Chapter 9 - The Bargain
Rosa wanted to leave immediately.
Emily refused to let her go alone.
Margaret argued that police should handle everything.
Rosa turned on her.
“The police cannot give me back the twenty minutes your son has already stolen.”
Margaret lowered her eyes.
Emily contacted Detective James Keller, the officer supervising the estate.
Keller was in his late forties with tired eyes and a voice that never rose.
He studied the photograph.
“This may have been taken before the police arrived at Sofia’s apartment.”
Rosa stared at him.
“May have?”
“We are contacting Boston authorities.”
“My daughter may be dying.”
“I understand.”
“No.”
Rosa stepped closer.
“You understand paperwork.”
“You do not understand my daughter.”
Keller accepted the anger without reacting.
Emily handed him Charles Harrington’s files.
Nathan’s text had demanded them.
Keller immediately understood.
“He doesn’t want money.”
Emily shook her head.
“He wants evidence.”
Margaret sat near the fireplace.
“There’s more.”
Everyone looked at her.
She reached into her robe pocket.
A small black memory card rested in her palm.
Rosa frowned.
“What is that?”
“Charles gave it to me the night before he died.”
Emily stared.
“And you kept it hidden?”
“For twenty-three years.”
“What’s on it?”
“I never knew.”
Rosa laughed bitterly.
“You never looked?”
“I was afraid.”
Emily took the card.
“My husband tried to kill me tonight because everyone in this family was afraid to look at something.”
Margaret’s face tightened.
“You think fear makes people weak.”
“No.”
Emily closed her fingers around the card.
“I think pretending fear doesn’t exist makes people dangerous.”
Keller examined the card.
“We’ll make a forensic copy.”
A police officer entered.
“Detective.”
Keller turned.
The officer whispered something.
Rosa immediately stood.
“What happened?”
Keller looked at her.
“Boston police reached Sofia’s apartment.”
Rosa’s face crumpled.
“And?”
“The apartment was empty.”
Emily felt her stomach tighten.
“There was blood on the floor.”
Rosa stopped breathing.
Keller quickly added.
“Not enough to confirm serious injury.”
Rosa covered her mouth.
Emily walked to her.
Nathan’s plan became painfully clear.
The chandelier had not been the end.
It had been the beginning.
He had expected Emily’s death to look accidental.
Then he intended to disappear whatever evidence she had unknowingly uncovered.
But Rosa had destroyed the timing.
Now Nathan was improvising.
And desperate men made mistakes.
Emily looked at Detective Keller.
“Tell him we’ll trade.”
Rosa stared at her.
“Emily.”
“We do not give him the real files.”
Keller understood immediately.
“A controlled exchange.”
Emily nodded.
Margaret whispered.
“He won’t trust police.”
“He doesn’t have to.”
Emily looked toward the shattered chandelier.
“He trusts me to be afraid of him.”
May you like
For the first time that night, Emily smiled.
“Let’s make sure he keeps believing that.”
