Chapter 3 - The Night Winston Never Forgot
The message went out that evening.
One sentence.
Sent from Brooklyn’s phone to Vivian.
I remember what you said on the dock.
Nothing more.
Winston stood beside Brooklyn in his study.
“You’re sure?”
“No.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Brooklyn looked at him.
“I’m doing it anyway.”
Thirty seconds later, her phone rang.
Vivian.
Brooklyn let it ring.
Again.
Again.
On the fourth call, Vivian left a voicemail.
Brooklyn played it on speaker.
“Brooklyn? If this is some sick joke, stop. Bradley says someone probably found your phone. Whoever this is, you don’t know anything.”
Winston looked at Helen.
“Fear.”
Helen nodded.
Brooklyn typed again.
You were wearing the white coat. Corey said, ‘We need to go.’ Your mother said I was useless. Bradley watched me sink.
The phone rang immediately.
Brooklyn answered.
She said nothing.
Vivian’s breathing came through the line.
“Who is this?”
Silence.
“Who is this?”
Brooklyn finally whispered, “Vivian.”
The phone disconnected.
Helen smiled without humor.
“She believes you’re alive.”
“Or thinks she’s losing her mind.”
Winston said, “Either works.”
Twenty minutes later, Winston’s security team reported Vivian had left Marlene’s home.
She drove straight to a bar in Oak Park.
Alone.
Brooklyn looked at Winston.
“I want to see her.”
“No.”
Brooklyn’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t decide that.”
“Correct.”
“Then why did you say no?”
“Because I wanted to see whether you’d listen.”
“I won’t.”
“I suspected that.”
Helen rubbed her forehead.
“You two are exhausting.”
Winston picked up his coat.
“We’ll go.”
The bar was nearly empty.
Brooklyn stayed in a private booth at the rear wearing a dark coat and baseball cap.
Vivian entered ten minutes later.
She ordered vodka.
Then another.
Then she called Bradley.
Brooklyn could not hear Bradley’s side, but Vivian’s voice carried.
“She texted me.”
Pause.
“I know she’s dead.”
Pause.
“Because we watched her go under, Bradley!”
Brooklyn stopped breathing.
Winston quietly activated the recorder on the table.
Vivian continued.
“No, I’m not saying anything to Mom. She’ll just tell me to shut up again.”
Pause.
“I told you we should’ve waited.”
Another pause.
“No. Corey pushed her too hard.”
Brooklyn’s hand tightened around the table.
Winston looked at her.
Stay still.
Vivian’s voice dropped.
“I didn’t touch her. I never touched her.”
Pause.
“But I was there. That’s enough.”
She hung up.
Brooklyn whispered, “We have it.”
Helen, listening remotely, spoke through Winston’s earpiece.
“Not enough for everything, but very useful.”
Vivian suddenly stood.
She was heading toward the bathroom.
Brooklyn made a decision.
She stepped from the booth.
“Vivian.”
Vivian stopped.
Her face lost all color.
Brooklyn removed the cap.
“No.”
“Hello, Vivian.”
“No.”
Vivian backed into a chair.
“You’re dead.”
Brooklyn stepped closer.
“You seemed pretty sure of that five minutes ago.”
Vivian’s eyes moved toward Winston.
Recognition hit.
Everyone in Chicago knew Winston Marchetti.
“Oh my God.”
Winston remained silent.
Vivian looked at Brooklyn again.
“I didn’t push you.”
“You watched.”
“I was scared.”
“So was I.”
“Corey did it.”
Brooklyn froze.
“Corey pushed me?”
Vivian covered her mouth.
Too late.
“Say it again.”
“No.”
“Say it again.”
Vivian started crying.
“Mom said we just needed to scare you.”
“About the money?”
“Yes.”
“The $180,000?”
“Yes.”
“And Bradley?”
“He knew.”
Brooklyn’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“Did Bradley know Corey was going to push me?”
Vivian looked away.
Brooklyn grabbed her wrist.
“Did he know?”
“Yes.”
The word barely existed.
But it existed.
Brooklyn released her.
Vivian started sobbing.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.”
“How was it supposed to happen?”
“Mom wanted you to transfer the inheritance.”
“And if I didn’t?”
Vivian closed her eyes.
“Bradley said the insurance was worth more.”
Brooklyn stared at her.
The bar seemed to disappear.
Winston stepped closer, not touching her.
Vivian kept talking.
“Corey said accidents happen around water. Bradley told us you’d never expect anything because you trusted him.”
Brooklyn’s face hardened.
“Did my husband help push me?”
Vivian shook her head.
“He just stood there.”
“That’s not better.”
“I know.”
“No, Vivian. You don’t.”
Brooklyn leaned forward.
“I looked at the man I had loved for nine years and begged him to help me.”
Vivian cried harder.
“And he turned away.”
“I’m sorry.”
Brooklyn stared at her.
“Then prove it.”
Vivian looked up.
“How?”
“Tell investigators everything.”
“My mother will destroy me.”
Winston finally spoke.
“No.”
Vivian looked at him.
“She won’t.”
“You don’t know my mother.”
Winston’s eyes were flat.
“You don’t know me.”
Vivian swallowed.
Brooklyn said, “Tomorrow night, they’re all having dinner together, aren’t they?”
Vivian hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Bradley wants to discuss the insurance money.”
Brooklyn nodded slowly.
“Then go.”
“What?”
“Go to dinner.”
“I just told you I’ll confess.”
“Not yet.”
Winston looked at Brooklyn.
She continued.
“Wear a wire.”
Vivian’s face went white.
“Brooklyn—”
“You watched me drown.”
Vivian stopped.
Brooklyn stepped closer.
May you like
“Tomorrow you get to decide whether that is the worst thing you ever did.”
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