Chapter 10 - MIDNIGHT CAME WITHOUT HIM
My father was gone.
At first, I felt nothing.
That scared me.
Not fear.
Not grief.
Nothing.
Maybe the night had burned through every emotion I had left.
Agent Dane moved quickly.
He spoke into his phone while Agent Cole contacted hotel security.
Martin stood against the wall.
Silent.
Watching.
I looked at him.
“You know something.”
He didn’t respond.
“Martin.”
“Not now.”
I stepped closer.
“Where is my father?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve lied all night.”
“That doesn’t mean I know where he is.”
“Did Preston take him?”
Martin looked at me sharply.
That was enough.
“You think he did.”
Martin lowered his voice.
“I think Preston discovered the midnight transfer wasn’t what he expected.”
My stomach tightened.
“How?”
“Someone told him.”
“Who?”
Martin looked away.
“Who?”
He finally whispered.
“Your mother.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“She found out.”
“How?”
“She overheard your father speaking to Judge Mercer.”
“And she warned Preston.”
Martin nodded.
“Why?”
“Because she believed your father was betraying him.”
Of course.
Even when Preston stole millions...
Even when he framed a child...
Even when he hurt Sophie...
My mother still protected him.
“Where is she?”
“At the hotel.”
“With Preston?”
“I don’t know.”
Dane returned.
“Evelyn.”
“What?”
“We need you to stay here.”
“No.”
“This is now an active situation.”
“My father is missing.”
“Yes.”
“And Preston may have him.”
“That’s why you need to stay.”
I almost laughed.
“You people keep telling me to stay somewhere while my family destroys everything around me.”
Dane’s expression hardened.
“Your daughter is safer here.”
That stopped me.
He was right.
I looked through the glass.
Sophie had fallen asleep.
Bandage on her head.
Blue horse picture beside her pillow.
I couldn’t leave her.
Not for my father.
Not for anyone.
Rebecca arrived twenty minutes later.
She walked into the hallway wearing black trousers, a long coat, and the expression of someone ready to dismantle a corporation before breakfast.
I had never been happier to see anyone.
She hugged me once.
Briefly.
Then looked through the glass at Sophie.
“How is she?”
“Concussion.”
“Stitches?”
“Yes.”
“She awake?”
“Sleeping.”
Rebecca nodded.
Then turned to Dane.
“Agent.”
“Counselor.”
“You’re done questioning my client without me.”
“I wasn’t questioning her.”
“Good.”
Rebecca looked at Martin.
“And you.”
Martin sighed.
“Rebecca.”
“You look terrible.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope it gets worse.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
Rebecca opened a folder.
“Evelyn.”
“Yes?”
“The freeze order has been granted.”
“When?”
“11:58.”
“Before midnight.”
“Yes.”
“So nobody can transfer anything.”
“Correct.”
“What about Preston?”
“He currently has no additional authority.”
“And the disqualification papers?”
“Worthless without trustee approval.”
My chest loosened slightly.
“So Sophie is protected?”
“For now.”
“For now?”
Rebecca looked serious.
“The legal side is moving.”
“The criminal side is different.”
I looked at Dane.
He nodded.
Then my phone rang.
My mother.
I stared at the screen.
Rebecca saw the name.
“Speaker.”
I answered.
“Mom.”
She was crying.
Real crying this time.
I could tell.
“Evelyn.”
“Where is Dad?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
“Where is Preston?”
Silence.
“Mom.”
“He left.”
“With Dad?”
“I don’t know.”
“You warned him.”
She started crying harder.
“Who told you?”
“Martin.”
She cursed under her breath.
Martin closed his eyes.
I continued.
“Why?”
“Your father was going to destroy him.”
“Preston stole from the company.”
“He made mistakes.”
“Millions of dollars are not mistakes.”
“He was going to fix it.”
I laughed.
“Was Sophie a mistake too?”
My mother went silent.
I felt Rebecca watching me.
Dane too.
“Answer me.”
“I never wanted Sophie hurt.”
“But you helped frame her.”
“I was told it would be harmless.”
“Harmless?”
“I thought Preston would accuse her.”
“And?”
“And then the phone would be found.”
“In her bag.”
“Yes.”
“And everyone would think she stole it.”
“For a few hours.”
I closed my eyes.
“For a few hours.”
My voice cracked.
“She’s eight.”
“I know.”
“No.”
“You don’t.”
“If you knew, you wouldn’t have done it.”
My mother sobbed.
“I thought your father would sign.”
“And then what?”
“We would say there had been a misunderstanding.”
“You would clear Sophie afterward?”
“Yes.”
I laughed bitterly.
“How generous.”
“We weren’t going to let it follow her.”
“You recorded a confession.”
“That was Preston.”
“You stood there.”
Silence.
“You watched.”
“I thought it was rehearsal.”
“You believed anything he told you because you wanted to.”
She said nothing.
Then I heard something behind her.
A door.
Footsteps.
My mother gasped.
“Preston?”
Everyone in the hallway went still.
I put the call on speaker.
My mother’s breathing changed.
“Preston, where is your father?”
A male voice answered.
Faint.
It was my brother.
“Mom.”
“Where have you been?”
“Put Evelyn on.”
I stared at the phone.
My mother hesitated.
“She’s here.”
Preston laughed softly.
“I knew she would be listening.”
My skin prickled.
I stepped closer to the phone.
“Where is Dad?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Not your concern.”
“It became my concern when he disappeared.”
Preston’s voice changed.
“You ruined everything.”
I almost laughed.
“No.”
“You did that yourself.”
“You think you won?”
“No.”
“I think Sophie survived you.”
Silence.
Then his voice lowered.
“You always did know how to make yourself the victim.”
Rebecca shook her head.
I stayed calm.
“What do you want?”
“That’s better.”
“Where is Dad?”
“You want to see him?”
“Yes.”
“Then come to the hotel.”
Dane shook his head immediately.
I ignored him.
“Where?”
“The presidential suite.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re going to finish what should have been finished hours ago.”
Rebecca mouthed no.
I asked.
“What do you want me to sign?”
Preston laughed.
“You finally learned.”
“What?”
“A resignation.”
“From what?”
“Everything.”
“I don’t control anything yet.”
“You control enough.”
“The trust is frozen.”
Silence.
He hadn’t known.
I smiled.
“You didn’t know.”
His breathing changed.
I continued.
“Helen froze it at 11:58.”
No answer.
“Your midnight transfer is dead.”
He exhaled.
Slowly.
Then laughed.
Not amused.
Unstable.
“You think this was about midnight?”
My smile disappeared.
“What does that mean?”
“You still don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
“This stopped being about the company months ago.”
My stomach tightened.
“What is it about?”
He answered quietly.
“Grandfather.”
I looked at Rebecca.
She frowned.
“What about him?”
Preston’s voice became bitter.
“You were always his favorite.”
I almost laughed.
“That’s not true.”
“It was.”
“He barely saw me.”
“Because Dad kept you away from him.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“Ask him.”
I looked at Dane.
He was signaling someone.
Probably tracing the call.
I kept Preston talking.
“Why would Dad keep me away?”
“Because Grandfather knew.”
“Knew what?”
A pause.
Then Preston said.
“That Dad wasn’t supposed to inherit the company.”
My breathing stopped.
Rebecca stared at me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Grandfather changed his will.”
“I know about the trust.”
“Not that.”
My pulse quickened.
“What?”
“The company was never supposed to go to Dad.”
Silence.
“Who was it supposed to go to?”
Preston laughed.
“You.”
The hallway disappeared around me.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
“Grandfather died when I was twenty-seven.”
“Exactly.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“He signed the original transfer two days before he died.”
My stomach dropped.
“Then why didn’t I get it?”
“Because the document disappeared.”
I looked at Martin.
His face had turned white.
Preston continued.
“Guess who notarized it.”
My eyes went to Martin.
He wouldn’t look at me.
“Martin?”
“Very good.”
I stepped toward him.
“You knew.”
Martin closed his eyes.
Preston laughed through the phone.
“He knew everything.”
My voice became quiet.
“Where is the document?”
Preston answered.
“That’s why Dad is with me.”
“What?”
“He knows where the original is.”
My heart pounded.
“What are you doing to him?”
“Nothing.”
“Preston.”
“He’s alive.”
“For now?”
Silence.
My mother screamed through the phone.
“Preston!”
Then I heard a crash.
The line crackled.
Someone shouted.
A door slammed.
My mother cried out.
Then the call ended.
Dane was already moving.
“We have the location.”
“The hotel?”
“Yes.”
“Presidential suite?”
“No.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He lied.”
“Where is he?”
Dane looked at Agent Cole.
Then at me.
“The call is coming from a warehouse owned by Whitmore Holdings.”
My stomach dropped.
“Where?”
“South Side.”
Rebecca grabbed my arm.
“You’re not going.”
I knew she was right.
But before Dane could leave, Martin spoke.
“You’re too late.”
Everyone turned.
Dane stepped toward him.
“What?”
Martin’s face looked gray.
“If Preston took Richard there, he already knows.”
“Knows what?”
Martin looked at me.
“The original will isn’t in a safe.”
My pulse slowed.
“Where is it?”
Martin swallowed.
“Your father hid it inside something no one would throw away.”
“What?”
“A wedding gift.”
I stared at him.
“Whose wedding?”
Martin’s expression crumpled.
“Yours.”
I stopped breathing.
My wedding had been eleven years earlier.
Most of those gifts were long gone.
Except one.
One thing my father had insisted I keep after my divorce.
An old cedar chest.
It sat in my basement.
Unused.
Locked.
I stared at Martin.
“You’re saying the document is in my house?”
He nodded.
“And Preston knows?”
Martin looked toward my phone.
“If your father told him...”
My blood turned cold.
Sophie’s house.
My house.
The place Preston knew would be empty because we were at the hospital.
Then my security app sent a notification.
FRONT DOOR OPENED.
I stared at the screen.
Rebecca saw it.
Her face changed.
Another alert appeared.
BASEMENT MOTION DETECTED.
Then another.
CAMERA OFFLINE.
I looked through the glass at Sophie sleeping safely inside the hospital room.
Then back at my phone.
Someone had entered my house.
May you like
And whoever it was...
Had gone straight to the cedar chest.
