Chapter 11 - Sisters
“Put it down,” Rachel ordered.
Claire’s hand shook.
“Not until he hears me.”
“Hears what?” I asked.
Her eyes filled.
“That Anna was my sister.”
The words landed softly and destroyed everything.
Claire lowered the gun a few inches.
“My father left when I was two. Anna was twelve. We had different last names. Different lives. She practically raised me until college.”
“Why hide it?”
“Because after she died, Marcus watched everyone connected to her.”
“You still came into my house.”
“Yes.”
“You dated me.”
“Yes.”
“You terrified my daughter.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No denial.
That almost made it worse.
She set the gun on the floor and kicked it toward Rachel.
“I thought Lily had seen where Anna hid the evidence. Daniel told me Marcus would take her if she talked. I tried to scare her into staying quiet.”
“You locked her in a laundry room.”
“For less than a minute.”
“You threatened her.”
“Yes.” Her voice broke. “And there is no version of this where I get to call that okay.”
I wanted to scream at her.
Instead I asked the question that mattered.
“Why did you call Marcus?”
“Because Daniel disappeared. Marcus had him. I offered myself in exchange.”
“The video made it look like you were his prisoner.”
“I was by then.”
“Then how are you here?”
Claire looked toward the back windows.
“I escaped forty minutes ago.”
Rachel’s expression changed.
“If you escaped, where is Marcus?”
Claire whispered, “Close.”
A red laser dot appeared on her blouse.
I moved before I thought.
I slammed into Claire and dragged her down as the window exploded behind us.
Rachel fired toward the tree line.
Glass rained across the staircase.
We crawled behind the stone fireplace.
Outside, an engine roared.
Rachel shouted into her radio.
Claire grabbed my sleeve.
“He’s going to Nora’s.”
“How do you know?”
“Because the card isn’t the only evidence.”
“What else is there?”
May you like
Claire looked straight at me.
“Lily remembers where Anna hid the original ledger.”
