CHAPTER 22 ADRIAN’S FIRST BETRAYAL
The center remained closed for forty-eight hours.
No one had died in the fire, but six families were moved to temporary housing.
The unidentified man survived surgery but remained unconscious under federal protection.
Rebecca ordered two agents to guard his hospital room.
Elena confronted Adrian in Samuel’s old study.
“What did you trade?”
Adrian stood beside the window.
“A box of documents.”
“What documents?”
“Evidence Dad had collected against Thomas, Judge Vane, Captain Hale, and several state officials.”
“You gave it to them?”
“They had Rebecca’s mother and the baby.”
Elena crossed the room.
“You said you drove them away.”
“I did. But the men followed us.”
“You never told me.”
“I could not.”
“You could. You chose not to.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“They stopped my car near the church. They told me they would kill both of them unless I surrendered the evidence.”
“So you gave it away.”
“Yes.”
“And Dad?”
“They promised they would let him live.”
Elena laughed without humor.
“You believed them?”
“I was twenty-four.”
“You keep saying that as though youth erased choice.”
“No. I say it because I have regretted that choice every day since.”
Adrian opened a locked drawer and removed an old cassette tape.
“Dad left this in my car.”
He placed it in a recorder.
Samuel’s voice filled the room.
Adrian, if they force you to choose, save the child. Evidence can be rebuilt. A life cannot.
Elena closed her eyes.
Her father had known.
Adrian stopped the tape.
“I followed his instruction.”
“And then spent years pretending you knew nothing.”
“I spent years rebuilding the case.”
“Without telling me.”
“To protect you.”
“Everyone who lies to me says that.”
Adrian flinched.
Elena looked toward the burned east wing.
“Who was the baby?”
“I do not know.”
“Was it Rebecca?”
“She was already twelve.”
“Then why was her name in the ledger?”
Adrian hesitated.
“I think Rebecca was meant to become the child’s guardian if Samuel died.”
Before Elena could question him further, Rebecca entered.
She held a printed telephone record.
Her face was pale.
“I found the source of the fire alarm override.”
“Who?” Adrian asked.
Rebecca placed the record on the desk.
“The command came from a phone registered to Grant Whitmore’s prison attorney.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
Rebecca continued.
“That phone received one call last week.”
“From whom?”
Rebecca pointed to the number.
Adrian’s private line.
Elena stared at her brother.
Adrian reached for the paper.
“I did not call Grant.”
“The call lasted nine minutes,” Rebecca said.
Adrian looked between them.
“Someone cloned my number.”
Elena remembered the cloned identification card.
The false image of her entering the archive.
Someone was not only watching them.
Someone was becoming them.
Rebecca’s phone rang.
She answered, listened, and slowly lowered it.
“The man from the fire woke up.”
“What did he say?” Elena asked.
May you like
Rebecca’s eyes moved to Adrian.
“He says Adrian Mercer ordered Samuel’s car burned.”
