Chapter 6 - Everyone Was a Target
Police raided the lake house before dawn.
It was empty.
But one bedroom had been prepared for a child. Small clothes hung in the closet. A passport photo of Sophie sat beside a printer. A flight plan listed Toronto as the destination.
Brooks showed Helena the pictures.
“You still want to protect Marco?”
Helena’s face had lost all color.
“He said it was temporary.”
Roman stepped closer. “What was temporary?”
“The transfer. The trust. He said once the company was stable, everything would be put back.”
Nora stared at her. “You believed that?”
Helena looked away.
Roman pointed at the schedule. “Your name says disposable.”
That finally broke her.
“I didn’t know about that.”
“But you knew I was alive,” Roman said.
Helena nodded once.
Nora’s breath caught.
“When?”
“About a year after his arrest.”
“You knew for two years?”
“Marco said reversing the death declaration would destroy the restructuring.”
Nora laughed through tears. “So you let my daughter mourn her father to protect stock?”
Helena had no answer.
Brooks asked, “Who is the silver-watch man?”
“Not Marco.”
Roman leaned in. “Then who?”
Helena looked toward Daniel.
“Ask your lawyer.”
Daniel froze.
Roman noticed the empty space on his wrist.
“Daniel?”
Daniel slowly reached into his coat pocket.
He pulled out a silver watch.
Nora gasped.
Sophie, watching from the doorway with the advocate, pointed.
“That looks like it.”
Roman’s face hardened.
Daniel held up both hands. “I can explain.”
Roman said, “You’d better.”
Daniel turned the watch over.
Engraved on the back were five words Roman recognized from childhood:
May you like
FOR KEEPING THE FAMILY SAFE.
It had been his father’s favorite phrase.
