Chapter 16 - THE CLIFF
Harold made it four hundred yards.
Federal agents found him near the cliff road.
He had dropped his gun.
Not surrendered.
Dropped.
He stood at the edge looking down at black water.
Arthur saw body-camera footage later.
Harold asked whether Elena was alive.
The agent said yes.
Harold laughed.
Then raised his hands.
He did not jump.
Arthur was almost disappointed.
Death would have been easier for him.
Elena survived.
The bullet entered below her shoulder and missed major vessels.
Jason Wynn was arrested.
One federal agent suffered a non-life-threatening wound.
Harold was charged initially with conspiracy, financial crimes, obstruction, and attempted witness tampering.
The murder charge came three days later.
Michael agreed to testify.
So did Elena.
So did Sarah.
Owen remained missing.
Arthur thought the worst was over.
Then Vance Meridian's banks froze major credit facilities.
Suppliers demanded payment.
Customers paused contracts.
Thousands of jobs were suddenly at risk.
Arthur had resigned as CEO, but employees still called him.
Some angry.
Some terrified.
“Are we shutting down?”
“My husband and I both work here.”
“I have three kids.”
“Was the whole company fake?”
Arthur had no easy answers.
He returned to headquarters as chairman of the emergency oversight committee.
Not to protect his family name.
To protect workers who had nothing to do with Richard, Harold, or Victor.
Maria noticed the difference.
“You're working again.”
Arthur looked guilty.
“Yes.”
“But you're home for dinner.”
“Yes.”
“And you turned your phone off during Lucas's soccer practice.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“Progress.”
The hotel had become temporary home.
Lucas complained about the pillows.
Maria complained about the coffee.
Arthur complained about both of them complaining.
For a few days, life almost resembled normal.
Then Daniel arrived at 10:30 one night.
His face destroyed the illusion.
“What?”
Arthur stood.
“They found Owen.”
“Alive?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Yes.”
Arthur exhaled.
“Where?”
“A hospital in New Hampshire.”
“What happened?”
“He drove his car into a guardrail.”
Arthur felt his stomach drop.
“Accident?”
“Police don't think so.”
“Someone hit him?”
“No.”
Daniel sat.
“Owen says he did it intentionally.”
Arthur stared.
“He tried to kill himself?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He asked to speak with you.”
Arthur drove there the next morning.
Owen looked twenty years older.
Broken arm.
Bruised face.
Machines surrounded him.
Arthur stood beside the bed.
“You could have called me.”
Owen stared at the ceiling.
“I was ashamed.”
“That's not a reason to die.”
“It felt like one.”
Arthur sat.
“What happened at North Harbor?”
Owen closed his eyes.
“Harold threatened Sarah's daughter.”
“You said that.”
“He also threatened Lucas.”
Arthur's jaw tightened.
“So you signed.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me afterward?”
“Because I thought I could fix it first.”
Arthur almost laughed.
“That sentence has destroyed more lives than any other sentence in this family.”
Owen looked at him.
“I know.”
Arthur softened.
“Did you help Harold murder Claire?”
“No.”
“Did you know Michael did it?”
“After.”
“How soon after?”
“Two days.”
Arthur stood.
“You knew two days after my wife died?”
“I suspected.”
“You had the brake line.”
“Later.”
“When did you know for certain?”
Owen looked away.
“When Michael came to me.”
Arthur froze.
“What?”
“He was scared.”
“Of Harold?”
“Yes.”
“He confessed?”
“Not directly.”
“What did he say?”
“That Harold made him ‘solve the Claire problem.’”
Arthur's hands shook.
“And you did nothing.”
“I went to Richard.”
Arthur stared.
“My father knew?”
Owen began crying.
Arthur had never seen him cry.
“Richard told me Claire was gone and exposing Harold would destroy Victor, the company, and everyone connected to the old payments.”
Arthur stepped backward.
“My father knew Claire was murdered.”
“Yes.”
The room seemed to collapse inward.
Richard had stood beside Arthur at the funeral.
He had held Lucas.
He had told Arthur accidents didn't need reasons.
All while knowing.
Arthur felt physically sick.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I was a coward.”
No excuse.
No justification.
Just truth.
Arthur appreciated it more than explanations.
Owen continued.
“Richard made me promise to protect you.”
Arthur laughed bitterly.
“You protected his reputation.”
“Yes.”
Owen closed his eyes.
“And I told myself it was the same thing.”
Arthur looked at him.
“Why did you finally help Sarah?”
“Because Richard died.”
“That freed you?”
“No.”
Owen shook his head.
“Claire did.”
Arthur frowned.
“I found a letter she'd written me.”
“What letter?”
“She told me that silence is a choice too.”
Arthur felt that sentence.
Owen continued.
“She said if I protected people who hurt others, I wasn't neutral.”
Arthur sat again.
“She knew you knew?”
“She suspected.”
“What else was in the letter?”
Owen looked at him.
“A warning.”
“About what?”
“Victor.”
Arthur frowned.
“Claire believed Victor wasn't the real threat.”
“Harold was.”
“No.”
Owen shook his head.
“She meant someone else.”
Arthur's pulse quickened.
“Who?”
Owen swallowed.
“She wrote that if anything happened to her, I should watch whoever benefited most.”
Arthur thought.
Harold benefited by avoiding exposure.
Victor benefited financially.
Richard protected his secrets.
Elena wasn't around yet.
Michael got paid.
Then Owen whispered.
“Arthur, Harold ordered Claire's death.”
“Yes.”
“But someone paid Harold.”
Arthur stared.
“What?”
May you like
Owen's eyes filled with fear.
“Someone else wanted Claire gone first.”
