Chapter 15 - The Wrong Villain
Adrian Locke contacted Grace himself.
Not through lawyers.
Not through police.
He used Daniel Bellamy’s old email address.
An account that should not have existed anymore.
ONE HOUR.
OLD BELLAMY HOTEL.
ROOFTOP CONSERVATORY.
COME WITH HARRISON.
NO POLICE.
Grace showed the message to detectives.
They told her not to go.
She went.
With police nearby.
With Marcus.
With Harrison.
Adrian stood inside the abandoned rooftop conservatory overlooking the city.
He looked exhausted.
His perfect appearance was gone.
No tie.
Unshaven.
Bandage around one hand.
Harrison entered first.
“You set fire to my restaurant.”
Adrian looked almost offended.
“No.”
“You trapped Grace underground.”
“No.”
“Eli Turner says you attacked him.”
“I paid him.”
“I met him.”
“I did not tie him up.”
Grace studied Adrian.
“Why run?”
“Because whoever killed Daniel knows I’m talking.”
Harrison laughed bitterly.
“You expect us to believe you’re the victim?”
“No.”
Adrian answered.
“I’m guilty of enough.”
Grace stepped closer.
“Table Twelve.”
“Yes.”
“You set it up.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To delay your board appointment.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve spent twenty years building enough voting influence to protect Bellamy from Harrison’s family.”
Grace stared.
“That sounds noble when you say it quickly.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“I didn’t say it was noble.”
“You wanted control.”
“Yes.”
“You used Caldwell.”
“Yes.”
“You destroyed their company.”
“They destroyed it themselves.”
“I simply bought their debt.”
“Did you kill my father?”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“No.”
“Did Martin?”
“No.”
Harrison stepped toward him.
“Then who?”
Adrian looked at Grace.
“Walter Caldwell.”
Silence.
Grace thought of Charles.
“My grandfather?”
“Brooke’s grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel was going federal.”
“Martin wanted to negotiate.”
“My father believed Harrison could be controlled.”
“Walter didn’t.”
Grace said, “You followed Dad.”
“Yes.”
“My mother saw you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To stop Daniel from going to the authorities.”
“That sounds like motive.”
“I wanted to give him proof.”
“Of Walter’s role.”
Adrian reached into his coat slowly.
Marcus tensed.
Adrian removed a sealed envelope.
Inside were photographs.
Daniel meeting Adrian at a gas station.
Time stamp: 11:51 p.m.
Nine minutes before the crash.
Grace’s breath caught.
“My father was alive at eleven fifty-one.”
“Yes.”
“He met you.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I gave him account numbers.”
“Records my father hid from him.”
“Daniel told me he was going to call Harrison one last time.”
“He drove away.”
“I followed for about two miles.”
“Then Walter Caldwell’s Lincoln came between us.”
Grace whispered, “The blue Lincoln.”
“Sarah saw it earlier.”
Adrian nodded.
“I lost them near the highway.”
“Ten minutes later I found the crash.”
Harrison’s voice broke.
“You were there?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call police?”
“I did.”
“Anonymous.”
“Why?”
Adrian looked ashamed.
“Because my father arrived.”
Grace’s stomach tightened.
“Martin?”
“He pulled me away.”
“He told me Daniel was dead.”
“He told me if I spoke, all of us would go to prison for the fraud.”
“I was twenty-three.”
“I was a coward.”
Another coward.
Different generation.
Same damage.
Grace looked at the photographs.
“Why spend twenty-four years trying to take Bellamy?”
Adrian looked at Harrison.
“Because after Daniel died, my father spent the rest of his life telling me Harrison caused everything.”
“That Bellamy used people like us.”
“That Daniel died protecting a name that would never belong to us.”
“I believed him.”
Harrison said quietly, “So you decided to steal it.”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re finally honest.”
Adrian looked at Grace.
“But someone else knows the truth is coming out.”
“Someone tried to kill Charles.”
“Someone burned the archive.”
“Someone attacked Eli.”
“Who?”
Adrian answered.
“Victoria Caldwell.”
Grace laughed in disbelief.
“Brooke’s mother?”
“She has been hiding Walter’s records for years.”
“Charles doesn’t know?”
“He knows his father was involved.”
“He does not know Victoria found Walter’s private files after he died.”
“Why would she protect him?”
“Money.”
Adrian said.
“What else?”
“Walter left accounts outside the estate.”
“Victoria found them.”
“She used the money for years.”
“If the original fraud becomes part of a federal case, those assets get traced.”
Harrison asked, “How much?”
“Nearly ninety million.”
Grace stared.
Adrian continued.
“The restaurant incident was supposed to discredit Grace.”
“After it failed, Victoria realized the old case might reopen.”
“She started cleaning.”
“People.”
“Records.”
“Everything.”
Grace thought about the SUV.
The fire.
Eli.
“Where is she now?”
Adrian looked toward the skyline.
“I don’t know.”
Then Grace’s phone rang.
Brooke.
Grace answered.
Brooke was crying so hard she could barely speak.
“Grace.”
“What happened?”
“My mother took my father.”
Grace froze.
“What do you mean took him?”
“She said they were going somewhere safe.”
“But Dad texted me.”
“What did he say?”
Brooke sobbed.
“He said if anything happens to him, I should tell you to check our house.”
May you like
“Check where?”
“The wine cellar.”
