Chapter 5 - The Trap at Vale Textile
The abandoned Vale textile factory stood beside the Hudson River.
Roman arrived with Claire at 4:21 A.M.
Marcus remained outside with his team.
Roman looked at Claire.
“You stay behind me.”
“You've said that three times.”
“And you've ignored me three times.”
“I've noticed.”
Despite everything, Roman almost smiled.
They entered.
Anthony sat tied to a chair beneath an industrial lamp.
His face was bruised but he was conscious.
“Roman.”
Then footsteps echoed.
Julian Vale emerged from the darkness.
He looked older than Roman remembered.
Thinner.
Harder.
But unmistakably his brother.
“Welcome.”
Roman stared at him.
“Twelve years.”
Julian smiled.
“Did you miss me?”
“No.”
“That hurts.”
“Release Anthony.”
“The key first.”
Claire held it tightly.
Julian looked at her.
“So you're Eleanor's daughter.”
Claire stiffened.
“You knew my mother?”
“Your mother ruined my life.”
Roman stepped between them.
“No. You ruined your life.”
Julian's smile disappeared.
“Our father was going to give me everything.”
“Our father was going to send you to prison.”
“Because Eleanor convinced him.”
Claire stared.
“My mother?”
“She found the accounts. She discovered I was stealing.”
Roman finally understood.
“The ledger wasn't Father's.”
Julian shook his head.
“Eleanor created it.”
Claire whispered, “She documented everything.”
“Every transaction,” Julian said. “Including mine.”
Roman looked at Claire.
“That's why he needed you.”
Julian extended his hand.
“The key.”
Claire stepped forward.
Roman caught her arm.
She whispered, “Trust me.”
He released her.
Claire approached Julian.
“Let Anthony go.”
“Key first.”
“No.”
Julian laughed.
“You're negotiating?”
“My mother apparently spent years documenting criminals.”
Claire looked around.
“I assume stubbornness runs in the family.”
Anthony almost laughed despite himself.
Julian didn't.
He grabbed Claire.
Roman moved instantly.
“Let her go.”
Julian pressed a blade near Claire's throat.
“Key.”
Roman's hands curled.
Claire looked strangely calm.
“Roman.”
His eyes met hers.
She dropped the key.
Julian instinctively looked down.
Claire drove her heel onto his foot and twisted free.
Roman crossed the distance.
Seconds later, Julian hit the concrete.
The blade skidded away.
Marcus and his men stormed inside.
“Clear!”
Roman pulled Claire behind him.
Julian laughed from the floor.
“You think this ends anything?”
Roman stared down.
“It ends you entering my home.”
“You still need the ledger.”
Claire picked up the key.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
She turned it over.
“This isn't a locker key.”
Roman frowned.
“How do you know?”
Claire pointed to tiny lettering.
“It belongs to a safe-deposit box.”
Julian's smile vanished.
Claire looked at him.
“You never found the ledger.”
Silence.
Roman understood.
“The cookbook.”
Claire nodded.
“Mom used recipes as codes.”
Julian struggled against Marcus.
“You're lying!”
Claire faced him.
“No.”
She slipped the key into her pocket.
May you like
“And unlike you, I actually knew my mother.”
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