Chapter 12 - Behind the Wall
The twenty-third floor smelled like burned wood and chemicals.
Reyes entered first with armed officers.
Adrian had been ordered to remain downstairs.
He ignored the order.
So did Elena.
Bianca came too.
“You people are terrible at following instructions,” Reyes muttered.
Elena looked at her.
“You noticed?”
They reached the hidden office.
The safe stood open.
Black fire damage stained the ceiling.
Marissa pointed toward a wood panel behind the desk.
“There.”
An officer pressed the panel.
Nothing.
Marissa stepped closer.
“Bottom corner.”
Click.
The wall opened.
Inside was a narrow steel compartment.
Empty.
Reyes cursed.
“He got here first.”
Then a crash came from the corridor.
Everyone turned.
“Police!”
Footsteps thundered toward the emergency stairwell.
Two officers ran after the sound.
Bianca spotted movement through another doorway.
“Daniel!”
A man disappeared around the corner.
Bianca ran.
“Bianca!” Elena shouted.
Too late.
She chased her.
They entered the abandoned wine archive.
Daniel Mercer stood near an open service elevator.
He held a black backpack.
Bianca stopped ten feet away.
“You killed Victor.”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“My brother was already dead long before last night.”
“Stay where you are!” Reyes shouted behind them.
Daniel pulled a gun.
Everyone froze.
He pointed it at Bianca.
Elena stepped sideways.
Daniel noticed.
“Don’t.”
Elena stopped.
Bianca stared at the weapon.
“You watched me for years.”
Daniel smiled.
“I protected you.”
“You stole my gun.”
“To protect you.”
“You planted it in Elena’s home.”
Daniel’s expression tightened.
“That wasn’t the plan.”
“So Catherine changed the plan?”
Silence.
Bianca almost laughed.
“You really did work for her.”
Daniel looked toward the stairwell.
“She was smarter than Charles.”
“Where is she?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
Bianca took one step closer.
Daniel raised the gun.
“I said stop.”
Elena whispered, “Bianca.”
Bianca ignored her.
“You know what’s funny?”
Daniel frowned.
“My whole life I thought people obeyed me because I mattered.”
Her voice trembled.
“Turns out they obeyed because everyone around me was afraid of the people controlling me.”
Daniel’s face softened.
“I never controlled you.”
“You broke into my apartment.”
“To stop Catherine from destroying you.”
“You stole my gun.”
“She told me Victor was going to expose you.”
“Expose me for what?”
Daniel hesitated.
Bianca saw it.
“There’s something else.”
Reyes kept her weapon trained on him.
“Put the gun down, Daniel.”
He ignored her.
Bianca stared at the backpack.
“What’s inside?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You don’t want it.”
“You murdered your own brother for it.”
“I didn’t murder Victor.”
“Then who did?”
Daniel looked behind Bianca.
Toward Elena.
Then said:
“Catherine.”
Laura’s accusation had been right.
Bianca whispered, “Why?”
“Victor wanted money.”
“For silence?”
Daniel nodded.
“He had the recording.”
“What recording?”
Daniel stared at her.
“The one from the night Rebecca died.”
Bianca stopped breathing.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“It’s mine.”
“No, Bianca.”
She stepped closer.
“It is the last thing my mother left behind.”
Daniel’s expression broke.
“Rebecca wasn’t your mother.”
“She protected me.”
He had no answer.
“Give me the recording.”
Daniel’s hand shook.
Then a woman’s voice came from behind them.
“Don’t.”
Catherine stood in the doorway.
A gun in her hand.
Bianca turned.
“Mom.”
Catherine’s eyes were red.
“I tried to fix this.”
Bianca laughed.
“You framed me for murder.”
“I was trying to force Daniel to disappear.”
“With my gun?”
“I needed leverage.”
Daniel shouted, “You killed Victor!”
Catherine pointed her weapon at him.
“He was blackmailing me.”
“So you shot him!”
“He ruined everything!”
Bianca stepped toward Catherine.
“No.”
Catherine looked at her.
“Baby—”
“Don’t call me that.”
Catherine’s face crumpled.
“You raised me,” Bianca said. “And every time I became cruel, every time I treated somebody like garbage, you smiled.”
“I was protecting you.”
“You were teaching me.”
Catherine’s hand began shaking.
Bianca kept walking.
“Put the gun down.”
“Stop.”
“Put it down.”
“Bianca!”
Elena shouted, “Don’t move!”
But Bianca took another step.
May you like
Catherine’s finger tightened.
A gunshot exploded.
