Chapter 9 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
Silas Mercer opened his eyes in a hospital room filled with machines.
A police officer stood outside his door.
Detective Bennett sat near the window.
He had been found unconscious in a parked car, suffering from a serious medication-related medical emergency.
Investigators had recovered prescription containers that were not issued to him.
The circumstances remained unclear.
But one thing was obvious.
Silas was frightened.
When Bennett introduced herself, he turned his face toward the wall.
"I have nothing to say."
"Someone left you in a car where you might have died."
Silas closed his eyes.
"I know."
"Do you know who?"
"No."
"Mr. Mercer."
He looked at her.
She continued.
"You were at Eleanor Vale's estate Saturday morning."
Silas stared at her.
"No, I wasn't."
Bennett placed a still photograph on the bedside table.
It showed him beside Eleanor.
He swallowed.
"That doesn't prove anything."
"It proves you were there."
Silas looked toward the door.
"Is she here?"
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
Bennett leaned closer.
"Eleanor?"
Silas closed his eyes again.
"She'll destroy me."
Bennett waited.
Then said:
"She may already have tried."
Silas began crying.
For almost a minute, he said nothing.
Then he whispered:
"I never wanted the little girl hurt."
Bennett remained still.
"What did you want?"
"To keep the foundation alive."
"How?"
He opened his eyes.
"With money."
"Whose money?"
Silas swallowed.
"The child's."
Bennett asked permission to record the interview.
He agreed after requesting an attorney.
By the following afternoon, with counsel present, he began explaining the financial scheme.
The foundation had borrowed heavily to finance a luxury medical campus that never opened.
Eleanor had promised donors that the facility would serve children from low-income families.
In reality, much of the money flowed through private development companies.
Those companies purchased land owned by associates of the foundation.
The transactions generated enormous consulting fees.
Some of those fees were paid to companies secretly controlled by Eleanor.
Silas had authorized false entries.
He had forged supporting documents.
He had lied to auditors.
For years, the system survived because new donations covered old obligations.
Then the economy shifted.
The donations slowed.
The creditors began demanding repayment.
And Eleanor needed an enormous amount of money quickly.
Silas stared at the blanket.
"She said Ivy's trust was the answer."
Bennett looked at him.
"How?"
"First, she wanted to control it."
"Through the guardianship case?"
"Yes."
"And if that failed?"
Silas began shaking.
"She said there was another way."
Bennett waited.
Silas whispered:
"The foundation was named as a contingent beneficiary."
"Did Eleanor discuss Ivy's death?"
Silas closed his eyes.
"Not directly at first."
"What did she say?"
"She said the girl was young and accidents happened."
Bennett wrote the sentence down.
"And on Saturday?"
Silas began crying again.
"She told me the arrangements were nearly complete."
"What arrangements?"
"The court documents. The trust distribution papers."
"Anything else?"
Silas looked toward the door.
Then said:
"She asked if the life vest would be considered a product failure."
Bennett felt a chill.
"Who did she ask?"
"Dr. Reed."
"The pediatrician?"
"Yes."
"Why would a pediatrician determine whether a vest failed?"
"She wasn't supposed to determine it."
Silas swallowed.
"She was supposed to say the child had been receiving adequate care and that no one could have predicted the equipment failure."
Bennett stared at him.
"And what were you supposed to do?"
"Transfer the money once the legal requirements were satisfied."
"After Ivy died?"
Silas nodded.
Bennett allowed the silence to settle.
Then she asked the question that mattered most.
"Who damaged the vest?"
Silas shook his head.
"I didn't see it happen."
"Who planned it?"
"Eleanor."
"Who else was involved?"
Silas looked down.
"Derek."
"And Dr. Reed?"
"She knew the report she was being asked to prepare."
Bennett wrote carefully.
"What about Hannah Vale?"
Silas went completely still.
The change was immediate.
Bennett noticed.
"You knew Hannah."
Silas nodded.
"She found the original accounts."
"Did Eleanor arrange her death?"
Silas stared at the wall.
For several seconds, his lips moved without sound.
Then he said:
"I've been living with that question for eight years."
Bennett leaned forward.
"What happened?"
Silas looked at her.
"I can tell you what I saw."
"Go ahead."
"Frank Doyle was at the lake house that day."
"Who was Frank?"
"Head of security."
"And?"
"After Hannah went missing, Frank came into the garage carrying a wet orange vest."
Bennett's pen stopped.
"Was Hannah wearing it?"
"No."
"Then where did it come from?"
Silas swallowed.
"Frank said Eleanor needed it to look like a swimming accident."
Bennett felt her pulse quicken.
"What happened to that vest?"
"Frank took it to the dock."
"And what did you do?"
Silas's face crumpled.
"Nothing."
"Did you report it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid of what Eleanor would do."
Bennett stared at him.
"And now?"
Silas wiped his eyes.
"Now a three-year-old almost died."
For the first time, his voice hardened.
"I won't let her do it again."
That evening, Nathan received permission to speak with Silas in the presence of his lawyer and investigators.
When Nathan entered the hospital room, Silas began crying.
"Nathan."
Nathan stopped at the foot of the bed.
"I want to ask you something."
Silas nodded weakly.
"When Hannah told you she knew about the foundation, what did you do?"
"I tried to frighten her."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"Did you threaten her?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell my mother?"
Silas nodded.
Nathan looked toward the window.
"Then you helped put her in danger."
Silas covered his face.
"I know."
Nathan wanted to hate him.
Part of him did.
But he needed the truth more than he needed an apology.
"Tell me about Frank Doyle."
Silas lowered his hands.
"Frank handled the things Eleanor didn't want connected to her."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know."
"When did you last see him?"
Silas hesitated.
"Two weeks ago."
Nathan stared.
"Two weeks?"
Silas nodded.
"He came to the foundation office."
"Why?"
"To collect money."
"For what?"
Silas looked at the detective.
"To keep quiet."
Nathan's heartbeat quickened.
"About Hannah?"
"About everything."
Bennett leaned forward.
"Do you know where he went?"
Silas nodded slowly.
"He gave me a forwarding address."
Nathan felt a sudden surge of hope.
"Where?"
Silas closed his eyes.
"An old marina outside Monterey."
Bennett wrote it down.
Then Silas added:
"But if you find him, don't tell him Eleanor sent you."
"Why?"
Silas looked directly at Nathan.
"Because Frank didn't just help cover up Hannah's death."
Nathan felt the room grow cold.
Silas continued.
"He was there when your father died."
Nathan stared at him.
"WHAT?"
May you like
Silas began shaking.
"And he knows what Eleanor did to both of them."
