Chapter 18 - The Ledger
Grant took Eleanor to Mercer House.
Of course he did.
The mansion was under police control, but half the property connected to service roads and tunnels older than anyone’s security plan.
Julian, Claire, and federal agents entered through the west greenhouse shortly before midnight.
Maya stayed with Leo at Evelyn’s.
Or she was supposed to.
Julian’s phone vibrated as he crossed the dark kitchen.
A text from Leo:
DON’T BE MAD. MAYA AND I FOUND SOMETHING.
Julian nearly exploded.
He called.
Maya answered quietly. “Before you yell—”
“Where are you?”
“In Evelyn’s study. We found another note from Amelia inside the trust packet.”
Julian stopped.
“What does it say?”
Leo read in the background:
If the red ledger is ever found, page 311 is not the truth. It is bait.
Julian looked at Claire.
She heard it through the speaker.
“Why would Amelia plant bait?”
Maya continued, “Because page 312 is hidden inside the spine.”
A floorboard creaked upstairs.
Julian ended the call.
Agents moved silently toward the library.
Inside, Eleanor stood beside the fireplace holding a red leather ledger.
Grant was tearing pages from it.
Julian stepped in.
“Looking for page 311?”
Grant froze.
Eleanor whispered, “Julian.”
Agents entered behind him.
Grant grabbed Eleanor and put a gun to her side.
“You let me walk, or she dies.”
Eleanor laughed.
Everyone stared at her.
Grant hissed, “What’s funny?”
“You still think I need you.”
She drove her heel into his foot and twisted away.
Agents tackled him.
The gun slid across the marble.
Julian kicked it aside.
Eleanor stood shaking.
For one strange second, she looked like the frightened young woman Amelia had described.
Then she grabbed the ledger and ran.
“Eleanor!”
Julian chased her into the main hall.
She reached the same staircase where she had pushed Leo.
At the top, she turned.
“You want the truth?” she shouted.
“Put the ledger down.”
“Your father started this!”
Charles stepped from the shadows below.
“No,” he said. “I started the theft. You and Grant turned it into murder.”
Eleanor stared at him like she had seen a ghost.
“You’re dead.”
May you like
Charles looked up at her.
“Not anymore.”
