Chapter 3 - The Traitor Inside the Gates
By morning, Mercer Estate had become a fortress.
Nobody entered.
Nobody left.
Except somehow, someone still managed to send Noah a message.
It arrived with breakfast.
A folded piece of paper beneath his plate.
Gideon read it once.
Then again.
“What does it say?” I asked.
He handed it to Marcus.
Marcus’s face changed.
I took it.
THE RIVER WAS MERCY. NEXT TIME, HE DOESN’T COME BACK.
I stared at Gideon.
“This was inside your house.”
“Yes.”
“So whoever is threatening Noah has someone here.”
Marcus immediately ordered the staff assembled.
Gideon turned toward me.
“You’re leaving.”
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
“Then stop pretending it was.”
His patience snapped.
“You saved Noah. I owe you more than I can repay. But I will not repay that debt by letting you become another target.”
“You think sending me home makes me safe?”
He stopped.
“They know I rescued him.”
Gideon said nothing.
“They probably know my name already.”
Marcus returned.
“She’s right.”
Gideon looked furious.
Marcus continued.
“Someone accessed the emergency call records overnight.”
“Who?”
“We’re tracing it.”
I stared between them.
“So I’m safer here.”
Gideon hated the logic.
“Temporarily.”
Noah appeared in the doorway wearing pajamas.
“Hannah?”
“Hey.”
“Are you leaving?”
Before I could answer, Gideon said, “No.”
I smiled.
He glared at me.
“Temporarily.”
The investigation moved quickly.
Thomas Reed’s abandoned car was found outside Savannah.
No Thomas.
But inside the trunk, Marcus found a burner phone.
The messages on it revealed payments.
Someone had paid Thomas $200,000.
The sender used initials.
D.C.
Gideon stared at them.
I asked, “Know anyone?”
“Several.”
“Enemies?”
“Hundreds.”
“Helpful.”
One of his men entered.
“Mr. Mercer, Dominic Crane is here.”
Gideon looked at Marcus.
Marcus slowly nodded.
I asked, “Who’s Dominic?”
Gideon answered without looking at me.
“My cousin.”
Dominic Crane walked into the study ten minutes later.
Mid-forties.
Expensive suit.
Perfect smile.
“Horrible thing about Noah.”
Gideon didn’t offer him a seat.
“How did you hear?”
Dominic’s smile faded slightly.
“People talk.”
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“Because nobody outside this house knows Noah went into the river.”
Silence.
Dominic recovered quickly.
“Your security people called mine.”
“No.”
Gideon stepped closer.
“They didn’t.”
Dominic looked toward Marcus.
Then me.
“Who’s she?”
“The woman who saved my son.”
Recognition flashed across his face.
Too quickly.
But I saw it.
Gideon saw me see it.
I said, “Have we met?”
Dominic smiled.
“No.”
“You looked like you recognized me.”
“I’ve seen photographs.”
“What photographs?”
Dominic hesitated.
Gideon’s voice dropped.
“Answer her.”
“News travels.”
“There are no photographs,” Marcus said.
Dominic’s face tightened.
That was the first crack.
Gideon stepped closer.
“You knew who Hannah was before entering this room.”
Dominic laughed nervously.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
“You think I tried to hurt Noah?”
“I think you’re lying.”
Dominic pointed toward me.
“You’re trusting a hotel maid over family?”
Gideon’s expression went cold.
“She jumped into freezing water for my son.”
Then he looked directly at Dominic.
“What have you done for him?”
Dominic said nothing.
Gideon turned to Marcus.
“Search his car.”
“You have no right.”
Gideon almost smiled.
“You came through my gates.”
Dominic’s phone suddenly rang.
Nobody moved.
It rang again.
Marcus took it.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Tell Mercer this ends when he gives back what he stole.”
The line disconnected.
Gideon stared at Dominic.
“What did I steal?”
Dominic’s confidence disappeared.
May you like
And I realized something terrifying.
He knew exactly what the caller meant.
