Chapter 17 - The Roof

Rain from the previous night had left the warehouse roof slick.

Graham stood near the far edge with the pistol in one hand and a small black drive in the other.

Daniel reached the roof seconds behind the agents.

"Stop!" Ruiz shouted.

Graham looked down at the street four stories below.

Then he laughed.

"You think this ends with me?"

Daniel stayed behind the officers.

"It ends with you telling the truth."

"Truth? Your family built half its fortune on secrets. Your father just had the bad manners to discover mine."

Graham held up the black drive.

"Every recording. Every account. Every name."

Mark emerged from the stairwell.

"Put the gun down, Graham."

Graham recognized him.

For the first time, real fear appeared.

"Federal?"

"For eleven months."

Graham looked toward Daniel and smiled bitterly.

"You were never the clever one in the family."

Daniel answered, "No. I was the trusting one. I'm done with that."

Emily reached the roof entrance and stopped behind Ruiz.

Graham saw her.

His expression sharpened.

"There she is. The outsider who broke the Carter family."

Emily's voice was steady.

"No. I just stopped pretending it wasn't already broken."

Graham raised the drive as if he might throw it over the edge.

Mark said, "We already copied your laptop. That drive doesn't save you."

Graham hesitated.

That was enough.

Ruiz moved.

Another agent closed from the side.

Graham stepped backward.

His shoe slipped on the wet roof.

He dropped the gun.

For one terrifying second, he windmilled his arms near the ledge.

Daniel lunged and caught the sleeve of his coat.

Graham stared at him.

"Why?"

Daniel's face twisted with effort.

"Because I'm not you."

Agents pulled Graham back onto the roof and handcuffed him.

Emily reached Daniel.

He wrapped both arms around her.

Neither spoke.

Below them, sirens filled the street.

Graham was led away.

It should have felt finished.

Then Mark picked up the black drive.

"Daniel," he said, "we need to talk about what's on this."

Daniel looked at him.

Mark's face was grim.

"Vanessa wasn't only stealing from the trust."

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He held up the drive.

"She had been paying someone inside your house."