Chapter 9 - The Price of a Fall
There are moments when anger becomes so large it goes quiet.
That was what happened to me.
I stared at the words BALCONY EVENT until the letters stopped looking real.
Claire covered her mouth.
Daniel whispered, “Oh my God.”
The payment was routed through a shell company tied to Marcus.
Recipient: V.H.
Victor Hale.
Completion date: the night of the gala.
“Call Ruiz,” Claire said.
I already was.
Police copied the drive and obtained warrants by morning. Marcus’s accounts were frozen. My mother’s attorneys issued statements calling the files fabricated.
Then something unexpected happened.
Victor called me.
Unknown number.
I answered without speaking.
“Nathan.”
His voice was unmistakable.
“Where are you?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“You disabled the camera.”
“I did.”
My pulse hammered.
“Did you help my mother push Claire?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to listen before she finds me.”
I put the call on speaker. Daniel began recording.
Victor continued.
“Your mother paid me to shut off the cameras and create confusion. She told me Claire was going to stage a scene to embarrass her.”
“You took two hundred fifty thousand dollars for that?”
“I didn’t know what she planned.”
“Then why did you run?”
“Because I saw what happened.”
My jaw tightened.
“You saw her push Claire?”
A long pause.
“Yes.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Then come back and testify.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus is looking for me.”
“We can protect you.”
“You couldn’t protect your wife in your own house.”
The words landed hard.
Then Victor said, “There’s something else you don’t know.”
“What?”
“The fall wasn’t the first plan.”
I stood.
“What was?”
“Her car.”
Claire’s face drained of color.
Victor spoke quickly now.
“Three weeks ago, Evelyn told Marcus to have someone tamper with Claire’s brakes. I stopped it.”
My stomach turned.
“Why?”
“Because I’m not a murderer.”
“You helped her hide cameras and move money for years.”
“I know what I am.”
“Then tell me where you are.”
Victor’s breathing changed.
A sound came through the phone.
A door.
Then footsteps.
May you like
Victor whispered, “They found me.”
The line went dead.
