Chapter 3 - The Man Who Signed the Death Certificate
Within twenty minutes, the estate became a fortress.
Daniel entered my office.
"We've located Lily."
"Where?"
"She left work six minutes ago."
"Bring her here."
"She's refusing."
"Why?"
Daniel hesitated.
"She thinks you're responsible."
That hurt more than it should have.
"For what?"
"For whoever has been following her."
I turned toward Maria.
"Following?"
Maria nodded reluctantly.
"Black SUV. Different drivers."
"How long?"
"Months."
Daniel placed a tablet before me.
"We found something else."
An old investigation file appeared.
The explosion.
I had read it hundreds of times.
Then Daniel enlarged one signature.
Dr. Malcolm Voss.
My former chief medical officer.
My oldest friend.
The man who had sat beside my hospital bed and told me Eleanor was dead.
"Voss signed the medical confirmation," Daniel said.
"I know."
"He also approved the destruction of unidentified biological samples recovered from the scene."
I stared at him.
"When?"
"Two days before you regained consciousness."
Claire stepped closer.
"Adrian, that's not normal."
I called Voss.
He answered on the third ring.
"Adrian?"
"Come to my house."
"Tonight?"
"Now."
"What's happened?"
I looked at Eleanor's bracelet.
"I found something that belongs to my wife."
Silence.
Three seconds.
Four.
Then Voss said quietly:
"Adrian, don't do anything until I arrive."
That was the wrong answer.
"Why?"
"Because grief can make coincidences appear meaningful."
"I didn't tell you what I found."
Another silence.
Then the line disconnected.
Daniel was already moving.
"I'll send men."
"No."
I pointed at the security monitor.
"He's coming."
Headlights appeared at the estate gate.
But it wasn't Voss.
A battered blue sedan stopped outside.
A young woman stepped out.
Lily.
Ethan ran from the hallway.
"Mom!"
He crashed into her arms.
She hugged him desperately.
Then looked at me.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
She had Eleanor's eyes.
My jaw tightened.
"Who told you I was dangerous?"
Lily held Ethan closer.
"A man named Malcolm Voss."
Maria gasped.
Lily continued.
"He contacted me after Ethan was born. He said my biological father was powerful and unstable."
"Did he name me?"
"Eventually."
"What did he say?"
"That you caused the explosion."
I felt my entire body go cold.
"That's a lie."
"I don't know you."
"No. You don't."
I moved closer.
"But I knew Eleanor."
I pointed toward the portrait above the fireplace.
Lily looked up.
Her face changed.
"That's..."
"Eleanor Wolfe."
Lily stepped toward it.
"I've dreamed about her."
Nobody spoke.
Then Lily touched her temple.
"Fire."
"What?"
"I've had the same dream since I was a teenager. A woman screaming. Someone carrying me."
I leaned forward.
"Carrying you?"
Lily nodded.
"She keeps saying one sentence."
"What sentence?"
Tears appeared in Lily's eyes.
"Find Adrian."
Before I could answer, Daniel's radio crackled.
"Vehicle approaching."
Voss's Mercedes entered the gates.
I looked toward the door.
"Good."
Lily whispered, "Why?"
May you like
I placed Eleanor's bracelet on the desk.
"Because tonight Malcolm Voss is going to tell us why my daughter was erased from the world."
