Chapter 13 - THE LAND
The old Cross property had once been forty acres of open Texas land.
Now most of it was abandoned industrial space surrounded by new development.
The Carter fortune had literally grown around the ruins.
Police set up a perimeter two miles away.
Emily sat in the command vehicle wearing hospital clothes beneath Daniel’s coat.
A detective named Alvarez studied the property map.
“There are three buildings.”
Vivian pointed.
“He’ll use the original farmhouse.”
“You’re sure?”
“It was where I grew up.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You lived there?”
“Until I was seventeen.”
Emily watched Vivian’s face.
This woman had pushed her into a pool.
She had slept with her husband.
Emily had every reason to hate her.
And she did.
But hate wasn’t simple anymore.
Detective Alvarez said, “We have tactical units moving in.”
Daniel’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone went quiet.
Alvarez nodded.
“Answer.”
Daniel put it on speaker.
Thomas said, “You brought police.”
“Yes.”
“You always were Richard’s stupid son.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Where’s my mother?”
Margaret’s voice screamed in the background.
“Daniel, don’t—”
A slap.
Daniel surged forward.
Emily grabbed his arm.
Thomas laughed.
“Family loyalty. Beautiful thing.”
“What do you want?”
“The trust documents.”
“I don’t have them.”
“Emily does.”
Everyone looked at Emily.
Thomas continued.
“Richard created a sealed trust. Upon Emily’s death, her voting interests pass according to succession.”
Daniel said, “You tried to kill her.”
“I gave Marcus instructions.”
Marcus’s role was finally clear.
Emily felt sick.
Daniel looked at Alvarez.
The detective was recording everything.
Thomas continued.
“Marcus got weak. Vivian got emotional. Margaret got greedy.”
Daniel asked, “And you?”
“I stayed focused.”
“What do you want now?”
“I want Emily to sign over her voting rights.”
Emily leaned toward the phone.
“No.”
Silence.
Thomas laughed.
“You must be Emily.”
“I’m the woman your daughter tried to drown.”
“That wasn’t my instruction.”
“Your instruction was worse.”
“Yes.”
Emily’s voice remained steady.
“You spent twenty-two years blaming a dead man for destroying your family while you destroyed your own daughter.”
Thomas’s breathing changed.
Vivian stared at Emily.
Emily continued.
“You turned her grief into a weapon.”
“Careful.”
“You taught her that revenge was love.”
“Careful.”
“And she finally figured out the truth.”
Thomas shouted, “SHUT UP!”
Police officers looked at one another.
Emily had found the nerve.
She kept pressing.
“You don’t care about that land.”
“No?”
“You care that Richard Carter made you feel powerless.”
Thomas went quiet.
“You don’t want justice.”
Emily looked through the windshield toward the dark property.
“You want everyone else to hurt the way you hurt.”
Thomas whispered, “Bring me the papers.”
Emily said, “Come take them.”
Daniel turned sharply.
“What are you doing?”
Thomas laughed.
“Brave.”
“No,” Emily said. “Tired.”
Detective Alvarez muted the phone.
“We can use that. Keep him talking.”
Daniel grabbed Emily’s hand.
“You are not going in.”
She looked at him.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
For once, they understood each other.
Then an officer shouted.
“Movement!”
Through night-vision cameras, a man dragged Margaret from the farmhouse.
Thomas held a gun against her head.
Margaret stumbled.
Emily saw her mother-in-law’s face on the monitor.
Terrified.
Human.
Thomas yelled into the darkness.
“EMILY CARTER!”
Daniel froze.
Thomas looked directly toward the distant police perimeter.
“COME OUT, OR THE CARTER FAMILY LOSES ITS QUEEN.”
A gunshot cracked through the night.
Margaret fell.
May you like
Daniel screamed.
---
