Chapter 10 - The Sister in Vermont
They drove north before dawn.
Leo slept with his head against Maya’s shoulder.
Julian sat across from Nolan in the rear seat, every muscle tight.
“Start from the beginning.”
Nolan rubbed his face. “Amelia’s sister is named Claire Bennett. Half-sister. Different father. Amelia kept her out of Mercer business.”
“Why?”
“Because Claire was an investigator for the state attorney general.”
Julian stared.
“And Amelia was secretly feeding her information?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to the investigation?”
“It died with Amelia.”
“Convenient for my father.”
Nolan said nothing.
At sunrise they reached a farmhouse outside Brattleboro.
A woman in her fifties opened the door before they knocked.
She looked at Leo and started crying.
“You have Amelia’s eyes.”
Leo looked uncomfortable.
Julian stepped between them. “Claire?”
She nodded.
Inside, Claire locked every door.
Then she slapped Nolan across the face.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Maya almost smiled.
Claire said, “That was six years late.”
Nolan accepted it.
Julian put the flash drive on the table.
“Amelia said Eleanor worked for my father.”
Claire’s expression darkened. “Eleanor Vale. Real name Eleanor Voss.”
“What did she do?”
“She moved money. Destroyed records. Bought silence.”
“Did she kill Amelia?”
Claire looked at Leo.
Julian understood.
“Maya, take Leo to the kitchen.”
“No,” Leo said. “Everybody keeps hiding my life from me.”
Claire studied him, then nodded. “Fair.”
She opened a locked drawer.
“Your mother’s crash was ruled accidental. I never believed it.”
Julian’s chest tightened.
Claire placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Amelia’s wrecked car.
A small section of brake line had been circled in red.
“It was cut.”
Julian looked at Nolan.
Nolan whispered, “I didn’t know.”
Claire laughed bitterly. “You knew enough.”
Leo went silent.
Then someone knocked on the farmhouse door.
Three slow knocks.
Claire turned pale.
“That’s not possible.”
“Who is it?” Julian asked.
May you like
Claire reached for a pistol in the drawer.
“The only person who uses that knock died with Amelia.”
