Chapter 12 - The Night Charles Died

Rosa's confession came in pieces.

Charles had been dying, but not that night.

"He was weak," she said. "But he was talking. Eating. He had asked me to bring the lawyer the next morning."

"What happened?"

"Eleanor came into his room with Daniel and Dr. Rusk."

Claire stared at her. "My obstetrician?"

"She was not your doctor then. She was a family friend. She gave Charles an injection."

Rosa had been told it was pain medication. Twenty minutes later Charles stopped breathing.

No ambulance was called for nearly half an hour.

"Why didn't you tell the police?" Claire asked.

"I tried. Mercer came to the house. He said Charles had a do-not-resuscitate order and I was confused."

"And you believed him?"

"No." Rosa's voice broke. "But Eleanor told me if I kept talking, she would have my grandson arrested. He had a drug problem then. She knew everything."

Claire reached for Rosa's hand.

Rosa pulled away. "I was a coward."

"You were threatened."

"I was still silent."

Agent Ward arranged for Charles's death records to be reopened. His body had been cremated, but archived blood samples from his final hospitalization still existed.

Tests found a sedative in a concentration inconsistent with his chart.

Dr. Rusk was arrested that afternoon.

Mercer disappeared before federal agents reached his house.

Eleanor remained missing.

Daniel called Maya from a blocked number.

"I want immunity."

Maya put him on speaker while Ward recorded.

"For what?" Maya asked.

"I can give you my mother."

Claire's fists tightened.

Daniel continued, "She ordered the balcony sabotage. Vale did it. Mercer covered it. I didn't know until that morning."

"You still cut the curtain," Claire said.

Silence.

Then Daniel whispered, "Yes."

Rosa closed her eyes.

Claire said, "Why?"

"Because Mother said if the child lived, I'd lose everything."

"You chose money."

"I chose badly."

"You chose murder."

Ward leaned toward the phone. "Where is Eleanor?"

Daniel breathed heavily.

"She has a house near Lake Erie. Not in her name. I can take you there."

"Why should we trust you?"

"Because she's going to kill me too."

A sharp sound cracked through the call.

Daniel gasped.

Then the line filled with static.

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Before it died completely, Claire heard Eleanor's voice in the background.

"Put the phone down, Daniel."