Chapter 17 - A Bargain He Couldn't Make

I put Graham on speaker so Katherine could hear. "I don't have what you want," I said.

"Don't insult me. Your mother was a thief. You're following in her footsteps."

"My mother saved people you treated like inventory."

He went silent long enough for me to hear someone coughing in the background.

"Tell me Marcus is alive," I said.

A weak voice came through the phone. "Elena, don't—"

There was a thud, and Graham cut him off.

"Midnight," he said. "The old rail depot. Alone."

The call ended. Katherine immediately contacted the investigators handling the case. No one suggested I walk into the depot with evidence. They recorded the threat, worked to locate the phone, and coordinated with local law enforcement.

For two hours I sat on Nia's couch, staring at the blank television. I hated Marcus for participating in the cover-up. I hated the thought of him dying because he finally tried to help.

"You're not responsible for Graham's choices," Mateo said gently.

"I'm responsible for mine."

At 11:48 p.m., detectives moved into position around the abandoned depot. The plan wasn't mine to direct. I waited inside a police vehicle with a victim advocate and Katherine while negotiators tried to reach Graham.

Then the radio crackled. Officers had found Marcus tied to a chair inside an equipment shed. He was injured but conscious. Graham had left him there, with a timer and a threatening note, trying to pull investigators away from the loading dock.

A second team intercepted a van leaving the property. Graham wasn't inside. The driver gave investigators a false name and refused to speak.

"Where did he go?" I asked.

No one knew.

At dawn the police took me to a secure office to update my statement. Katherine had just stepped out when Mateo called, breathless.

"Elena, come to Ben's house. Now."

"What happened?"

"Mara remembers the blue room. She says there was another woman there the night Sofia escaped."

"Who?"

May you like

Billionaire’s Wife Kicked a Waitress in Front of 300 Elites—One Slap Exp...

The billionaire’s wife tried to kick a waitress in the face in front of 300 wealthy guests. But seconds later, she whispered three...

My Mother Grabbed My Wife by the Hair Over Cold Soup—But What My Father...

My mother grabbed my wife by the hair over a bowl of cold soup. And the most shameful part? For one terrible second, I almost defe...

My Parents Kicked My 6-Year-Old Daughter and Me Out on Christmas—Then I...

My mother kicked my six-year-old daughter out of Christmas dinner, never realizing I was the only reason she still had a house to...

His answer made every hair on my arms rise.

"Your father's sister. The aunt you thought died before you were born."