Chapter 14 - Charles Tells the Truth
Charles Hale agreed to speak only with Victoria.
Federal investigators monitored the conversation from the other side of the interview-room glass.
Victoria sat across from her father.
For the first time, Charles looked old.
Not powerful.
Not untouchable.
Just old.
“Who has Claire?”
Victoria asked.
Charles folded his hands.
“Raymond Walsh.”
The police commissioner.
Victoria felt her stomach tighten.
“Why?”
“Because Claire has evidence connecting him to Michael Torres.”
Charles looked down.
“Walsh helped dispose of Michael’s body.”
Victoria stared at him.
“So you did kill Michael.”
Charles remained silent.
“Say it.”
Charles looked at her.
“Yes.”
Victoria felt the answer move through her like ice.
“He threatened to expose everything.”
“So you murdered him.”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“That is what cowards say after someone dies.”
Charles flinched.
Victoria almost laughed at the irony.
For once, he was the one afraid of her judgment.
“What happened to Claire?”
“She found the ledgers.”
“She confronted me in Room 617.”
“We argued.”
“She fell.”
“She hit the dresser.”
“I thought she was dead.”
“But she wasn’t.”
“No.”
Charles rubbed his face.
“Your mother begged me to take Claire somewhere safe.”
“So you locked her in Saint Agnes.”
“I panicked.”
“For seven years?”
Charles did not answer.
Victoria’s disgust deepened.
“Mother helped her escape.”
“Yes.”
“And you killed Mother too?”
Charles looked genuinely shocked.
“No.”
Victoria leaned forward.
“Then why did she die?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
Charles lowered his voice.
“Evelyn was planning to testify.”
“She had spoken with Samuel Cole.”
Ethan’s father.
Victoria suddenly understood why Samuel Cole’s career had collapsed.
“Walsh found out.”
Charles nodded.
“I believe he arranged your mother’s death.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
The family tragedy had always been larger than Charles.
But he had created the conditions that allowed it.
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
Charles laughed bitterly.
“By then Walsh had copies of everything.”
“He owned me as much as I owned him.”
Victoria stood.
“Where is Claire?”
Charles gave her an address in Malibu.
It matched the federal investigation.
“There’s a basement medical suite.”
“He keeps people there when he needs leverage.”
Victoria stared at her father.
“How do you know?”
“Because I helped build it.”
She turned to leave.
“Victoria.”
She stopped.
Charles’s voice softened.
“I did love you and Claire.”
Victoria looked back.
“No.”
Charles stared.
“You loved being obeyed.”
She left.
Federal agents moved immediately.
Sophie waited with Ethan in a secure vehicle several blocks from the Malibu residence.
Victoria remained beside her.
“You don’t have to watch.”
Sophie stared at the house.
“Yes, I do.”
At 4:12 a.m., agents entered.
Minutes passed.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
Victoria’s hands shook.
Finally, Ortiz called.
“We found the basement.”
Victoria stopped breathing.
“And Claire?”
There was a long pause.
“We found a woman.”
Sophie grabbed Victoria’s arm.
“Is it her?”
Ortiz’s voice softened.
“She says her name is Claire Bennett.”
Sophie broke down.
Victoria held her.
This time Sophie did not pull away.
But Ortiz continued.
“There’s a problem.”
Victoria’s relief vanished.
“What?”
“Claire says Walsh left an hour ago.”
“With what?”
“The original Hale archive.”
Victoria looked toward the city lights.
May you like
Raymond Walsh had escaped.
And he was carrying enough secrets to destroy hundreds of lives.
