Chapter 5: The Family's Buried Crime
Ethan didn't move.
For thirty-two years, he had believed his mother died in a car accident on a rainy highway outside Boston.
He remembered the funeral.
The black umbrellas.
His grandmother holding his hand.
His father telling him that his mother had loved him more than anything.
Now Richard Whitmore was standing in front of him, suggesting that the story had been a lie.
"Take it back," Ethan said.
Richard removed his glasses and cleaned them with a white handkerchief.
"Sit down.""
"Take it back!""
"You're making this unnecessarily difficult.""
Naomi shifted slightly, positioning herself between Richard and Eleanor.
Richard noticed.
"Still playing the bodyguard, Miss Reyes?""
Naomi's eyes remained fixed on him.
"Still hiding behind other people's money, Mr. Whitmore?""
Richard smiled faintly.
"Careful. You're no longer employed here.""
"That doesn't mean I stopped noticing things.""
He put his glasses back on.
Then he looked at Ethan.
"Your mother was an emotional woman. She involved herself in business matters she didn't understand.""
Ethan shook his head.
"My mother was a lawyer.""
"Exactly. She believed she could challenge people who were considerably more powerful than herself.""
"What did she find?""
Richard sighed.
"Nothing that concerns you.""
Ethan moved closer.
"She was my mother.""
For a moment, something flickered across Richard's face.
Then it vanished.
"She discovered irregularities in some company accounts. I dealt with the problem.""
"How?""
Richard said nothing.
Eleanor answered for him.
"Your father arranged for her car to be tampered with.""
Ethan turned toward her.
His lips parted.
No words came out.
Richard's voice sharpened.
"That's enough, Mother.""
Eleanor didn't look away.
"She had proof. She intended to take it to the authorities. Richard couldn't allow that.""
Ethan stared at his father.
"You killed her?""
Richard took a slow breath.
"Your mother was killed in a terrible accident. The driver responsible was never identified.""
"Don't you dare.""
"She was going to destroy everything I had built.""
"She was your wife!""
Richard's hand struck the desk.
"She was a liability!""
The words echoed through the sitting room.
Ethan looked as though someone had punched him.
Naomi watched Richard carefully.
His right hand was shaking.
Not from fear.
From anger.
People who controlled their surroundings rarely tolerated being challenged inside them.
"Where are the documents?"" Richard demanded.
Eleanor said nothing.
Richard turned toward Naomi.
"You have something in your possession. I want it.""
Naomi's expression remained neutral.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
"Don't insult me.""
"You've already done enough of that yourself.""
Richard stepped toward her.
Ethan immediately moved between them.
"Don't touch her.""
Richard stared at his son.
"You're choosing a servant over your own family?""
Ethan's voice was cold.
"I'm choosing the truth.""
Richard laughed bitterly.
"Then you've just made the biggest mistake of your life.""
He reached into his jacket and removed his phone.
One quick tap.
A moment later, the sitting room door opened.
Victor Sloane entered.
Naomi recognized him immediately.
He wasn't alone.
Two men in dark suits followed.
Richard gestured toward the brass key protruding slightly from Naomi's pocket.
"Take it.""
Victor smiled.
"Gladly.""
Naomi shifted her weight.
Ethan stepped forward.
"You're not taking anything.""
Victor glanced at him.
"Mr. Whitmore, this is an internal matter.""
"Get out of my house.""
Victor laughed.
"Your house?""
He looked toward Richard.
"That's adorable.""
Richard's expression tightened.
"Victor.""
The older man lifted both hands.
"All right.""
He approached Naomi.
"Give me the key, sweetheart. Nobody needs to get hurt.""
Naomi looked at the two men behind him.
One had his hand concealed inside his jacket.
The other was standing too close to the doorway.
Neither looked like a legitimate security employee.
"You're making a mistake," she said.
Victor smiled.
"I've made a living making mistakes disappear.""
He reached for her pocket.
Naomi moved.
It happened so quickly that Ethan barely understood what he had seen.
Naomi stepped sideways, caught Victor's wrist, and redirected his arm toward the wall.
His shoulder struck the wood paneling.
The second man lunged.
She turned, caught his forearm, and drove him backward into a chair.
The chair collapsed beneath his weight.
The third man reached inside his jacket.
Naomi's eyes locked onto the movement.
"Don't.""
The man hesitated.
It was enough.
She crossed the distance, seized his wrist, and forced his hand away from the weapon.
The gun never came out.
For two seconds, the entire room was silent.
Victor groaned against the wall.
Naomi released him and stepped back.
Her breathing was controlled.
Her face was pale.
Ethan stared at her.
"Naomi...""
She looked down at her hands.
"I told you I used to protect people.""
Victor slowly straightened.
Blood trickled from a cut above his eyebrow.
He looked at her with genuine hatred.
"You're going to regret that.""
Naomi's voice was quiet.
"Get out.""
Victor glanced at Richard.
The older man nodded.
The three men withdrew.
But Victor paused at the doorway.
"By the way, Reyes. Your little friend Margaret isn't coming.""
Naomi's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do?""
Victor smiled.
"Ask the police why they found her car abandoned on Route 9.""
Then he disappeared.
Ethan immediately pulled out his phone.
"I'm calling the police.""
"No," Eleanor said.
He turned.
"Grandmother!""
"Richard has people inside the department.""
"Then we'll call someone outside Boston.""
Naomi approached the window.
"First, we need to know whether Margaret is alive.""
She called the number.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Hello?""
Naomi froze.
"Who is this?""
The man laughed.
"Your old friend.""
It was Victor.
Naomi's hand tightened around the phone.
"Where is Margaret?""
"Safe enough.""
"Let me speak to her.""
"Not yet.""
"What do you want?""
"The key.""
Naomi looked toward Eleanor.
Victor continued.
"Bring it to the old Harbor Point warehouse at eleven. Come alone.""
"No.""
A brief silence.
Then Victor said something that made her blood turn cold.
"Then Margaret gets to experience the same ending as Daniel.""
The call ended.
Naomi lowered the phone.
Ethan stepped closer.
"What did he say?""
"Margaret is alive.""
"Where?""
"Harbor Point.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"That's where Richard used to store company equipment.""
Naomi looked at her.
"How do you know?""
"Because I signed the purchase documents.""
Ethan stared at his grandmother.
"You're telling me my father owns a warehouse where armed men are holding people?""
Eleanor lowered her head.
"I didn't know what it was being used for.""
Naomi picked up her suitcase.
"We need to move.""
Ethan blocked her path.
"You're not going alone.""
"That's not negotiable.""
"Neither is this.""
He stepped closer.
"You came back into this house because my grandmother trusted you. You protected us when those men attacked. I'm not going to sit here while you walk into another trap.""
Naomi looked at him.
"You're not trained for this.""
"Then teach me what I need to know.""
She almost smiled.
Almost.
"First lesson. Never assume courage makes you invincible.""
Ethan nodded.
"Fine.""
Naomi turned toward Eleanor.
"Do you have access to the company's financial records?""
Eleanor hesitated.
"Some.""
"Then I need every document connected to the Philadelphia accounts.""
Eleanor rose.
"I know where they're kept.""
She walked to an antique writing desk and unlocked a hidden compartment.
Inside were several envelopes and a small leather folder.
She handed the folder to Naomi.
"This is what Daniel gave me.""
Naomi opened it.
There were copies of bank transfers, handwritten notes, and photographs.
One photograph showed Richard Whitmore standing beside Victor Sloane.
Another showed a woman entering a building.
Naomi recognized her immediately.
It was Margaret Hale.
But the date printed beneath the photograph was impossible.
December 14.
The night Daniel Cross died.
Naomi looked up.
"Why was Margaret there?""
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
"Because she was the one who arranged the operation.""
Naomi stared at her.
"What?""
Eleanor took a trembling breath.
"Margaret wasn't simply your instructor, Naomi.""
She pointed to a handwritten note in the folder.
"She was Daniel's supervisor.""
Naomi looked at the photograph again.
Her entire understanding of Philadelphia began to fracture.
Then she noticed something written on the back.
A sentence in Daniel's handwriting.
*If Naomi remembers what happened in Room 814, everyone is finished.*
Naomi read it twice.
Room 814.
She remembered the hotel.
She remembered the corridor.
But she couldn't remember entering Room 814.
She looked at Eleanor.
"What happened in that room?""
May you like
Eleanor's answer came as a whisper.
"You tell me.""
