Chapter 13 - The Second Man

The second man in the video was Dr. Samuel Mercer.

Clare gasped.

Vincent turned so fast his chair struck the wall.

Mercer stared at the screen.

"No."

Dominic did not move.

The footage showed Arthur entering the rehabilitation room, then Mercer following thirty seconds later.

Arthur knelt beside the brace.

Mercer stood over him.

The image had no sound.

Arthur adjusted something near the lower strap.

Mercer did not stop him.

Then both men left.

Vincent took Mercer's phone from the table.

"Don't."

Mercer's voice cracked. "Dominic, listen to me."

Dominic's face became unreadable.

"I'm listening."

Mercer looked at Arthur, then at Clare and Ellie.

"My daughter is nineteen. She has a gambling problem. It got bad. Very bad. Arthur found out. He bought her debt."

Arthur remained seated.

"Samuel," he said softly, "you should stop talking."

Mercer shook his head.

"He told me he only wanted access to your progress reports. Then he wanted therapy schedules. Then he asked me to ignore one brace adjustment. I did."

Dominic's voice was quiet. "And the drugs?"

Mercer swallowed.

"I didn't prescribe them. But I knew the bloodwork was wrong, and I waited. I told myself I was protecting my daughter while I built proof."

"Did you touch the brace yesterday?"

"I saw Arthur crouched beside it. I confronted him. That's why I was in the room. He said if I spoke, my daughter would be arrested and the debt collectors would find her first."

Arthur sighed. "A touching story."

Mercer turned on him. "You burned my car."

"Prove it."

"You took Angela."

"Prove it."

Dominic watched Arthur carefully.

The man had built his entire plan around one word.

Proof.

He believed that if every crime passed through someone else's hands, no one could reach him.

Then Ellie spoke.

"He had the bird ring."

Arthur looked at her.

Ellie pointed at him. "Yesterday. He clicked the brace."

Arthur smiled coldly. "Children invent things."

Clare stood. "Don't speak to her."

Arthur ignored her.

"Children repeat what adults tell them."

Dominic stepped between Arthur and Ellie.

"You've made enough mistakes tonight. Don't add another."

Vincent's phone rang again.

This time it was the police detective assigned to the original crash.

Vincent listened.

His face slowly changed.

"They rechecked the impounded parts," he said. "Tool marks on the wheel bolts. Deliberate loosening."

Arthur's eyes flicked toward the door.

Dominic saw it.

"One more thing," Vincent added. "The tow-yard camera caught someone visiting the wreck three days after the crash. Someone who had no reason to be there."

He turned the phone so everyone could see the still image.

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