Chapter 4 - THE MAN WHO BURIED THE TRUTH Alexander stared at the phone.
The darkness around him suddenly felt alive.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
“DAD!”
The call had ended.
Detective Reed switched on his flashlight.
“Everyone stay behind me.”
Maria held Ethan tightly.
Alexander barely heard him.
One sentence kept repeating inside his head.
I helped cover up Catherine’s murder.
His own father had said it.
Not Vanessa.
Not Maria.
Not some anonymous informant.
Richard Blackwood.
“Alexander.”
Reed grabbed his shoulder.
“Focus.”
Alexander looked up.
A metallic sound echoed down the hallway.
Reed raised his gun.
“Police! Identify yourself!”
Silence.
Then—
BANG.
A bullet struck the concrete wall.
Maria screamed.
Reed fired toward the muzzle flash.
“GET INTO THE LOCKER!”
Alexander pushed Maria and Ethan inside.
Reed backed toward them.
Another shot.
Then another.
Alexander grabbed one of the metal storage shelves and pulled.
It toppled across the entrance.
“Back exit?” he asked.
Maria pointed.
“There!”
A maintenance door stood behind the boxes.
They ran.
The corridor beyond it led outside.
Police officers rushed toward them.
Reed shouted:
“Shooter inside!”
Alexander carried Ethan toward an unmarked police SUV.
Then his phone rang again.
Vanessa.
He stared at the screen.
Reed saw the name.
“Answer it.”
Alexander did.
“Where are you?”
Vanessa laughed.
“You sound angry.”
“You hurt my son.”
“I never wanted to hurt Ethan.”
Alexander nearly crushed the phone.
“I watched you hold a whip over him.”
“You walked in at the perfect moment.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means someone wanted you to see exactly what you saw.”
Alexander stopped.
“You’re saying you were set up?”
“I’m saying nothing about your family happens by accident.”
“Catherine?”
Silence.
Alexander’s voice dropped.
“What happened to my wife?”
Vanessa whispered:
“Ask Maria.”
Alexander looked toward her.
Maria couldn’t hear the conversation.
“What about Maria?”
“Why do you think Catherine trusted a nanny with evidence worth hundreds of millions of dollars?”
“Because Maria was loyal.”
Vanessa laughed.
“Alexander, you really don’t know who she is.”
“Then tell me.”
“She isn’t Maria Alvarez.”
Alexander stared at Maria.
“Who is she?”
The call ended.
Alexander immediately dialed back.
Disconnected.
Reed approached.
“What did she say?”
Alexander hesitated.
Maria noticed.
“What?”
Alexander looked at her.
“Vanessa says your name isn’t Maria Alvarez.”
Maria became very still.
Ethan looked between them.
Alexander waited.
“Tell me she’s lying.”
Maria closed her eyes.
“Not completely.”
Reed’s expression hardened.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Maria.”
“Last name?”
She looked at Alexander.
“Delgado.”
Alexander frowned.
“Why change it?”
Maria’s eyes filled with tears.
“Because my brother worked for your father.”
“What was his name?”
“Gabriel Delgado.”
Alexander froze.
He knew that name.
Gabriel Delgado had been Blackwood Industries’ internal auditor.
Five years earlier, he had supposedly stolen company money.
He disappeared before he could be arrested.
Alexander remembered Richard’s anger.
He remembered newspaper headlines.
He remembered personally approving the investigation.
“You’re Gabriel Delgado’s sister.”
“Yes.”
“Your brother stole eleven million dollars.”
“No.”
Maria’s voice hardened.
“He discovered who did.”
Alexander stared.
“Catherine believed him.”
Maria continued.
“Your wife contacted Gabriel secretly. They were investigating the same accounts.”
“Where is he?”
Maria looked away.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“He disappeared.”
“When?”
“Four days before Catherine died.”
Alexander felt another piece fall into place.
“What did Catherine tell you?”
“She said if anything happened to her, I had to protect Ethan.”
“Why Ethan?”
“Because she believed whoever controlled the stolen money wanted control of Blackwood Industries.”
Reed interrupted.
“Through guardianship.”
Maria nodded.
Alexander looked at the forged guardianship papers.
“Then why is your name on this?”
Maria shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Reed studied the document.
“Maybe Catherine wanted Maria to become Ethan’s guardian.”
“No,” Maria said.
“Why not?”
“Because Catherine knew I had a criminal record.”
Alexander stared.
“What?”
“A minor conviction. Years ago. Identity fraud.”
“You never told me.”
“I needed the job.”
“You lied to me.”
“To protect Ethan.”
Alexander’s anger exploded.
“Everyone keeps saying they lied to protect Ethan!”
Ethan flinched.
Alexander immediately regretted shouting.
He crouched.
“Buddy…”
Ethan looked away.
Alexander closed his eyes.
He was becoming exactly what his son feared.
A loud voice interrupted.
“Detective!”
An officer approached.
“We found the shooter.”
Reed turned.
“Alive?”
“No.”
Alexander followed them back inside.
A man lay near the rear corridor.
Gun beside him.
Alexander recognized him immediately.
“The man from my house.”
The syringe attacker.
Reed searched his pockets.
Wallet.
Phone.
A hotel key.
Then a photograph.
Reed unfolded it.
The image showed Ethan leaving school.
Another photograph showed Maria.
Another showed Alexander.
Someone had been watching them.
Then Reed pulled out a business card.
BLACKWOOD INDUSTRIES.
Executive Security Division.
Alexander stared at the name.
DAVID KANE.
He knew Kane.
Former military.
Head of corporate security.
Appointed by Richard.
Reed looked at him.
“Your father hired him?”
“Yes.”
“Recently?”
“Fifteen years ago.”
Reed stood.
“So either your father sent him…”
“Or someone wants us to think he did.”
Alexander’s phone rang again.
This time the number belonged to Blackwood Industries.
He answered.
“Alexander Blackwood.”
A frightened voice responded.
“Mr. Blackwood, this is Jennifer from executive reception.”
“What happened?”
“Your father is here.”
Alexander froze.
“He’s at the office?”
“Yes.”
“Put him on.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
Jennifer began crying.
“Because he’s been shot.”
Forty minutes later, Alexander reached Blackwood Tower.
Police cars surrounded the building.
Richard Blackwood lay inside the executive conference room.
Blood covered his white shirt.
Paramedics worked frantically.
Alexander pushed forward.
“Dad!”
Richard opened his eyes.
“Alex…”
Alexander knelt beside him.
“Who did this?”
Richard tried to breathe.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Catherine.”
Alexander’s eyes burned.
“What did you cover up?”
Richard gripped his hand.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“From who?”
Richard’s gaze moved toward Maria.
His face changed.
“You.”
Maria froze.
Alexander turned.
“What?”
Richard tried to lift his hand.
He pointed toward her.
“She knows…”
Then his eyes rolled back.
The monitor alarm screamed.
Paramedics pushed Alexander away.
“Sir!”
They began CPR.
Maria stood frozen.
Alexander looked at her.
“What does he think you know?”
“I don’t know.”
“Stop saying that!”
Ethan started crying.
Reed stepped between them.
“Alexander.”
Alexander walked away.
He pressed both hands against the window.
Below him, Boston glittered in the darkness.
His wife murdered.
His father shot.
His son abused.
His home burned.
Every person he trusted had lied.
Then Reed approached.
“We found something on your father’s desk.”
He handed Alexander an envelope.
Written on it:
FOR ALEXANDER ONLY.
Alexander opened it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Son,
If you’re reading this, then I waited too long.
Catherine discovered something I should have told you years ago.
The money was never the real secret.
The company was.
Your grandfather built Blackwood Industries with another family.
Their name was removed from every official record after 1989.
But their ownership never legally disappeared.
Alexander frowned.
He kept reading.
They own half of everything.
And Catherine found their heir.
Alexander turned the page.
There was only one sentence.
You already know her.
A photograph slipped from the envelope.
Alexander picked it up.
It showed Catherine standing beside a young woman.
The young woman was Maria.
On the back, Richard had written:
MARIA DELGADO — 50% LEGAL HEIR TO BLACKWOOD INDUSTRIES.
Alexander looked up.
Maria stared at the photograph.
“No.”
Alexander handed it to her.
Her hands began shaking.
“That’s impossible.”
Reed looked between them.
“If this is real…”
Alexander finished the sentence.
“Maria isn’t my employee.”
He looked at the Blackwood logo mounted on the conference-room wall.
“She owns half my company.”
Then the elevator doors opened.
Vanessa Sterling stepped out.
Her dress was torn.
Blood ran down one side of her face.
She raised both hands.
“Don’t shoot.”
Police surrounded her.
Alexander stared.
“You came back?”
Vanessa looked at Richard being rushed toward the elevator.
Then at Maria.
Then at Ethan.
Finally, she looked at Alexander.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with something Alexander had never seen before.
Terror.
“I wasn’t trying to take over Blackwood Industries.”
She looked toward the darkened conference room.
“I was trying to stop the person who already did.”
Alexander stepped closer.
“Who?”
Vanessa whispered:
“Catherine.”
Alexander stopped breathing.
“My wife is dead.”
May you like
Vanessa slowly shook her head.
“That’s what she wanted you to believe.”
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