Chapter 7 - THE DEAD WOMAN IN ROOM 214
Margaret Hayes looked nothing like the photograph Vincent kept in his library.
Her hair had turned silver.
Her face was thinner.
But her eyes were unmistakably his.
Vincent stood outside the hospital room, staring through the glass.
He didn’t enter.
I understood.
Sometimes finding someone alive could be as painful as losing them.
Grandma was in the room beside hers.
Bruised.
Exhausted.
But alive.
I ran to her.
She wrapped her arms around me.
“Oh, Claire.”
I started crying.
“You lied to me.”
“I know.”
“About everything.”
“Almost everything.”
“That’s not comforting.”
She laughed weakly.
Then coughed.
I held her tighter.
“Why were you with Margaret Hayes?”
Grandma’s expression changed.
“She contacted me.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Why?”
“She wanted to confess.”
Vincent appeared at the doorway.
Grandma went still.
He looked at her.
“Confess to what?”
Margaret’s voice came from the next bed.
“Your father’s death.”
Vincent turned.
His mother stood shakily in the doorway.
An officer remained behind her.
Vincent looked like someone had driven a knife into him.
“You’re alive.”
Margaret nodded.
“Yes.”
“You let me bury you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.”
“You let me think both my parents were dead.”
“I thought it protected you.”
Vincent laughed bitterly.
“Everyone seems to have protected me by lying.”
Margaret lowered her head.
“I deserve that.”
He stepped closer.
“Did you kill Father?”
“No.”
“But you know who did.”
“Yes.”
“Raymond?”
She nodded.
Silence.
Margaret explained that Raymond had built the financial network with her.
She helped hide money.
Forged accounts.
Moved payments.
Then Arthur discovered it.
“He wanted to go to federal investigators.”
Vincent stared.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel Bennett convinced him it was the only way to protect you.”
I looked at Grandma.
Her face tightened.
Margaret continued.
“Raymond ordered Daniel and Rachel killed first.”
My throat closed.
Grandma took my hand.
“I’m sorry.”
Vincent’s voice cracked.
“And Father?”
“Two years later.”
“How?”
“Medication.”
I stared.
Like Claire’s mother.
Medical charities.
A nurse.
Everything connected.
Margaret began crying.
“I helped create the system Raymond used. I didn’t know he’d use it against Arthur.”
Vincent looked at her with disgust.
“But you ran.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Raymond threatened you.”
That stopped him.
“He said if I talked, you’d die.”
Vincent looked away.
Margaret continued.
“Eleanor helped hide me.”
I turned toward Grandma.
“You protected her?”
“Yes.”
“After what she did?”
“She was guilty of crimes.”
Grandma’s voice was firm.
“But she was also the only witness left who could prove Raymond killed your parents.”
I stared.
“Then why wait twenty-three years?”
Margaret answered.
“Because we didn’t have the ledger.”
Vincent looked at Grandma.
“Where is it?”
Grandma closed her eyes.
“I never had it.”
Everyone went silent.
“Then who does?” I asked.
Grandma looked at me.
May you like
And whispered:
“You.”
