Chapter 8 – The Lawyer’s Lie
Thomas Mercer did not deny it.
That frightened me more than denial would have.
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
My voice cracked.
“You told me Dad wanted to meet you the next morning.”
“He did.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
Hale stepped closer.
“Mr. Mercer, start talking.”
Thomas removed his glasses.
For the first time since I had known him, he looked old.
“Daniel called me at 11:58.”
“He sounded frightened.”
“He asked me to come immediately.”
“What happened?”
“When I arrived, the front door was open.”
My hands became cold.
“I found him in his study.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
I nearly stopped breathing.
“He was alive?”
“For approximately three minutes.”
Thomas looked at me.
“He was on the floor.”
“He couldn’t breathe.”
“I called 911.”
“Then why does the record show Dr. Reed called?”
Thomas frowned.
“It doesn’t.”
“It does.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I called.”
Hale pulled out his phone.
“Dispatch records can settle that.”
Thomas continued.
“Daniel grabbed my hand.”
“He said one word.”
“What?”
“Queen.”
The chess set.
My father had been telling Thomas where the evidence was.
“Then Dr. Reed arrived.”
“Before the ambulance?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Thomas shook his head.
“I never understood that.”
Neither did I.
Until now.
“He already knew Dad was dying.”
Thomas looked at me.
“That would explain it.”
Adrian leaned against the wall.
“Reed was working with my mother.”
“Maybe.”
I looked at him.
“But Margaret wasn’t M.”
“No.”
“Then who was?”
Nobody answered.
We went to my father’s house under police escort.
The study looked almost exactly as he had left it.
His chair.
His desk.
His books.
And in the corner, the chessboard.
I walked toward it.
The white queen stood in the center.
My fingers shook as I lifted it.
Nothing.
I turned it over.
A tiny keyhole was carved into the base.
Adrian handed me the brass key.
It fit.
The queen opened.
Inside was a USB drive.
Rachel whispered, “Oh my God.”
I inserted it into Thomas’s laptop.
One folder appeared.
M.
I opened it.
Hundreds of files filled the screen.
Bank records.
Manifests.
Photographs.
Recorded conversations.
Then I saw a video.
DANIEL_FINAL.
I clicked.
My father appeared on screen.
He looked exhausted.
“If Claire is watching this, then I’m probably dead.”
My hand flew to my mouth.
Dad continued.
“Margaret Blackwood is dangerous.”
“But Margaret is not the person controlling this operation.”
Adrian leaned closer.
My father looked directly into the camera.
“The person behind everything is someone Claire has trusted almost her entire life.”
Then the video froze.
The screen went black.
“Why did it stop?”
Thomas typed rapidly.
The power died.
Every light in the house went dark.
Hale drew his weapon.
Glass shattered downstairs.
Then a voice came through the house speakers.
A familiar male voice.
“Claire.”
My blood turned cold.
Dr. Malcolm Reed.
“You found the queen.”
A pause.
“Your father always did love games.”
May you like
Then I heard a click behind us.
The study door locked.
