Chapter 15 - Declared Dead
Carter Medical's emergency board meeting began at 9:00 p.m.
Julian appeared by video.
His location was hidden.
Evelyn sat at the head of the table.
Daniel entered with Claire beside him.
The room exploded.
"Claire?"
"My God."
"She's alive?"
Julian's image froze for half a second.
Then he smiled.
"This is inappropriate. Claire Carter is legally deceased."
Claire laughed.
"I'm standing here."
A board member held up a document.
"We received a certified death record this afternoon."
Detective Morris stepped forward.
"It's fraudulent."
Another director looked at Daniel.
"We also received notice that Daniel suffered a fatal medical event this evening."
Daniel stared.
"You're looking at me too."
The absurdity would have been funny if it were not terrifying.
Julian leaned toward the camera.
"Identity disputes must be resolved through probate. Until then, emergency succession provisions apply."
Claire whispered, "He wants the board vote tonight."
Evelyn stood.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
Her hands shook.
"I have spent five years being afraid of the truth. That's over."
Julian's face hardened.
"Evelyn."
She ignored him.
"Harold Voss falsified my husband's medical incapacity records. Julian Cross ordered it. I concealed evidence afterward. Vanessa Hale was originally hired by me to watch Julian. Then she joined him."
The board erupted again.
Daniel looked at his mother.
It was not forgiveness.
But it was truth.
Morris placed copies of the real evidence on the table.
"No transfer takes place tonight."
Julian's video disappeared.
A second later every computer in the room went black.
Then emergency speakers came alive.
Julian's voice filled the boardroom.
"Fine. You want truth? Let's finish with truth."
A live video appeared on the main screen.
Noah and Lily were sitting on the floor of Daniel's house.
A masked man stood behind them.
Daniel's heart stopped.
Claire grabbed his arm.
Julian said:
"You brought Claire to the board. That was your mistake."
Daniel looked at Morris.
"The children were under police guard."
Morris was already shouting into her radio.
Then Noah looked directly into the camera.
He raised one hand.
Three fingers.
Closed fist.
Two fingers.
Daniel froze.
May you like
It was not panic.
Noah was giving him the code to the hidden study passage.
