Chapter 11 - A Hope Too Cruel to Hold
Elena wanted to believe it so badly that the possibility felt dangerous. For nine years she'd learned to be the mother who showed up for school plays, the widow who signed forms, the woman who kept moving. Hope threatened to pull the floor from beneath her.
“Do you have evidence?” she asked Lena over a conference call.
“I kept my medical notes. His pulse was weak but present. The helicopter crew wouldn't identify themselves.”
Daniel closed his eyes. He remembered the aircraft's shadow crossing the ridge just as he was losing consciousness. He had assumed it belonged to a rescue team. The official record said no helicopter reached the site for almost four hours.
Andrew urged them to send the notes directly to investigators. He also arranged independent verification of any new claim before the family heard it. Elena thanked him without forgiving his father or promising that she ever would.
The news turned uglier overnight. Anonymous accounts accused Elena of inventing a missing husband for donations. A tabloid printed Sophie's school photograph. Daniel called the school, and authorities helped ensure Sophie wouldn't be approached by reporters.
At a preliminary hearing, Victor's attorneys argued that the old incident was outside the court's jurisdiction. The judge demanded documents instead of speeches. Andrew watched his father sit beneath the seal of justice looking irritated, not frightened.
Outside the courtroom Victor approached him. “You think that soldier cares about you? He's using you to get even.”
“Maybe he is angry,” Andrew said. “He has reasons.”
“I gave you everything.”
“You gave me a last name and expected me never to question what it cost.”
Victor leaned close. “Walk away now, and I'll make sure your mother stays out of this.”
Andrew felt the old instinct to obey. His mother had left Victor when Andrew was eighteen and lived quietly in coastal Maine. Victor had never mentioned her in years.
“What does Mom have to do with it?” he asked.
Victor's smile returned, small and poisonous. “You should ask her what happened to the first auditor who challenged me.”
Before Andrew could answer, Victor's lawyer pulled him away.
May you like
That night Andrew called his mother.
She picked up after one ring and said, “I wondered when he'd finally tell you about the fire.”
