Chapter 8 - The Woman Who Walked Away
Tessa sat behind the interview-room glass wearing a gray sweater and no makeup.
She looked smaller than I remembered.
For months, I had seen her through the flattering light of expensive restaurants and hotel suites.
Now, beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, she looked exhausted.
Agent Sloan sat beside me.
Mercer stood near the door.
Tessa looked up when I entered.
"Grant."
I didn't answer.
She swallowed.
"You look terrible."
"My wife is missing."
"I know."
"My son was threatened."
"I know."
"And you helped the people responsible."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Yes."
The admission stunned me.
For once, she didn't offer an excuse.
I sat down.
"Tell me where Corinne is."
"I don't know."
"Then tell me what you do know."
Tessa looked toward Sloan.
"I want my attorney."
"You'll have one," Sloan said. "But you asked to speak to Mr. Keaton."
Tessa nodded.
She turned back to me.
"Corinne came to see me six weeks ago."
I stared.
"What?"
"At my apartment."
"Why?"
"She knew about us."
I looked down.
"She'd known for months."
Tessa's voice trembled.
"She didn't scream. She didn't threaten me."
"What did she do?"
"She asked me a question."
I waited.
"She asked whether Richard Vale was paying me."
My stomach tightened.
"What did you say?"
"I lied."
"Of course."
"She showed me copies of the transfers."
Tessa wiped her eyes.
"She knew everything, Grant."
"Then why didn't she tell me?"
"Because she didn't trust you."
The words hurt.
But I couldn't argue.
Tessa continued.
"She told me she was going to the authorities."
"Did you warn Richard?"
Tessa lowered her head.
"Yes."
I closed my eyes.
"And that's why she's missing."
"I didn't know he would hurt her."
"How could you not know?"
"Because Richard told me he was only trying to protect the company."
I laughed.
It was an ugly sound.
"That's what everyone keeps saying."
Tessa looked at me.
"There's something else."
I leaned forward.
"What?"
"Corinne offered me a chance to help her."
I stared.
"Help her?"
"She said if I gave her the original account records, she would tell investigators I cooperated."
"Did you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid."
I looked at her.
"You were afraid of losing the money."
She shook her head.
"At first, yes."
"And later?"
"Later, I was afraid of Richard."
Sloan leaned forward.
"Ms. Vaughn, did Richard threaten you?"
Tessa nodded.
"He showed me photographs."
"Of whom?"
"My family."
"What kind of photographs?"
"My mother leaving church. My sister picking up her children from school."
Sloan wrote something down.
Tessa turned back to me.
"Corinne told me she had a plan."
"What plan?"
"She said she was going to disappear long enough to get the evidence somewhere safe."
I felt a surge of hope.
"So she left voluntarily."
"At first."
My hope vanished.
"What do you mean, at first?"
Tessa's eyes filled.
"Richard found out about Leonard Pike."
I leaned forward.
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
"What happened?"
"Pike was supposed to deliver the original records to Corinne."
"Did he?"
"I don't know."
"Then what happened?"
"Richard sent someone to intercept him."
"The man in my house?"
"Maybe."
I stared.
"Who is he?"
Tessa hesitated.
"His name is Caleb Rourke."
Mercer immediately wrote it down.
"Former military?" he asked.
Tessa nodded.
"Private security. Richard uses him for problems he doesn't want reported."
Sloan stood and stepped outside to make a call.
I looked at Tessa.
"Did Richard order Pike killed?"
She began crying.
"I don't know."
"Did he order Corinne kidnapped?"
"I don't know."
I slammed my palm against the table.
"STOP SAYING THAT!"
Tessa flinched.
Mercer stepped forward.
"Mr. Keaton."
I leaned back, breathing hard.
Tessa whispered, "I'm sorry."
I stared at her.
"For what?"
"Everything."
I shook my head.
"You don't get to apologize your way out of this."
"I know."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Tessa reached into her sweater pocket.
Mercer immediately moved closer.
She slowly placed a small key on the table.
"What's that?" I asked.
"A storage locker."
"Where?"
"At a facility near the airport."
"What is inside?"
"Copies of Richard's private records."
Sloan returned.
Tessa looked toward her.
"I'll give you the location."
Sloan sat down.
"Why now?"
Tessa looked at me.
"Because Corinne did something I never expected."
"What?"
"She tried to save me."
I stared.
"After everything you did?"
Tessa nodded.
"She told me I could still choose to do the right thing."
Her voice broke.
"I laughed at her."
I looked away.
"She said one day I would understand that being loved wasn't the same as being wanted."
The words cut through me.
Because I had spent almost a year wanting Tessa.
And almost a decade failing to love Corinne properly.
Sloan took the key.
"We'll recover the records."
Tessa nodded.
Then she looked at me one final time.
"Grant, there's one thing you need to know about your father."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"He didn't fake his death to escape Richard."
May you like
"Then why?"
Tessa whispered, "Because Richard tried to kill him."
