Chương 17 - Martin's Choice
Martin's car was found in an underground garage near the courthouse.
His phone lay on the driver's seat.
No blood.
No sign of struggle.
At first, police treated it as an abduction.
Then Detective Ortiz opened his laptop.
Martin had emptied one bank account that morning.
Forty-eight thousand dollars.
He had also booked a one-way flight to Montreal under his own name.
Evelyn stared at the screen.
“He ran.”
Ethan said nothing.
Claire did. “Or he wanted somebody to think he ran.”
They found the truth in a scheduled email Martin had set to send at midnight.
It went to Evelyn.
Evie,
If you are reading this, I lost my nerve before I found my courage.
Your father was right not to trust me completely.
Years ago, I helped Miriam hide several early transfers. I told myself I was protecting the Cross family from scandal. Later, when I realized Halston was involved, I tried to undo what I had done.
That is why I delayed telling you about the brake evidence. I was ashamed, and I was afraid my role would make the police dismiss everything else I found.
I did not kill Richard.
But my cowardice helped the people who did.
I am going to testify.
If I fail to make it there, give Detective Ortiz the storage key taped beneath my conference table.
I'm sorry.
Martin.
Evelyn went to Martin's office with Ortiz.
The storage key opened a locker at Union Station.
Inside were copies of Richard's original audit notes, photographs of Victor meeting with city officials, and a handwritten statement from Miriam dated four months earlier.
Miriam had tried to confess.
Martin had convinced her to wait until he could protect Grant.
That delay had given Victor time to destroy evidence.
Evelyn read the final line of Miriam's statement twice.
Victor ordered Richard's car sabotaged after Richard threatened to take the ledger to federal investigators.
There it was.
The answer.
Not complete justice.
But truth.
Ortiz looked at Evelyn. “This, plus the card, is enough to charge him with conspiracy and likely enough to build the homicide case.”
Evelyn should have felt relief.
Instead, she felt tired.
Then Claire's phone rang.
She answered.
Her face changed immediately.
“What?” Ethan asked.
Claire put the call on speaker.
Grant's voice came through, panicked.
“Evelyn, my mother is gone.”
“Gone where?”
“I don't know. She left the hospital escort. She took a car.”
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
Grant continued.
“She left me a note.”
“What does it say?”
May you like
His voice broke.
“She says she's going to finish what she started.”
