Chapter 7: The Girl He Came to Kill
“PUT THE GUN DOWN!””
Thomas's voice thundered through the blue room.
Frank didn't move.
His pistol remained pointed toward Lily, who was pressed against Thomas's chest. The little girl was shaking so violently that he could feel every breath she struggled to take.
“Give me the key,” Frank repeated.
Thomas tightened his arm around Lily.
“You're not touching her.””
Frank gave a humorless laugh.
“That's what your brother said.””
Thomas felt his blood turn cold.
“What did you do to Daniel?””
Frank tilted his head.
“You really don't know?””
“Answer me!””
Frank took one step forward.
“Your brother was a stubborn man. He thought being rich meant he could rewrite the rules. He thought he could expose people who had been protecting the Carter family for decades.””
Henry Whitmore slowly moved toward the desk.
Frank noticed.
“Don't.””
Henry stopped.
“Frank, whatever they've promised you, it won't protect you.””
Frank smiled.
“You always were a clever lawyer, Henry. That's why Daniel kept you around.””
Victoria stood beside the safe, her hands trembling.
“Frank, you said nobody would get hurt.””
He turned toward her.
“I said nobody would get hurt if everyone cooperated.””
“You promised me Lily would be safe.””
Frank laughed.
“Mrs. Carter, you should have thought about that before you started asking questions.””
Thomas stared at Victoria.
“You hired him?””
She shook her head desperately.
“No.””
Frank interrupted.
“Not exactly.””
Thomas looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
Frank lowered his gun slightly.
“Victoria didn't hire me to kill Daniel. She hired me to make sure he stopped investigating the foundation.””
Victoria's face crumpled.
“I never asked you to hurt him!””
“You asked me to make the problem disappear.””
“I meant the documents!””
Frank shrugged.
“Sometimes problems come with people attached.””
Thomas felt something inside him break.
His brother had been murdered because of money.
And Victoria had helped create the circumstances that allowed it to happen.
“Why are you after Lily?”” Thomas asked.
Frank's eyes moved toward the brass key.
“Because Daniel left something with her.””
“What?””
“The original evidence.””
Thomas glanced at the key.
“You think everything is inside that?””
Frank smiled.
“Not everything. Just enough to put some very powerful people in prison.””
Henry slowly raised his hands.
“Frank, listen to me. The documents have already been copied.””
Frank looked at him.
“That's unfortunate.””
“Daniel sent copies to several people.””
“Then I'll find them.””
“You won't know where to look.””
Frank's expression hardened.
“I'm getting tired of your games.””
He raised the gun.
But before he could pull the trigger, Lily spoke.
“Why did you hurt my daddy?””
Frank looked down.
For the first time, his expression seemed almost irritated rather than threatening.
“Your father should have stayed out of things that didn't concern him.””
Lily's eyes filled.
“He was a good daddy.””
Frank said nothing.
“He made pancakes for me. He read me stories. He never hurt anybody.””
Thomas felt tears gathering in his eyes.
Frank looked toward the ceiling.
“Enough.””
Lily held the brass key tighter.
“You're a bad man.””
Frank's jaw tightened.
“Give me the key.””
“No.””
He raised the gun again.
Thomas knew they had seconds.
He glanced at the heavy metal desk lamp beside him.
Then at Henry.
The attorney understood.
He moved suddenly, knocking the desk lamp to the floor.
The crash distracted Frank.
Thomas lunged.
The gun fired.
The bullet struck the wall.
Thomas slammed into Frank, and both men fell against the filing cabinet.
The pistol skidded across the floor.
“LILY! RUN!””
Mrs. Bennett grabbed the child and pulled her toward the staircase.
Victoria screamed.
Henry rushed forward to help Thomas.
Frank struck Thomas across the face with his elbow.
Thomas stumbled.
Frank scrambled for the gun.
But Henry reached it first.
He kicked it beneath the desk.
Frank froze.
Henry pointed a trembling finger at him.
“Don't move.””
Frank slowly stood.
His eyes shifted between the three adults.
Then he smiled.
“You think this is over?””
Thomas wiped blood from his mouth.
“It's over.””
“No, Mr. Carter. You still haven't found the second daughter.””
Thomas stared.
Frank continued.
“Do you know why Daniel spent the last six months looking for Ava?””
“Because she's his daughter.””
“That's what you think.””
Thomas felt his stomach tighten.
“What are you talking about?””
Frank laughed.
“Ask Victoria what happened the night Sarah died.””
Victoria began shaking her head.
“Don't listen to him.””
Frank took a step backward.
“Ask her who signed the second hospital transfer.””
Henry turned toward Victoria.
“Is that true?””
She looked at the floor.
Frank suddenly threw a small object toward the opposite wall.
A flash of white light exploded through the room.
Thomas covered his eyes.
When his vision returned, Frank was gone.
The staircase door slammed.
Henry ran toward it.
“Thomas!””
Thomas rushed to the entrance.
But the hallway was empty.
Only the sound of a car engine could be heard outside.
Twenty minutes later, police officers surrounded the Carter estate.
Thomas sat in the library with an ice pack against his cheek.
Lily was beside him, wrapped in a blanket.
Mrs. Bennett held her hand.
Victoria sat across from them, staring at nothing.
Henry spoke with two detectives near the entrance.
The first officer was named Detective Rebecca Morgan.
She was in her forties, with short brown hair and a calm, direct manner.
“Mr. Carter,” she said, approaching him, “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.””
Thomas explained everything.
The funeral.
The key.
The blue room.
The recording.
The gunshot.
Detective Morgan listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she glanced toward Victoria.
“Mrs. Carter, we'd like to speak with you separately.””
Victoria nodded.
But before she could stand, Thomas spoke.
“Detective, I need you to know something.””
Morgan turned.
“What is it?””
“Frank said Victoria hired him to stop Daniel's investigation.””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Thomas…”
“Did you?””
The detective looked between them.
Victoria finally whispered:
“I paid Frank to retrieve documents.””
“Which documents?””
“The foundation records.””
“Why?””
Victoria stared at the floor.
“Because Daniel was going to expose the entire family.””
Thomas shook his head.
“What did you do?””
Victoria looked up.
“I made a terrible mistake.””
Detective Morgan took out her notebook.
“Did you know Frank was going to hurt Daniel?””
“No.””
“Did you know he was following him?””
Victoria hesitated.
Then nodded.
Thomas stood.
“You knew?””
“I didn't know he would kill him!””
Detective Morgan raised a hand.
“Please sit down, Mr. Carter.””
Thomas didn't move.
“You let him follow my brother?””
Victoria began crying.
“I thought he was only going to frighten him.””
“Your brother is dead!””
Lily started crying again.
Mrs. Bennett pulled her closer.
Detective Morgan gave Thomas a moment.
Then she turned toward Henry.
“Mr. Whitmore, you mentioned a second daughter?””
Henry nodded.
“Ava Hayes. She disappeared six months ago.””
“Do you have recent information?””
He removed the photograph from his briefcase.
“This was taken three weeks ago.””
The detective studied it.
“Have you reported her missing?””
“Yes. But the case was initially classified as a voluntary disappearance.””
“Why?””
Henry glanced at Victoria.
“Because someone provided evidence suggesting she had left the country willingly.””
Detective Morgan turned toward Victoria.
“Did you provide that evidence?””
Victoria didn't answer.
The detective closed her notebook.
“Mrs. Carter, I think we need to have a much longer conversation.””
Before she could continue, Mrs. Bennett suddenly stood.
“I know where Ava is.””
Everyone turned.
Thomas stared at her.
“You said you didn't know.””
“I didn't know if she was still there.””
“Where?””
Mrs. Bennett looked toward the old staircase.
“Sarah's apartment.””
Henry frowned.
“Sarah Hayes's apartment was demolished years ago.””
“No,” the housekeeper whispered.
“The apartment above the old bakery. She kept it in a different name.””
Thomas approached her.
“Why would Ava be there?””
Mrs. Bennett's eyes filled.
“Because Daniel left something there for her.””
“What?””
“A letter.””
Thomas looked at the brass key in Lily's hand.
“Does the key open it?””
Mrs. Bennett shook her head.
“No. The key opens something much older.””
She paused.
“Something Sarah gave Daniel before she died.””
Detective Morgan immediately picked up her radio.
“I'll have officers check the address.””
But Henry suddenly spoke.
“Wait.””
He looked at Mrs. Bennett.
“How do you know Ava might be there?””
The old woman reached into her pocket.
She removed a small folded piece of paper.
“I received this yesterday.””
Thomas unfolded it.
There were only seven words.
Tell Lily her sister is waiting for her.
Underneath was an address.
And a handwritten name.
*AVA.*
Thomas looked up.
“Who delivered this?””
Mrs. Bennett swallowed.
“A woman.””
“What woman?””
The housekeeper's voice trembled.
“The woman from the hospital photograph.””
Thomas stared at her.
“Eleanor Hayes?””
Mrs. Bennett nodded.
Then she added something that made Henry's face turn white.
“She wasn't alone.””
A second name was written at the bottom of the note.
*DANIEL CARTER.*
Thomas looked at it again.
His brother's signature.
May you like
But the handwriting was dated yesterday.
How could a dead man have written a message yesterday?
