Chapter 15 - THE THIRD BROTHER
Edward set the ledger down. He closed it gently.
“You were always the clever one,” he said. “Jonathan suspected. Eleanor suspected. Even Father suspected. But none of them could prove it.”
“Prove what?” I asked. Though I already knew.
“That I killed Eleanor,” Edward said simply. “Mrs. Gable pushed her. But she did not die from the fall. She was still conscious. Still fighting. I held her under. Until she stopped moving.”
My blood turned to ice.
“Mrs. Gable believed she was guilty,” Edward said. “She carried the burden for twenty years. And I let her. It was convenient.”
“Why?” I asked. “Why kill her?”
“Because she was going to ruin us,” Edward said. “She was going to expose Father’s crimes. Destroy the family name. And I… I stood to lose everything. My place. My security. My reputation. So I acted. And I made sure Mrs. Gable took the blame.”
“And Arthur?” I said. “You let him believe I killed her.”
“Arthur was useful,” Edward said. “I fed his resentment. I fueled his hatred. I told him lies. And while he plotted against you… I walked free. The quiet uncle. The harmless scholar.”
“And the accidents?” I asked. “The threats? The fire?”
“Arthur acted alone,” Edward said. “But I encouraged him. Quietly. From the shadows. I told him what to do. When to strike. How to cover his tracks. He thought he was the mastermind. But he was only my puppet.”
I stared at him. The man I had trusted. The man I had welcomed into my home. The man who had sat at my table and eaten my bread while planning my destruction.
“All of it,” I said. “All the suffering… all the death… all the lies… for money.”
“For order,” Edward said. “For stability. Eleanor would have destroyed everything. Arthur would have ruined everything. And you… you would have exposed everything. I was the only one protecting what Father built.”
“Your protection cost lives,” I said.
“One life to save thousands,” Edward said. “A fair trade.”
He reached into his pocket. He withdrew a small pistol.
“You found the ledger,” he said. “And now… I must do what is necessary to protect the family’s future.”
“Shoot me,” I said. “And Thomas will come. The police will come. You will not escape.”
“Thomas is occupied,” Edward said. “I left him a small gift in the kitchen. He will sleep soundly for a few more hours. And by then… you will have tragically taken your own life. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt.”
He stepped closer.
“It is almost elegant,” he said. “The ledger open before you. A final note of confession. And the family secrets buried forever.”
May you like
I backed away. My hand closed around the candlestick behind my back.
“You think you
