Chapter 10 - THE HALCYON LEDGER
Thomas placed a black ledger on the table.
“This is what everyone wants.”
I remained standing.
“Why show me?”
“Because you control the trust.”
“For now.”
“For exactly as long as I allow.”
He gestured toward the chair.
I sat.
Thomas studied me.
“I was sorry to hear about Lily.”
“Don't.”
“I loved my granddaughter.”
“You used her name to hide money.”
“That doesn't mean I didn't love her.”
I almost smiled.
“David said the same thing.”
Thomas's expression changed.
“David is sentimental.”
“No.”
“He's a coward.”
That irritated him.
I saw it immediately.
“You made him one.”
Thomas leaned forward.
“I made David wealthy.”
“You made him afraid.”
“I gave him everything.”
“Except permission to become his own man.”
His jaw tightened.
“You sound like a therapist.”
“I sound like someone who buried your granddaughter while your son drank champagne.”
For several seconds, Thomas said nothing.
Then he pushed the ledger toward me.
“Sign Halcyon back.”
“No.”
“I'll disappear.”
“No.”
“You'll never see me again.”
“That's the problem.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You want revenge.”
“I want accountability.”
“Same thing with better branding.”
“No.”
I looked directly at him.
“Revenge would be doing to you what you did to everyone else.”
“And accountability?”
“Making sure you can't do it again.”
Thomas smiled.
“You've changed.”
“Yes.”
“David always underestimated you.”
“So did you.”
He reached beneath the table.
My body tensed.
Hale's voice sounded faintly through the receiver hidden in my ear.
“Hold.”
Thomas withdrew a pistol.
Everything stopped.
He placed it on the table.
Not pointing at me.
Not yet.
“You really thought federal agents could protect you?”
I kept my hands visible.
“I hoped.”
Thomas smiled.
“You're wearing a wire.”
My stomach dropped.
He reached toward my collar.
I slapped his hand away.
The pistol moved.
Then the warehouse exploded with sound.
“FEDERAL AGENTS!”
Thomas grabbed me.
His arm locked around my neck.
The gun pressed against my side.
Agents flooded the room.
Hale stood at the front.
“Drop the weapon!”
Thomas dragged me backward.
“Everyone leaves!”
“No.”
“Then she dies!”
Hale's weapon remained trained on him.
I could feel Thomas breathing against my hair.
His hand trembled.
That surprised me.
He was afraid.
The ghost was afraid.
I looked at the ledger.
Then at the pistol.
Then at Hale.
Thomas whispered.
“This is your fault.”
“No.”
I drove my heel down onto his foot.
Hard.
Thomas cursed.
His grip loosened.
I dropped.
The gun fired.
The bullet tore through the table.
Agents surged forward.
Thomas was slammed onto the concrete.
The pistol skidded away.
Hale pulled me behind him.
Thomas screamed as officers cuffed him.
“You stupid woman!”
I stared down at him.
“You should've stayed dead.”
The Halcyon ledger was recovered.
Thomas Vance was alive.
And the conspiracy was finally exposed.
But the ledger contained one final secret.
A payment David had never mentioned.
Five million dollars.
Transferred seven years earlier.
May you like
Recipient:
MAYA VANCE.
