Chapter 7 - The Airport
Charles tried to leave before dawn.
Julian was waiting at Logan Airport.
His father stopped when he saw him.
“You followed me.”
“Yes.”
“You have no right.”
“I found twenty-eight years of payments to Elena.”
Charles went pale.
Rolling luggage.
Coffee cups.
Normal life.
Julian lowered his voice.
“She survived.”
Charles looked away.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
Mara stood twenty feet behind Julian.
Charles saw her.
His face changed again.
“You brought her?”
Charles sat heavily on a bench.
Julian sat opposite.
Charles rubbed both hands over his face.
“My father caught us.”
“Grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Was Elena in that room voluntarily?”
“At first.”
Mara stepped closer.
“At first?”
Charles looked at her.
“My father locked her in after she threatened to tell Margaret.”
Julian felt sick.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
Charles continued.
“I tried to get Elena out.”
“Then why the scratches?”
“Where?”
“The tunnel.”
Mara’s voice broke.
“Did he hurt her?”
“No.”
“You know that?”
“I found her later.”
Julian stared.
“Where?”
“New Hampshire.”
Charles nodded.
“My father told me if Elena spoke, he would destroy Lucia’s immigration status and have both sisters deported.”
Mara went still.
Charles looked ashamed.
“Elena was terrified for her family.”
“So she left.”
“Yes.”
“Why no police?”
Julian thought of the missing-person report with Charles’ name absent.
Everyone knew that.
Then Julian asked the question that mattered most.
“Why were you paying her?”
May you like
Charles whispered:
“Because she had my daughter.”
