Chapter 12 - The Dock
Sophie screamed.
Adrian threw himself over her as another shot hit the dock railing.
"Stay down!"
Vanessa ran for the boat.
Ortiz and two officers returned fire toward the house, forcing Graham away from the window.
Rachel crawled toward Nolan.
He was conscious.
Barely.
"Pressure," he gasped.
She pressed both hands against his shoulder.
Adrian looked at Sophie.
"Can you run?"
She nodded, crying.
"Go to Detective Ortiz. Don't stop."
Sophie ran.
Adrian turned toward Vanessa.
She was already in the boat.
"You're leaving without Sophie?"
Vanessa looked at him from the driver's seat.
"You ruined everything."
"No. Claire did."
That name hit her.
Her face changed.
"You always chose Claire."
"She was my wife."
"She treated me like dirt."
"She fired you because you stole from her foundation."
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
"She had everything."
"So you tried to take it."
"She didn't deserve it!"
Adrian stared at her.
There it was.
The truth without polish.
Vanessa started the engine.
Before she could pull away, police boats appeared around the bend.
Her face collapsed.
She shut the engine off.
Ortiz handcuffed her on the dock.
Graham was arrested inside the house.
Nolan survived.
In the ambulance, Sophie climbed into Adrian's lap.
"I was brave."
He kissed her forehead.
"You were."
"Mommy would be proud?"
His eyes filled.
"More than you know."
Then Ortiz approached with a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was Vanessa's phone.
"We found deleted messages."
Adrian looked up.
"About Claire?"
"Yes."
"Can you recover them?"
"We already recovered one thread."
She handed him a printed page.
Vanessa: The first attempt scared her.
Graham: Then the second cannot fail.
Vanessa: Make sure Adrian is overseas.
Graham: He is.
Adrian stopped reading.
Sophie was still in his arms.
He covered the page.
Ortiz lowered her voice.
"There's another participant in the thread."
"Who?"
"A number registered to a Cole Holdings board member."
Adrian felt the nightmare widening again.
"Name."
Ortiz looked at him.
"Your uncle, Thomas Cole."
Adrian stared.
Thomas had comforted him at Claire's funeral.
Had held Sophie.
Had told Adrian to move on.
Then Sophie whispered:
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Uncle Thomas has Mommy's blue necklace."
Adrian went completely still.
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Claire had been wearing that necklace the day she died.
It had never been found.
