Chapter 6 - THE BROTHER IN THE SHADOWS
For several seconds, Baldric couldn't breathe.
His phone remained pressed against his ear.
“Arianne,” he said slowly, “are you certain?”
“Yes, Dad.”
Her voice was weak.
“But I couldn't see his face clearly.”
Baldric looked at Caleb.
His brother stood motionless near the conference-room window.
“Tell me what you remember.”
Arianne swallowed.
“He was wearing a dark coat.”
“Anything else?”
“He smelled like gasoline.”
Baldric's eyes narrowed.
Caleb had spent most of his life around cars.
But that wasn't enough.
“What did he do?”
“I heard Derek say, ‘You promised she wouldn't wake up.’”
Baldric's blood ran cold.
“And the other man?”
“He said…”
Arianne paused.
“He said, ‘Your father won't stop until he knows everything.’”
Baldric slowly lowered the phone.
Caleb stared at him.
“What did she say?”
Baldric didn't answer.
He walked toward his brother.
“Where were you the night Arianne was attacked?”
Caleb's expression tightened.
“I already told you.”
“Answer me.”
“I was in Phoenix.”
Baldric pulled out his phone.
“Your flight records say you arrived in Chicago two days before.”
Caleb went silent.
The room seemed to shrink around them.
Derek's attorney looked nervous.
Roger and Bertha exchanged a glance.
Then Caleb whispered:
“I came back because I wanted to stop them.”
“You lied.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Baldric slammed his hand against the table.
“I'm tired of people destroying my family and calling it protection!”
Caleb flinched.
Then he reached into his coat.
Baldric immediately stepped back.
But Caleb pulled out a photograph.
He placed it on the table.
It showed Arianne as a little girl.
Beside her stood Caleb.
Baldric stared.
“When was this taken?”
“Twenty years ago.”
“You knew her?”
“She was four.”
Baldric looked at him.
“Why?”
Caleb's voice broke.
“Because I was the one who taught her how to ride a bicycle.”
Baldric froze.
A memory surfaced.
Arianne had always talked about a mysterious uncle who gave her a red bicycle.
Baldric had assumed she had imagined him.
Caleb continued.
“I never stopped watching over her.”
“Then why hide?”
“Because your father ordered me to disappear.”
“And now?”
Caleb's eyes filled with tears.
“Now I came back because I discovered Derek was working with someone far more dangerous.”
“Who?”
Caleb looked toward the door.
“Roger Vance.”
Baldric turned.
Roger had gone pale.
“That isn't true.”
Caleb pointed at him.
“He paid for the drugs.”
Roger shook his head.
“You're lying.”
Caleb pulled out a bank statement.
“Three transfers.”
Then another document.
“Two forged prescriptions.”
Then a recording.
Roger's own voice.
“Keep increasing the dosage.”
The room went silent.
Baldric looked at Roger.
“You ordered my daughter's poisoning.”
Roger finally stopped pretending.
“She was going to destroy everything.”
Baldric stepped forward.
“You almost killed your own daughter-in-law.”
“She was a threat.”
“To what?”
Roger laughed bitterly.
“To the entire family.”
Then Baldric noticed something.
Roger wasn't looking at him.
He was looking at Caleb.
And Caleb looked terrified.
Baldric understood.
There was another secret.
“Caleb,” he whispered.
His brother closed his eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
Caleb whispered:
“Roger isn't the mastermind.”
May you like
The door behind them suddenly slammed shut.
And the lights went out.
