Chapter 17 - The Choice at the Pier

The man on the catwalk was the shooter from the chapel. He called himself Danner. In his other hand he held a pistol, trembling just enough to show that control was slipping away.

"Grant promised you'd be alone," Danner shouted.

Lena lifted both hands. "He lied to you. He's been lying to everybody."

"Shut up."

Nora could hear the slap of the river beneath the floorboards. An alarm somewhere began to beep. The small red light on the remote flashed faster.

"If you set off those charges, you die too," Adrian called from the doorway. He had followed with Agent Reed and more officers.

Danner laughed bitterly. "I'm dead either way. Grant put my name on the shell companies."

"Then give us the records," Adrian said. "You can be the person who stops him."

Danner hesitated. In that instant, Evelyn reached into her coat and pulled out a waterproof pouch.

"I have them," she said. "Every payment. Every fake transfer. Every order Grant gave. I copied his accounts before I ran."

Danner pointed the gun at her. Nora stepped between them.

"You want to make sure my mother stays quiet?" Nora said. "Then listen to me. When this is over, Grant will blame you for everything. He already did it to my dad."

Danner's eyes flicked from Nora to the officers. The remote slipped in his sweaty grip. He reached to catch it; the gun swung toward the ceiling.

A shot cracked through the warehouse.

Nora ducked as wood shattered overhead. Lena pulled Evelyn behind a concrete pillar. Reed ordered everyone down. Danner dropped the remote and stumbled against the railing.

Adrian caught it before it fell through the catwalk grating. He held it steady while the bomb squad, already moving in under cover, secured the device. Danner was handcuffed without another shot.

Outside, Nora watched her mother wrapped in a blanket. The river was black, the city lights blurred by mist. "I want to be angry with you," Nora said.

Evelyn nodded. "You should be."

"But I don't want to lose you again."

"Then we start with the truth. Every piece of it."

Agent Reed approached. "We have a problem. Grant's lawyers filed a statement that the records in Evelyn's pouch were stolen. The judge may exclude them."

Evelyn looked toward the water. "Then there's one person left who can tell the court who owned those accounts."

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"Who?" Nora asked.

"Grant's father. And everyone thinks he's dead."