Chapter 6 - WHAT LUCAS WAS LOOKING FOR
I parked behind a line of trees.
Lucas hadn’t seen me.
The cottage looked smaller than I remembered.
White wood.
Green shutters.
Mom used to paint there on Sunday mornings.
I hadn’t stepped inside since I was thirteen.
Lucas stood at the front door with a crowbar.
He hit the lock twice.
The door opened.
I called Detective Harris.
“He’s inside.”
“Do not confront him.”
“Okay.”
“You’re lying.”
“Probably.”
“Claire.”
But I had already ended the call.
I approached quietly.
Inside, drawers were open.
Paintings leaned against walls.
Lucas was kneeling beside an old wooden cabinet.
“What are you looking for?”
He spun around.
“Jesus Christ.”
I remained by the door.
“What are you looking for?”
“You followed me?”
“No. I figured out the key.”
His eyes dropped toward my hand.
I wasn’t holding it.
The police still had it.
He realized that.
His face changed.
“You don’t even have it.”
“No.”
“You bitch.”
“Strong argument.”
He stood.
“Stay out of this.”
“Out of my mother’s property?”
“Dad owned this.”
“No, he didn’t.”
He kicked the cabinet.
“Stop saying that.”
“Does it bother you?”
“You abandoned him.”
There it was.
The family story.
I abandoned Dad.
I chose estrangement.
I walked away.
“You know what happened when I left.”
“You stormed out.”
“He canceled my tuition.”
“You were eighteen.”
“He removed me from his health insurance while I was having surgery.”
Lucas hesitated.
I saw it.
He hadn’t known that.
I continued.
“Elaine told him I called her a gold-digging whore.”
“You probably did.”
“I didn’t.”
“So?”
“She told him I threatened you.”
Lucas looked away.
“I don’t remember.”
“I do.”
I stepped closer.
“I remember Dad standing in my doorway telling me he wouldn’t allow me to terrorize his new family.”
Lucas’s jaw worked.
“I was fourteen.”
“So you knew she lied?”
“I said I don’t remember.”
He remembered.
Before I could push further, a vehicle came up the gravel road.
Lucas looked outside.
Detective Harris.
His expression changed instantly.
“What did you do?”
“What you should have done years ago.”
Harris entered with two deputies.
Lucas was detained for questioning over the break-in.
Then Harris looked around.
“You said there was a key?”
“Yes.”
He had brought the evidence bag.
We searched the cottage.
One lock matched.
Not a door.
Not a safe.
An antique rolltop desk.
The key turned.
Inside was nothing but stationery.
Lucas laughed.
“That’s it?”
I ignored him.
The bottom drawer stuck.
I pulled harder.
It came loose.
Behind it was a false panel.
Samuel had arrived by then.
When I removed the panel, he whispered, “Oh, Margaret.”
Inside were three ledger books.
A cassette recorder.
And a letter addressed to me.
My hands shook.
I opened the letter.
Claire,
If you are reading this, then either you finally became curious enough to ignore your father, or something has happened that forced him to tell you the truth.
I sat down.
Mom had written it before she died.
Your father is not a bad man. But he has one weakness that scares me. He believes success justifies almost anything done to achieve it.
I looked at Samuel.
He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I continued.
I have protected my ownership separately because I love Richard, but I do not always trust the people around him.
Then one line stopped me.
If anything happens to me, do not let Elaine Mercer near these records.
I read it twice.
Elaine Mercer.
Her maiden name.
Mercer.
I looked at Samuel.
“The Mercer property.”
He nodded slowly.
I felt sick.
“My mother knew Elaine?”
Samuel’s face answered before his mouth did.
“Yes.”
“How?”
He swallowed.
“Elaine worked for your father.”
“When?”
“Before your mother died.”
I stood.
“What did she do?”
Samuel looked toward the cassette recorder.
“She was Richard’s assistant.”
Lucas stared at him.
“No.”
Samuel closed his eyes.
“And for about eighteen months…”
He looked at both of us.
May you like
“…she was also his mistress.”
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