Chapter 12
Ethan froze, his mug of tea stopping halfway to his lips.
His father, Richard Vance, had died in a mysterious private plane crash over Lake Champlain in 1999.
For twenty-seven years, the family had believed it was a mechanical failure caused by severe weather.
“What’s in the file, Victoria?” Ethan asked, his voice dropping into a tense whisper so Clara wouldn't hear.
“I haven't opened it yet,” Victoria admitted. “It’s sealed with federal court tape.”
“Bring it to the house tonight,” Ethan commanded. “We open it together.”
He hung up the phone and looked back at his wife, who was watching him with a perceptive frown.
“What did she say, Ethan?” Clara asked, setting her tea mug down.
“They found a file about my father’s plane crash in Montgomery’s safe,” Ethan confessed honestly.
Clara took his hand, squeezing his fingers gently.
“In the facility, when the guards thought I was asleep, they used to talk about the old days,” Clara said softly.
“What old days?”
“They said Senator Montgomery didn't build his fortune on real estate,” Clara revealed.
“They said he built it on insurance money from an aviation disaster.”
Ethan felt a cold spike of adrenaline shoot through his bloodstream.
The pieces of a thirty-year-old puzzle were suddenly beginning to assemble in his mind.
Senator Montgomery hadn't just targeted Ethan’s marriage to gain control of the Vance fortune.
He had been trying to cover up the crime that built his entire political empire.
“Daddy! Look!” Lily yelled, running up to the patio holding a bright yellow dandelion.
May you like
Ethan forced a warm smile onto his face, bending down to pick his daughter up in his arms.
“It’s beautiful, sweetheart,” Ethan said, kissing her cheek while his mind raced with deadly new questions.
