Chapter 12 - The Escape
Richard did not overpower anyone.
He didn’t need to.
A uniformed officer received a fake evacuation alert about a gas leak in the east wing. In the confusion, a man wearing an EMT jacket walked Richard through a service exit.
Security footage caught only the back of his head.
Professional.
Planned.
“Marcus?” I asked.
Ortiz nodded. “Probably.”
Victoria was still in custody and furious enough to break glass with her voice.
When Ortiz told her Richard was gone, she laughed.
“Of course he is.”
“You expected this?”
“I expected him to run the second Marcus resurfaced.”
Nathan stepped closer. “You knew Marcus was alive.”
Victoria looked at her son with exhausted contempt. “I knew there were rumors.”
“You lied about Caroline.”
Her face changed.
“Caroline made her own choices.”
Nathan slammed both hands on the interview table. “You told me she was dead.”
“I told you what kept you alive.”
The words stunned him.
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears for the first time all night.
“Your father covered for Marcus for years. Money, contracts, disappearances. Then Caroline found the accounts. Marcus wanted her dead. Richard arranged the crash.”
Nathan backed away.
“You said it was an accident.”
“It was staged. She survived. Richard got her out.”
“Why tell me she died?”
“Because Marcus was watching you.”
Nathan looked physically sick.
I asked, “And tonight? Did Richard save me too?”
Victoria’s tears stopped.
“No.”
There it was.
The ugly truth.
“He forged my signature.”
“Yes.”
“He tried to take my company.”
“Yes.”
“Did he push me?”
Victoria looked away.
Ortiz leaned forward. “Mrs. Vale.”
Victoria whispered, “I did.”
Nathan made a broken sound.
She looked at me. “I shoved you. I wanted you scared. I thought you’d fall into the grass, maybe sprain an ankle. I didn’t know the slope had washed out.”
“You left me there.”
“Richard said you were alive.”
“So you walked away.”
Her face crumpled.
“Yes.”
I hated her in that moment.
Not because she was a monster.
Because she was ordinary enough to justify it.
Ortiz arrested her for assault and conspiracy.
As officers led Victoria away, she stopped beside me.
“Emma.”
I didn’t answer.
“Marcus will kill Richard first.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard stole something from him fourteen years ago.”
“What?”
May you like
Victoria looked at Nathan.
“Caroline.”
