopped.
“No?””
“Richard wants us there.””
“Exactly.””
“That means he has something planned.””
“Yes.””
“So we don’t walk into it.””
Dana was quiet.
Then:
“Good.””
“What?””
“You’re finally thinking like him.””
I didn’t know whether to be insulted or complimented.
Probably both.
At 8:15 p.m., we received confirmation from the storage company.
The unit had been accessed at 6:42.
The person who opened it used Evelyn’s authorization code.
“Can they tell who entered?””
Dana asked.
“Yes.””
The manager emailed security footage.
We watched.
A truck entered the facility.
Richard.
Julian’s BMW behind him.
And a third vehicle.
Patricia.
I stared.
“She went with him.””
“Or followed him,” Dana said.
“That’s not better.””
No.
It wasn’t.
On the footage, Richard unlocked the unit.
Patricia stood outside.
Julian remained in the car.
Richard carried boxes out.
One by one.
Then Patricia entered.
Twenty minutes later, she left carrying the metal lockbox.
My entire body went cold.
“She took it.””
Dana nodded.
“Looks that way.””
“Then why did she warn me?””
“That’s the question.””
At 9:02, Patricia called again.
This time, Dana answered.
“Patricia Lowe?””
Silence.
Then:
“Yes.””
“This is Dana Mercer, attorney for Charlotte Hayes.””
“I know.””
“Where are you?””
Another pause.
“Safe.””
“That doesn’t answer the question.””
“I can’t tell you.””
Dana looked at me.
“Why did you take the ledger?””
Patricia went quiet.
“I didn’t.””
“The security footage says otherwise.””
“No.””
Her voice sharpened.
“I took the box.””
“The box containing the ledger.””
“I took the box because Richard was going to destroy it.””
That changed everything.
“Where is it now?””
“I have it.””
“Why?””
“Because if Richard gets it, people disappear.””
Nobody spoke.
Dana remained calm.
“What does that mean?””
“It means Richard has spent fifteen years cleaning up mistakes.””
I felt a chill.
“Patricia,” Dana said, “you need to understand that my client is not interested in protecting you.””
“I know.””
“Then why help her?””
Patricia’s voice softened.
“Because I know what it feels like when Richard Bennett decides someone else should take the fall.””
The line went quiet.
Dana glanced at me.
“Can we meet?””
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because Richard is watching.””
“Then how do we get the ledger?””
Patricia hesitated.
“Tomorrow morning.””
“Where?””
“I’ll tell Charlotte.””
“No.””
Patricia ignored Dana.
“I trust Charlotte more than I trust anyone involved.””
That sentence bothered me.
Because I wasn’t sure whether I should trust Patricia.
But I understood something.
People don’t usually risk themselves unless they’re afraid of something bigger.
“Where?”” I asked.
Dana looked at me sharply.
But I continued.
Patricia gave me an address.
A small diner outside Richmond.
“Seven a.m.””
Then she added:
“Come without Richard knowing.””
The call ended.
Dana stared at me.
“You realize this could be a trap.””
“Yes.””
“And you still want to go.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Because for the first time since this nightmare began, there was a chance to see the entire picture.
Not fragments.
Not guesses.
The truth.
“Because I’m tired of reacting.””
Dana nodded slowly.
“Then we do it carefully.””
At midnight, I finally received a call from Evelyn.
I answered immediately.
“Where are you?””
“I’m sorry.””
Her voice was barely audible.
“Where are you?””
“I’m at home.””
“Richard’s house?””
“Yes.””
My heart jumped.
“Are you safe?””
“For now.””
“What happened?””
“He found me.””
“Where?””
“At the storage facility.””
I closed my eyes.
“Evelyn.””
“I tried to stop him.””
“Did he hurt you?””
“No.””
A pause.
“He scared me.””
That was worse.
“Did he take the ledger?””
“I don’t know.””
“Patricia has it.””
Silence.
“You know?””
“Yes.””
“Then she told you.””
“Yes.””
Evelyn exhaled.
“I always wondered when Patricia would finally stop being afraid of him.””
“What does the ledger contain?””
“I don’t know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because I don’t.””
“Evelyn.””
She started crying.
“I knew Richard was dishonest.””
The admission hit harder than I expected.
“How long?””
“Years.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because he was my son.””
There it was again.
The sentence that explained everything.
“I thought I could fix him.””
“You protected him.””
“I know.””
“And now?””
“Now I’m scared of him.””
That was the most honest thing she had said.
“Tomorrow morning, you come with us.””
“All right.””
“No secrets.””
“I promise.””
I ended the call.
At 1:30 a.m., I opened the old MARCH folder.
I added a new file.
Title:
Everything Richard Hid.
Then I stared at the screen.
The first document in the folder had been my security footage.
The last one would be the ledger.
I hoped.
At 6:00 a.m., I left for the diner.
Dana drove.
Martin followed separately.
Julian insisted on coming.
I almost refused.
Then I realized something.
He needed to see what his father had built.
The diner was nearly empty.
A waitress refilled coffee at the counter.
A truck driver read a newspaper.
Normal people.
Normal morning.
Then Patricia entered.
She looked exhausted.
Older than yesterday.
She carried a small black bag.
She sat across from me.
“I almost didn’t come.””
“Why did you?””
She looked at Dana.
Then Martin.
Then me.
“Because Richard doesn’t stop.””
She placed the bag on the table.
And whispered:
“The ledger isn’t about the money he stole.””
My body tightened.
“Then what is it about?””
Patricia opened the bag.
May you like
Inside was a worn black notebook.
“Everything he covered up.””
