Chapter 9 - Daniel Finally Faces His Brother
Nathan looked older, thinner, and nothing like the photograph Margaret kept hidden.
Daniel wanted to hug him.
He also wanted to hit him.
He did neither.
“You took my daughter.”
Nathan lowered his eyes.
“I brought her into the passage. I should not have.”
“That is not an apology.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Lily.”
Lily stood behind Daniel with a police officer.
“You scared my dad.”
Nathan almost smiled.
“I can see that.”
Daniel asked why Nathan attacked Henry.
Nathan admitted confronting him underground.
Henry reached for a weapon.
Nathan struck him with a flashlight.
Police would investigate the circumstances.
Nathan did not ask them to ignore it.
Then he explained the shutdown.
He had arranged for Eric to inspect the backup system because he needed a neutral professional to discover the relay.
But Nathan claimed he never locked Eric below.
Henry did.
Henry intercepted the service request and trapped Eric after realizing he had found the device.
Nathan triggered the estate shutdown remotely to force everyone to stop moving evidence and to expose the hidden system.
It was reckless.
Daniel told him so.
Nathan agreed.
“You could have called me.”
“I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
“You trusted my six-year-old daughter more?”
Nathan looked ashamed.
“No. I used the chaos. That was wrong.”
Daniel appreciated the admission but did not soften.
Being victimized by Charles did not give Nathan permission to manipulate everyone else.
Nathan surrendered his devices and agreed to questioning.
Before police led him upstairs, Daniel asked:
“Why come back now?”
Nathan looked at Henry.
“Because he found Dad’s list.”
“What list?”
Henry’s face changed.
Nathan answered:
“The people Charles paid to keep silent.”
One name had been added recently.
Not by Charles.
By Henry.
The newest name was Margaret Whitmore.
Daniel looked at his mother.
Henry had been paying Margaret.
May you like
Or threatening her.
Either possibility meant the family still had another secret.
