Chapter 16 - The Master Ledger
Everyone turned toward Sophie.
Adrian knelt.
"What do you mean?"
"Mommy showed me a red book."
"When?"
"Before she went to heaven."
His chest tightened.
"Where?"
Sophie pointed toward Teddy.
Not inside him.
At him.
"Mommy said bears guard forests."
Daniel frowned.
Sophie rolled her eyes in the way only a seven-year-old could.
"The garden, Uncle Daniel."
Behind the mansion was Claire's memorial garden.
At its center stood a bronze bear sculpture Claire had commissioned for Sophie's fifth birthday.
Adrian, Ortiz, and two officers crossed the lawn.
At the base of the statue was a narrow maintenance panel.
Inside, wrapped in waterproof cloth, sat a red ledger.
Daniel opened it.
Names.
Dates.
Account numbers.
Payments.
Enough to destroy careers.
Enough to explain why Claire had died.
Ortiz photographed every page before moving it to evidence.
Adrian turned to Sophie.
"How did you remember?"
She shrugged.
"Mommy said if bad people came, Teddy's big brother would keep the red book."
Adrian laughed through tears.
Claire had hidden an entire investigation inside bedtime language.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Thomas.
"Bring the ledger to the foundation building."
Adrian put the call on speaker.
Ortiz signaled technicians.
"Why?"
"Because if you don't, I tell the world Evelyn ordered Claire's death."
Adrian looked at his mother.
Her face crumpled.
"You're lying."
Thomas laughed.
"Am I?"
Then another voice came through the line.
Vanessa.
Adrian froze.
She was supposed to be in custody.
Ortiz's face went hard.
"How did she get out?"
Daniel checked his phone.
"Transport accident. She escaped during hospital evaluation."
Vanessa spoke.
"You ruined my life, Adrian."
"You did that yourself."
"You always were self-righteous."
"You pushed Sophie into a pool."
"She found the key."
Sophie flinched.
Adrian's voice turned ice-cold.
"You will never get near her again."
Vanessa laughed.
"You should worry about someone else."
A cry sounded in the background.
Maria.
Adrian went still.
Vanessa continued.
"Bring the ledger."
Ortiz mouthed: Stall.
Adrian said, "Where?"
"The foundation building. Midnight."
"And Maria?"
"If police show up, she falls from the roof."
The line went dead.
Sophie started crying.
Adrian crouched and held her.
Ortiz looked at him.
"We are going."
He nodded.
"But we're not giving them the real ledger."
Daniel looked up.
"What are you thinking?"
Adrian stared at Claire's old foundation building visible beyond the trees.
"I'm thinking Claire spent two years leaving us traps for bad people."
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Then Sophie wiped her tears.
"She left one there too."
