Chapter 15 - The Last Person Protecting Arthur
The anonymous number belonged to a prepaid phone.
No registration.
No useful trail.
But the message contained one detail.
The wall.
Not the missing woman.
Not the trust.
The wall.
Someone inside the old circle.
One name stood out.
Detective Samuel Price.
The officer who had classified Elena as a runaway.
Still alive.
Eighty-one.
Living in assisted care.
Julian and Mara visited.
Price remembered too much.
That was clear immediately.
“Elena Santos,” he said before they finished introducing themselves.
Mara sat forward.
“You remember her?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you close the case?”
Price looked at Julian.
“Your grandfather.”
Julian had expected it.
Still hated hearing it.
“What did he give you?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why?”
“Power.”
Price sighed.
“He could end careers. Loans. Contracts. College placements. People forget money is only one kind of leverage.”
Mara asked, “Did you know Elena was alive?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“When?”
Mara stood.
Price looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Arthur told me Elena left willingly.”
“You believed him?”
“No.”
That answer was worse.
A sealed envelope.
“I kept this.”
Inside was a copy of Elena’s statement.
Dated October 23, 1989.
Named Arthur.
Named Charles.
Described threats against Lucia.
Julian stared.
“This should have opened a case.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I buried it.”
Mara turned away.
Price whispered, “I was a coward.”
The same word.
Again.
Then he added:
Julian looked at him.
“Who did?”
Margaret Mercer.
Julian’s mother.
“She knew?” Julian asked.
Price nodded.
“She found out before she died.”
Julian felt the room tilt.
May you like
His mother had known.
And said nothing.
