Chapter 17 - The Woman Who Wanted Everything

Mara reached the outer gate while firefighters were moving equipment toward the entrance. She abandoned her car and tried to walk past the barricade in a borrowed county jacket. Ortiz recognized her and stopped her before she could enter the flooded chamber.

"My brother's in there," Mara cried.

"You don't have a brother," Elias said.

For a second she looked at him as though she'd forgotten he could contradict her. Then the tears disappeared.

"I didn't order anyone to drown," she snapped. "Cal changed the plan."

"You ordered a man kidnapped," Ortiz said. "And you arranged for Elias Wren's wine to be drugged."

Mara looked at the ambulance where Ben sat under a blanket. "He was never supposed to get involved."

"You took him from his home," I said. "You don't get to decide that doesn't count."

She turned to Elias. "Your father buried fourteen deaths. I found out. I wanted him to pay. Then I saw what the company was worth if the county sold its warning systems. Cal said he could get us the contract."

"So you wanted the money and the revenge," Elias replied.

"I wanted what your family always had. Choices."

"You had choices every day," I said. "You chose this."

Ortiz advised her of her rights and took her into custody. There would be no dramatic confession that made evidence unnecessary; what Mara said would have to be checked against records, witnesses, and the money trail.

But she gave them one detail that turned everyone's attention back to the river.

"Cal pulled the emergency release," she said. "He told me the equipment would fail and the county would blame Everett again."

"Where is he?" Ortiz asked.

"Lower control passage. He has a boat tied beneath the grate."

A rescue captain radioed that the passage was filling. Nobody would be sent into it without a safe route and a second team standing by. Nadine ordered the upstream isolation sequence from the control center. The first motor engaged, then stopped with a grinding noise.

Ruth Bellamy's voice came over the emergency channel.

"We've got water crossing the river road. We need the warning sirens now."

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The siren panel showed a green check mark.

Outside, the town remained silent.